Nevada County picayune., 1886-11-17
HOW HE LOST HIS EAR.

'hockleS;" It was the Snlde l ad- dressed, and the subject of the in- quiry was the better half of the lett ear.
 Ut was a fair fight" was the re- ply.
 "Would you mind relating the particulars?" 1 ventured to in. quire.
 "Wail, no-not now," returned Mir. Scruff; but ef you'd .axed me that questi'n twenty years agJ, I'd give you a sassy answer"
 Il trust I have given no of fence,o l hastened to say.
 "Not the leastest, MT. Sprawley. for 1 know you didn't mean ter. Put it tharm added the guide, ex- tending his hand to mine, to which he gave q fervent crash put it thar. an when Tobe Scruf sez that to a man, its ekal to salootin his flag"
 l made no reply, but left it to Mr. Seruff' more fully to to explain or not, as he chose, the circumstan ces attending the loss of his ear.
 He appreciated the delicacy; and after a swig from his ticker of whisky and shalle-root, first of tered to myself and deelined--prin- cipally, honesty compels me to add, on account of the snake-root my companion proceeded.
 Me au' Sile Budd. you see, was both courtin' Sall Bowler. It was hard to tell which one of Us she gave tae most encouragement. We were both Spiptlous young fellows, and had sqatted on the two best quarter sections ia the settlement.
 "Old Bowler seemed to like us both; an when me an She'd hap pen to go to see Sail on the same eVeuin as chanced purty often, the old mau'd set upto keep the peace atween us; an thar we three'd set a-talk;u' and abuSin' the weather an the neighhors, till SaIfd get tired an slip off to bed-arter which me an Sled pick up our hats an leave, partin' at the door without biddin' one another good night.
 "None oftother chaps cared to pile in. Me an Sile could outrun, outiump. outwrastie, and lam out O their moccasins any two e the hull lot. Which of us was the best man, was an open question, which others felt more nt'rest m settlin' than we did. We'd fit to- gether agin bars, injunS, wildcats and other varmint, often enough to know there wa'n't no discount on either of us.
 "Arter awhile things begun to run down in the settlement. Fust they built a courthouse, an then a school house; au' as soon as they got a school-marSter to come, alarmed ef the game didn't seem to oct as skeered as the boys dld. Soon you couldn't get a crack at ennything bigger'n a gray squlrrl or d wild turkey. The school marster was n hifalntin' chap. He wore store close, talked out oi the dixenerry. an boarded round with the scholars. He soon larnt tue best places to bunk at, and one c the best. he seemed to think, was old Boyler's. Three nights ln the week the marster was to be found thar Settm' up to Sal, but let'lh on he'd come home with her Broth CT Bill to help him out ln long division.
 "Me an Sile Budd saryed separ- ate notices on the cuss to the eilec' that ef he didn't mind his eye we q sev'rally bung it. He thanked me individually for the polItehess, said he was a uon-Com batant, an besides that he didn't mean noth- ing.
 "I let him go parole, an 'spose Sile did the same.n
 "Bimcby the school,marster be- gun to take shine on me. He took an 'int'rest i'll huhtin', he said, 'al.' wanted me to teach hlm.'
 Il took him out, but arter a lew lessons give it up. We begun on souirr'ls. Arter chasin one up d tree. I'd fix the marster up a rest, an' then walk round an make a noise 10 skeer the critter over 10 his side, when he'd shet both eyes