The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-07
"CHESTNUT. Z"
The Practical Joke Played on Tenderfoot in
Texas Brothers Story.

Half dozen men were seated around the
Sherman House. One Of them, baggageman
on the jeff, was telling story he had just read
in a newspaper 1t was a practical joke played
by number of Texan cowboys on fresh arrival.
The tenderfoot. accusedof being detective, had
a dozen revolvers pointed at his head, and the
spokesman of the party told him to keep his eyes
on the clock for he had but FIVE minutes to live;
that it was then five minutes to 9. When the
clock pointed out 0 he would go down. In the
meantime he could say his prayers and be
quick about it, The victim kept his
eyes on the clock. Never before
had he realized how valuable a moment could be.
His eyes grew dim. The cold sweat beaded his
forehead. Every instant he expected the crash
ing bullet He began to feel faint. then fainter.
and had almost lost consciousness when he heard
loud laugh The cowboys had disappeared,
and the laugh came from anegro, and the victim
was standing alone staring like fool at the
clock. The laughing darby told him that the
cowboys had played joke on him. The hands
still stood at FIVE minutes to nine In fact, the
clock hadn't been going for month.
The listeners all laughed at the baggageman's
stony, for though he told it dffusely he told il
we'll. No, they didn't all laugh One tall
bearded man, in broad brimmed hat, who
looked as if he had seen all the outside weather
that had been made since the founding of the
signal service. rammed his hand down into his
trowsers pocket. brought out long plug
of tobacco, gnawed off generous "chaw,n
and calculated the ominous word, Chestnut
The baggagman, who was about to propose the
drjpEq and had half FROM, hic ehair foc@
purpose, sunk back again
II say Chestnut" said the weather beaten
stranger, land a very old one at that. I'm right
from Texas myself; I'm in the cattle bust
ness down there, and l low that practical
joke, as you call it. has been played on nearly
every tenderfoot that ever came onto ranch.
was chump enough to try it on once myself.
Five of u.s. one afternoon ran in on young fel-
low who was setting in Larry Lanigan's cabin,
the only place within seven miles where there
was any drinking liquor. We all saw at once
that he was stranger, and signaled the boys
to look out for music, as the band was about to
strike up He was bue-eyed fellow hardly
a man yet, with light hair and redin his cheeks
He was maverick; the worlds branding-ir
hadn't marked him as it had US. His fingers
were long and slender like womans, and there
was smile about his lip that reminded me of
something, didn't know what, that was way
off in days when | was younger and better.
Somehow it brought back the marigolds and
hollyhocks of the old horneh
The baggageman drew a long breath as the
Texan stopped in mis- story. All the Others
begged him to 90 on.
''Well, pulled out my destroyer and told him
TO throw up his hands. l felt real shaky, and
know ! didn't look the least bit like terror.
But was in for it. you see. He gave the queer
est look ever saw or a human face. but threw up
his hands Then went over the regulation chest
nut clock and all; told him it lacked just riSe
minutes of o'clock; that he was a measly de-
tective, spy; to say his prayers p. d. o. for he
hadn't but FIVE minutes to livel.
Now that young maverick pretty near
knocked me out the frst round. He didn't beg