The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-01-17
MULLINS FUNERAL AND SPIRIT
IDrake's Travellers, Maea.ine.l

I %As nigh as am onto the iacts. is was like this observed Mr. Denis Hanni6a, chairman of the Democratic county csn- tral committee, of BuraesgA county, ] Dakota. And then Mr. Hanniia paused long time, which was improved by the listeners, by taking what they could reach, while Mr. HanniSn indul9ed himself in mighty muscular efforts to catch his breath. "Every man here as know'd the shirt on his back from seven dol lars in the bank, know'd Pete Mullins,s continued Mr. Hanni6n, changing the style of introducing his story, probably with view to greater dramatic effect al the climax.
 Him that had the scrap with the soiers over by the Seventh Cavalry Sa. loon l know'd him." remarked judge Eagerly, Panctuating the reninisccnce with 6 variety of mods. ''i was tending bar for Denis, and holding court at the same time"
 "Ah, him." conceded Mir. Hannifn.
 There was a vigorous pafing at short pipes as an intimation that the rest ofthe congregation confessed to more or less knowledge of the cifcums'ances.
 "it was a great battle" said Mir. Han nifn, drifting away from his subject again, as the details of the fight fioated into his minds eye. There was Pete squirming around in the road, and trying to raise such a dust that they couldn't see him, and the soiers begging away. There was seven of 'em. and Pete had laid out six o ' 'em deuce-box before the seventh man got him."
 "Ayew interrupted the judge, one of whose functions appeared ,o be the in- dorsing of Mir. Hanniin's mental notes. "Six sojers lay dead ater Pete went out He was down onto his luck, or he'd got the seventh. His weepon missed fire"
 "He telled me afterwards that the bar1 as missed fire wasa't loaded at all" ob- served Mir. Hanni6n, quietly.
 The congregation looked at each other, and then at Mir. Hannifn, in astonish- ment, quickly relieved by sudden devo- ton to the stove which made that imple ment hiss socially.
 "Telled you afterwards, Denis !" ex- claimed the judge, who, in his capacity as indorser. felt that he had right to ex. anime the face of the note.
 Aye" replied Mir. Hanni6n, with the careless air of a man who feels that his moral paper is at par in the market.
 |" But he was dead when we reached him, Denis, and we was there 6rst," pro- tested the judge.
 Aye" assented Denis, italicising the concession with long pause, more em- phatic than any gesture.
 "Go on, Denis," said the judge, humbly.
 "He telled me after the funer1 that the last bar'l waTnt loaded" continued Mir Hanni6n, with a steady look into the wide open eyes of the judge.
 "lt was a great funer'l, murmured the judge, moving res,lessly in his chair.
 Aye" assented MT. Hanni6n. "Fun- er'ls in Burleigh county now ain't ace high to Pete's. Wao was the county commissioner that Banigan shot for voting against the Ingine fer a hearse P
 Houlihan," replied the judge.
 "Aye, Houlihan," and MT. Hannihn paused again. The rest was willing, and two of them helped strap the stiff to the air chamber"
 And the other helped hold him on after we struck the pace down by the Red Chimaey,'" s:Shed the judge. " The old Ingine don't go as fast to fires now as it used to go funer'ls." And the judge shook his head over the degen- eracy of the times, casting an indignant glance at the young men around him, } half buried in the smoke that rolled up to the sputtering lamps and hunted along the ceiling for a new place to stain.
 "Them fellers is only1plits and stand offs" remarked Mir. Hannihn, laz,ly con- templating the new generation, which shifted legs, and looked up at him apol- ogetically for not having lived and been killed in the good old times.
 ",And they don't have no such lively rackets at the grave in these days" said the judge, quickly, interposing his good nature between Denis and the boys. " Do they Denis? p
 "l don't know" replied Mir. Hannifia, with sarcastic smile. CT don't go to funerls no more since they got up the faro box with black curtains and the horses with clusters in their ears. The lngine was good enough fer us that built the town, and 1 don't keep no cases fer the new hearse."
 "You was elected to say the sermon that day, Denis," continued the judge.
 Being a democrat" explained Mir. Hanni6n, modestly disclaiming any per- sonal claims to the office.
 "Aye, being democrat" repeated the judge. "Who was it run agin yos, Denis, fer to say the sesmon~
 "I can't remember. don't your re- torted Mir. Hanni6n, with some display of irritability.
 How would |! Didn't they throw me into the grave, and the common coun- cil on top of me I' protested the judge, a trife hot that Denis should have forgotten his services and sufferings on that day.
 @Aye, 90 they did, Matt" said Mir. Hanni6n, softened by tte recollection. And they was fer tipping the Ingine on top of you ali, only they had pity tor Peg leg Baxter's big stomach. was elected to say the sermon by 34 majority" and Mir. Hanni6n shot slde glance at the boys who gazed upon him admiringly, being democrat,n he concluded, im- sAa <x<x. <r~..a-< kA