Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-04-10

her majesty's carriage. Dollar q pound.
Want some!'
eyes. Gimme half a pound"
HE plays that well on the boys" whis-
pered Broener to me. did you ever notice,
with nine people out of ten, that if you tell
them of anything you want to sell that it's
bad they'll believe the contrary! Maybe it's
because we've all dropped unconsciously into
the habit Of thinking each other liars"
There was a noisy game Of cards, and at
every second the well-worn pasteboards were
thumped on the table with resounding
whacks. Mr.. Rankin, while not selling
goods, was setting rows of tunblers on the
bar and a black bottle before them in re-
spouse to the frequent call Of the players
stuck for the drinks"
Broener seemed well acquainted with the
place and its habitues. My presence with
him attracted some curiosity.
"BrotherM! I heard some one inquire Of him
in a low voice, referring to myself.
mo, nephew" was his reply. "Just out
from the states. Been down to the bay to
bring him up"
"How does your claim pan outg' asked
another.
"Good for five dollars a day yet" said
Broener. II don't want to work it all out.
Afraid I shan't get another like it."
"You seem to take life pretty easy" re-
marked the last inquirer.
"Why should l take life hardT' replied
Broener. "But why do you think I take
things easy"
of the boys" was the answer.
81 don't believe in hard work." replied
Broener, filling his pipe. II think the best
work IS the work that's easiest done. Ikncck
4 off early In the afternoon so that I may have
some time to cook my grub decently, wash my
hannels aud make my cabin comfortable
without using up every bit of strength in my
body. You SEQ l expect to be lodging around
when most of you fellows that take life so
hard are cold in your graves-if you're lucky
| enough to got q grave. You're using up now
more strength than you've got to spare and
patching up the rents In it with whisky. It's
all very nice working in the river till you
shiver, and then coming out and warming up
with whisky every fifteen minutes. But
you'll pay for it inside Of ten years. How
much rum per day did the Willow Bar boys
use when they were building that wing damT'
USED to send a two gallon demijohn
twice a day to be filed" said a slow, heavy
voice, and the manner of saying it seemed to
imply that it was something to boast Of.
"And amongst ten of you. All right. Min
ing by steam power. Speaking of whisky,
let's all take a drink" said Broener. "ComeI
All hands! Fall in! Forward with your
banners"
The company present gathered before the
bar. The bottle and glasses were again SET
out. All waited with a rigid decorum until
each glass was filled and ready, and then
with a there's luck" and a solemn, stimuli
taneous gulp, the fluid was poured down
with an occasional rasperh "He-m," or an
eager grasping for the water pitcher, testi-
fled to the vigorous rawness Of corr
whisky.
"a sad and solemn performance" said
Broener. another screw in our respective
collins. Boys, who bosses this bar, we OF
John B%arleycorn"
"%Barleycorn, ! guess said a piping voice.
"Reed's got 'em. Snakes. Alone in his
cabin for two weeks with a flve-gallon
demijohn of whisky. Saw him as l was
COMM up sweepin' his doorstep like fury
Asked him what wa the matter. Lord
how he yelled: Matter? Matter enough
Can't you seee The house is full of bug,
and beetles, snakes and centipedes, hornet
toads and humble bees, and I can't keol
'em outr I valnoosed."
HE was up here yesterday afternoon,
said another. 'Come walking into the stor
quiet enough until he saw Rankin behind tn
counter; took him for a mule team, I guess
Anyway, he made for him with a black-snak
whip. singing out: Whoa! Whoa! Haw-
Git up tharl' How Rankin did git from be
hind that counter aud old Reed after him
up the hill. The boys got after 'em an
started Reed home. Nice man to I've layin
round loose. Somebody ought to look afte
him."
"He came here a fortnight ago to lay il
his winters provisions" said Rankin. I"
asked him to make out his order. Well, b
said he guessed he'd have a sack Of flour, te
pounds of pork, four pounds of sugar, thre
Of coffee, and SO on, Us he went along lessenin
the number of pounds until he got to til
whisky. He said of that he'd have a barre
l cut him down to five gallons. I s'poss /
commenced OH that before tackling tt
, grub"
!, II wish," said one, II had his claim, an
way, Oh that point OF rocks. They say he
!, got pickle jars full Of dust buried under hi
! tent. l saw him take ten ounces one day on
,, Of q pot hole myself"
: luck and Il Boston sailor go together. Pu
@sS~e ACAou - WIN "a ~ AoSo~J wv
got a color from before, fill him full
whisky, and give him a pan and an iro
spoon, and he'll pull straight for the onl
' $500 chispu on the bar. Ell l could manae
!. Reed I'd break him in and use him for a gol
. p'inter, as l would Brass here to pint fG
quail" said Big Dick.
:. We passed this u~nfortunate's cabin on on
way home, and heard him %cursing the fient
summoned by his repeated fiery draught
:. and to all but him invisible. It was a horr
BILE sound in the darkness and stiffness Of tt
night, issuing, as it did, from the base Of
, craggy mountain which lowered in the blacl
ness against the Sky.
. "They call it living" said Broener. "Pot
chaps. Its the best they can do. They.
= good fellows. But half of them are KILN
: themselves, because, for the first time
y = their lives, they find themselves freed fro
!. all social restraints and in a country where
man can do pretty much as he pleases,
. long as be pays his bills and minds his ON
business"
They're living now," he continued, sc
the stable yard muck hill side Of life, al
call it independence. That is to say, ind
pendence' with them means disregard t.
dress, rough language, and a cutting awe
from all the amenities, manners and poll
of the older settlements. 1t is a great mi
take. They CAM always remain in
They've got to beautify life, refine it, poll
it in spite of themselves, and ten years hen
you1l find G portion Of the fellows on I'll
bar living in towns and cities i'll graz
houses, and clothed in purple and fine linen
CHAPTER TX,