Daily Republican., 1888-08-01
TRIUKING A TRAvELRR.

Ned Slowman always had a gooC
story TO tell. On one occasion an &C
quaintance found him at a hotel rest
Ing from his lRboEs, and this Is thu
tale he unfolded:-
You know Charlie W.P Wei
Charlie and l were showed up on The
Broken Bow line last winter. The
train just managed to make little
station along about dark, and we tied
up there for the night. There was a
light load on, but every mothers son
and one daughter of them piled out
and made for the only hotel in the
place. Of course Charlie and 1 had
to help the daughter along, and when
we reached the hotel everything was
taken. They fixed the daughter up
with cot in the hall, and the urbane
clerk offered Charlie and me the soft
side of couple Of chairs in the office,
but, you see, we had been figuring on
just such a situation, and we thought
we might get something better. We
didn't swear, and try to cut up rusty,
but Charlie stepped over and set his
leample-case in a chair near the stove,
around which everybody was stand .
Ing, then we lit our cigars and waited
for superior developments. In a
minute little nervous fellow who had
been spreading his coat tails before got
too warm and looked for chair. The
one with Charles sample case in il
was nearest, and he reached out for
the case to set it off the chair.
Well, he hadn't touched 1t before
Charlie gave yell that would have
curdled the blood of Sioux; he Jump.
ed over everybody between him and
the case, and snatched it away from
the little fellow In a minute.
''My Lordl don't touch thatr' he
gasped at the man, as though he had
.snatched him bodily from the jaws of
death. He lovingly set the case at his
feet, and while everybody in the room
was gawking at him l inquired, in my
most innoceEtly casual manner:
''How's the nitro-glycerine trade
now, CharlieH"
"First-rate," he answered careless.
ly. "You see, it's no work TO sell our
goods, The explosives we handle
have one-third more power than those
sold by any other house, and we sell
our goods at the same figure the other
houses do theirs. All I've got to do is
show the goods and they sell them
selves. / can just take one of those
cartridges out somewhere and explode
it-a man sees what it will do, and the
stun is sold, If he wants anything in
that line. It's disagreesble in this
weather have to go so far away from
everything to show the stuf-not
very much like boots and shoes, you
know"
~ don't see how on earth you dare
carry the stuff around" l murmured,
glancing at the sample case at Char.
lies feet.
"Oh, well, fellow gets used to It, u
he said with the air of a man who car
ries his life in his hand. "Not so
much danger in cold weather-warmth
expands it, and then it is more liable
to explode"--he reached down here
and laid his hand on the side next the
stove. "Greatest danger is from some.
body meddling with it. Our house
never had but one accident from q
man on the road. A man up in Mon
tana had his samples in caboose that
was run into by another train" I'm
pressive silence for a minute, then he
went on in a mildly reminiscent way:
"NeVer had TO get out q wrecking
gang to clear up that wreck-they had
to order out the: bridge gang TO build a
culVeTt over the hole 1t made"
Charlie shook his head sadly, and
the little man who had attempted to
move that sample case edged up to the
desk. l followed him.
"Come to think ofit," he whispered
Inervously, to the clerk, ~ won't want
that room tonight. / guess I'll stay
on the train. I've got some things
there l want TO watch, you know"
The clerk assured him the trainmen
would look after them, but he wouldn't
have it that wayne must go himself.
l happened mp beside them Just then,
and finding he was bound to leave,
took the room in the most innocent
way in the world.
The clerk assigned me the room all
right, but he kept glaring over at
Charlie and his case full Of Internal
machines oil the while, and the little
man started for the door.
He said he didn't think he could
wait for supper, 1t was 80 close in there
that it made him sick, and he'd have
to get some fresh air. The clerk tried
to detain him. but he hadn't time to
talk; he bolted for the door, and foun-
dered off through the drifts.
When Charlie and came from sup
per we could sec war all around. The
guests were drawn up in battle array
on the side OF the office, and the clerk
headed them. lie pulled his mustache
minute TO get his courage up, then
he flew at Charlie.
"Your friend can have this room
hore, but you can't stay in this house
with that - thing minute longer
SIR" he said.
Charlie glanced down al the ansthe'