The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-11-06

with his lantern. Then followed an outbreak
Of profanity which I regret, for artistic pur-
poses, exceeds that generous limit which .
sympathi:dng public has already extended to
me in the exploitation Of character. Let mo
state, therefore, that in q very few moments
he succeeded In disparaging the characters OF
his employers, their male and female relatives,
the coach builder, the station keeper, the road
on which he Travelled, and the travellers them
selves with occasional broad explosives adj
dressed to himself and his own relatives. For
the spirit of this and a moro cultivated poetry
Of expression, beg to refer the temperate
reader to the Third chapter Of job
The passengers knew Bill, and sat, conser-
vative, patient, and eHpectant As yet the
cause Of the catastrophe was not known. At
last Thatchers voics came from the box seat:
whats up, Billf'
"Not blank lynch pin In the whole blank
COACH" was the answer.
There was decd silence. Yuba Bin exc
cuted a wild war dance Of helpless rage
"Blank the blank enchanted thing to
blank!"
Il beg hero to refer the fastidious and culti-
waited reader to the only adjective have
dared transcribe Of this actual oath which I
once hnd the honor Of hearing. He will, I
trust not fail to recognize the old classic de-
mon in this wild western abjurgation)
"Who did iti" asked Thatcher.
Yuba Pill did not reply, but dashed up
again to tho box, unlocked tho boot" and
screamed out:
"The man that stole your portmantle-
Wiesl"
Thatcher laughed.
4Dont worry about that, Bill A "biled"
shirt, an extra collar and few papers.
Nothing more"
Yuba Bill slowly descended When he
reached the ground he plucked Thatcher
aside by his coat sleeve:
"Ye don't mean to say We had nothing I'm
that has sc WIS trying to got away withi7
"No," said tho laughing Thatcher frankly.
"And that Wilcs warn't one o. them detec-
tvesY'
mot to my knowledge, certainly"
Yuha Bill sighed sally, and returned to as
sst in the replacing Of the coach on its wheels
again
"Never mind, Bill" said one Of the paSsen-
gers Synpathizingly, "woll catch that man
WileS at Rawlings sure;' and he looked
around at tho inchoate vigilance committee,
already grounding into form" about him.
"Ketch him" returned Yuba Bill, tierisive-
ly; "why we've got to go back TO the station;
and afore we're OFF agin he's pinted fur Car
mont on the relay we lose. Ketch him!
HIS full of such ketchcs'
There was clearly nothing to 10 but to go
back to the station to await the repairing OF
The coach While this was being done Yuba
Bin again drew Thatcher asde
~ alters suspected that chaps game eye,
bu, didnt somehow allow for anything like
this, rcchoned it was only the square thing
to look ar-ter things centrally, and specially
your traIS. So, to purvent troubil and keep
things about ekal, e2 he was goin' away,
sorter lifted this yer bag of hiz outer the tail
board Of Iii, sleigh l don't know as it is any
exchange or compensation but it may giveye
a chance to spot him agn, or him you. 1t
strikes mo as bciu' tarminded and squar';'
and with these woirls he deposited at the feet
% I.lt tlSIDnIHiF'l itl'it'h'' luc
bag of Mr. Wilcs.
But, Bill-see here. can't take this" in
corrupted Thatcher hastily. You can't swear
that he's ta!;on M bag-and-and-blan it
a,l-thi5 won't DO, you know I've no right
to this mans things, even if"
Hold your HOSES" said Bill gravely; II
undertook to take charge o your traps. l
didnt--at least that ID wall-eyed-Thar's
a portmantle! don't know who's it is. Take
tn
Half amused. half embarrassed, vet still
protesting, Thatcher took the bag in bis hands.
"Ye might open it in my presence, sus-
gestcd Yuba Bill gInvely.
Thatcher, half lauShingly, did so 1t was
full of papers and seini-egal looking docu-
ment.s rhatchcr's own name ON one of them
caught his eye; he opened the paper hastily
and perused it, Tho smile faded from his
lips
"WeII." said Yuba Bill suppose we call it
a fair exchange at present"
Thatcher was still examining the payers.
Suddenlv this cautious, strong minded man
looked UP into Iuba Bills waiting face and
said quietly, in the despicahle slang OF the
epoch and region:
ITS go! Suppose we do
ITO b. Continued