The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-09
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 been made, and tickets sold at . high price and in large numbers. On the day of the concert the distinguished pianist arrived and, with the landlord of the ho- tel and few new acquaintances, vent over to the hail (which. by the way. was a wagon storehouse, the oaly available placr) to sec if the piano was in the right position and the proper arrangements made for the concert in the evening, when, to Gottschalk's assonishment he found that his grand piano had not arrived. It was four o'clock in tho aAeinoon, and no other train that evening. What to do they did not know, as no one in town owned piano. The seats were all sold, and the miners were not a class ot men to be tFiaed with and to make matters worse, they had lately been swindled by gift performer. A statement that the piano had not arrived would have been pronounced too thin," and brought down the wratl4 of the miners. They were in an awkward di. lemma. Suddenly one of the party re- membered that German had lately ar- rived and located on the outskirts of the settlement, who had brought with him something that looked like piano. This was glorious ne~s. A wagon was ob- tained, and the whole party drove to the Dutchman's house, determined to get the piano, if they had to buy it. The German was sitting outside his door, and was highly pleased at seeing such distinguished deputation calling on him, and brushing sp his best Eng- fish said
 Shentlemen, vas capituvated nit seeing you come sit dowr, and will go to the sellar and bring up some fine sour milk"
 The party were not in the mood for sour milk, so the preferred refIeshment was declined, and business proceeded with at once.
 "Kaiser," said the landlord, i've under stand you have got a piano; we want to borrow 1t for tonight; can we have it?"
 "Vell, shentlemen," said he "I don't like to say no, but since my little Katrina wot used to play so nice on them died, we lock 'em up and buts de key away, und it don't bin open now init ten years, urd it would make my heart so sad to blanc und my darling not here"
 Gottschalk, $ho was very tender hearted, was almost inclined to abandon the idea of getting the piano and not wound the heart of the old man. But the landlord, who knew the set of people they would have to deal with in the even- ing, would not listen to any such thing, and after some talk obtained kaiscr's consent.
 It was now close on six o'clock, the key was mislaid, and the instrument locked. There was no time to be lost. so the piano was placed in the wagon and taken to the hall, the old man leaving word with his wife to "hunt the key up, and send Yacup down to de hall init it as soon as she found it."
 Arrived at their nation, they found "Yacup" already there with the key. The piano was opened, Gottschalk ran his fingers over the keys and "Oh, hor- TOT" no sound was produced; yes, there was one note sounded, and on ipvesti- ation there was found to be only one string left in the piano, the middle B fiat. Here was worse predicament than ever, and Gottschalk was nearly wild.
 Suddenly brilliant idea flashed upon him. The hammers struck sharply against the sounding board, the concus- sion producing sound not unlike that of small arms, and the one sounding note could be used as a trumpet. The people were nov coming into the concert room, and Gottschalk at once made up his mind to play GA Grand Battle Piece" and trust to luck to get out of the difficulty.
 1 At the time advertised he appeared pn the platform, and announced his pto- gramme. He commenced his battle with the feeling that he was leading foriorp hope. The bugle sounded softly, as if from a distance calling the infantry pres ently the hammers rattled out . sharp roll of musketry, the 6ring gradually in- creasing until the battle ragged at its fercest. Then he made the firing die away amid the retreating sound of the trumpet 1; his musketry was ratsling all the time. Cottschalk was in cold pcrspir- ation, expecting every moment to receive enraged audience. Escaping that, as he fired his last gun, he looked around, ex- pecting committee of miners to advance on the stage for the purpose of lynching him.
 Tie was mistaksI vocs1SsoSS @Tr!2.5e greeted his novel performance, and they insisted on his repeating it, and that would not content them, and he had to go through it six times. His triumph was complete, and he had come out of his dilemma with flying colors.
 But did they not find out the way they had been sold the next day?." asked him.
 ~No, indeed" he replied; "why, the next morning a committee of veteran miners waited upon me at the hotel, and handed me petition, signed by all the influential gold-diggers in the place, ask me to repeat the concert" The Battle Piece had second per- fornance and Gottschalk found that the temporary detention sf his piano proved profitable accident.