Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-09
He WAS FULL OF NERVES.
Mark Twasn's Narrowing Experiences with
Nice and Other Monsters.

Mice and Other Monsters.
Mr.. Steve Gil is. printer and journalist
was the friend and room mate OF Mark
Twain in the old days when the latter
was reporter on the Cali, says the San
Francisco Post. hey had likewise slf-
fered and :riu:rph'.;i together in the
sagebrush, The dusty green foliage OF
which they frequently cceaded in
turning to bright I'd. Mark was and
is g. v--y nervous man. Snail annoy
snces robbed MS lie CT sweetness and
light. Stephen haG 20 nerves and i. gave
rir a malign pleasure to experiment
upon those OF NJ. C.a.nens
"Ste-e, c~ie' .iark. in an agonized
voice. shaking his be1fell6w out Of an
spps~an.ly profound s!umber 90 you
nea~ tina. mouse-that internal, gnawing
mouse? It's driving me wild.
"OL, hang the mouse, Growlad ellis,
turning over and snoring ostentatiouSiy.
t wasn't mouse, but a little machine
which Stephen was privately working
with q string for the benevolent purpose
Of to-tu-ng his friend.
Mark lay and writhed and cursed and
CRASHED his teeth He cried shoo and
beat Upon the headboarj. He got up
and rev things Under the bel. and
waiSet around the room ana wiring his
has 40 no:5.ene1 lis profanity witt!
tear. q; ;..lp3:e2, evaporation.
=. --c,.-.- Sill E.awe- an Hwain put
on g e. t..eo az went TORN and paced
the -.rre-- -. =. ming, leaving Els tor
me- : - :e"-. =: De :.
~. Sa.2. Wa. .ave you been do
:n-:' ssxs.. IL. Is a-o-.:"- night. startled
OUT G. real s...a-, t...s TINE ard sitting up
}.,l, to ,u-.a: -. v.it %
Mark. undres9e,.. lad lu entered the
roora. in his hand he he'd japanese
SWORD. 2. sharl; dis q iazor, IL prize! gilt
from. b;,yaru Taylor. This weapon was
driptnng with blood. The clock struck
midi ght.
-:tt.'.i never crow again" exulted the
assas- IN: but even as he crawled into
bed the offending rooster sent forth a
cock oodle-do that caused Mark to
give Il howl OF foiled vengeance and bury
his he,.d under tie blankets.
In tae morning il was discovered that
his one furious stroke n the chicken
house rad bere!. eight mems OF their
heads, bat the rooster :.aG escaped. He
owed his life to the fortunate circum-
stance that ne siept-Cr rather crowed-
at tn. end Of t1e perch far.HeSt from the
door OF the coop.
Steve. Steve, say wake up!' came
q hoa15e and furious whisper at AN.
Mr. Glllis awoke ard 5eheld Mr..
Clemens, ad only in his shirt, Standing
by the open window. TIE tight was
cold, and Mr.. Clemens was shivering
Violently. In his shaking hand was a
revolver.
"Steve," he pleaded, you're warm
and your nerve is good. Get up and
shoot this cat for me. I've been out in
the yard for an hour trying to get bead
on the brute, and now that he's there on
the fence l can't Kill him-oh, know
that can kill him! Get up, Steve, do. "
"Oh, let the C t alone"
what? You won't get up? Then,
Steve ellis, I'll shoot you. I'm shaky,
but l can do that if can't hit cat!'
And Mr.. ellis arose and slew the cat
in self-defense, and Mark Twain went
out and brought in bottle and sat up
till sunrise to celebrate the execution.
Mark Twain and Dan De guile roomed
together In early Comstock days. One
morning Dan missed his boots. and after
q vain search he suspiciously inquired OF
NJ rk. who was lying in bed, lazily smok-
Ing clay pipe:
Mar. l can. find inyboots. Dc you
know ANYTHING about emf
Your bools?' complacrrtly replied
Mark. We'll. yes; threw them at
that ca. that was yow.iEg around the
.oHsa last ni-htr'
Threw n.y boots at the cat y" howled
;gn in rage why didn't you throw
y3ur own boot5?'
Dan. id Mark, after q reflective
p,if or tive: Dan if there is anJt ing
nate L is a selfish mar. / have OBJ
serve. Of late tat 70 are growing sell
h-a What difference does Il make
whose boots were thrown at that cat'
Daa beware OF sel8shness. Il Is the
most contemplate trait in human IA
ture."