Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-02-10

walk in the road behind the wagon.
''Get in and ride" said the driver.
NO" said Armstrong, Il wish to
walk.
''Then walk, you crazy fool" was the
accommodating response, as the driver
swung his whip.
Then came the tug of war. Greek
never met Greek more fiercely than did
the two contending spirits composing
the firm of Armstrong & Self at that
particular moment.
How, Armstrong" said the impe-
rious head of the firm, you git right
in the middle of that road, sir, and walk
in that dust behind that wagon"
''What, with these clothes on2 Why,
it is fifteen miles, and dusty all the way"
mo matter, sir: take the road. You
squander your money on three-card
monte; I'll teach you lesson"
"G'lang! g'lang. drawled the driver.
as he looked over his shoulder with
curious mingling of pity, contempt or
wonder on his dusty face. More and
more spitefuIIy snapped the swinging
whip as the slow-paced oxen toiled mile
after mile under the heat of Septem-
Der sun. And there in the road trudged
Armstrong behind the wagon; slowly,
YEARLY, thoughtfulIy, but not silently.
He was a man who always spoke his
thoughts.
This serves you right, Armstrong.
ANY man who will fool his money away
at three card monte deserves to walk in
the dust"
''It will spoil these clothes"
"Well, don't you deserve it,"
'The dust fill my eyes"
eyes; any man who CANDLES all his
dust away at three card monte deserves
to have dust in his eyes-and alkal dust
at that"
''The dust chokes me-"
"All right; any man who will buck at
monte deserves to be choked. Keep the
road. sir-the middle of the road--close
up to the wagon. Do you think you
will ever buck at monte again, Arm
strong"
And so the poor culprit, self-arrested,
self condemned, coughed and sneezed
and chOked and walked and talked,
mile after mile, hour after hour, while
the great wagon groaned and creaked,
the driver bawled and swung his whip,
the patient oxen gave their shoulder to
the yoke, and the golden sun of Sep
TENDER sank YEARLY toward the west.
The shadows of evening were beginning
to fall when the wagon halted at the
place called Packers Roost, on the
Yuba.
sEHere we rest, sighed Armstrong,
just above his breath, as he looked at
the stream. ''No you don't" answered
the head of the firm. ''You buck your
money away at monte and talk about
rest. "Now, Armstrong, go right down
the bank, sir, into the river" As the
command was peremptory and
spirit of obedience seemed the safest,
Armstrong obeyed without parley and
down he went, over his head and ears,
store clothes and all, into the cold noun
tain stream. 1t was long time that he
remained in the water and under the
water. He would come to the surface
every little while to talk, you understand
1t was impossible for Armstrong to for
bear talking. "Oh, yes" he would say
as he came up and snuffed the water
from his nose, you'll buck your money
away at three card monte, will you? How
do you like the water cureW His words
were, of course, duly punctuated by If
regular plunges and catchings of the
breath.
1t SO happened that the man who kept
the shanty hotel at the Packers ROost
had woman for wife. She, being
kind hearted creature, besought her lord
to go down and ''help the poor crazy
man out of the water"
"Pshaw," said the OK driver, che
amt crazy man; he's a fool. He
walked behind my wagon and talked to
himself all the way from Scrabble
town"
Thereupon arose lengthy discussion
about the difference between a crazy man
and fool But after while the land
lord and the OK driver went down to the
bank and agreed to go Armstrong; Sc
curity against bucking at monte in the
future if he would come out of the water.
So he came out and went up to the
house.
''Will you have cup of tea or cof
fee?" said the woman, kindly.
''Yes, madam" said Armstrong, 81
will take BOTH
''He IS crazy, sure as can be-" said the
woman. But she brought the two cups
as ordered. "Nilk and sugar?" she in
quired, kindly as before.
NO, madam, mustard and red pep
per-" answered Armstrong.
Il do believe he is FOOL said the
woman. as she went for the pepper and
mustard.
Armstrong, with deliberate GOODNESS,
put a spoonful of red pepper into the tea
and spoonful of mustard into the cof-
fee. Then he poured the two together