San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-07-31

coE.-;;s=lFziiS. s-JaB r1uI 1 very shortly
gathered the fact that he esteemed the
whole affair of the mutton trade to be an
infringement of every rule of commercial
deceucy.
Black man savy to palaver wild white
maj, persisted old Potsdam in all solem-
uity. and in tone that filed up and over
flowed with pity and reproach.
But, objected the spokesman of the
blacks, while he fourished over his head
skinny shank of mutton to which the
hoofs yet adhered-"but," he yelled, in
that quality of confidence and indignation
which is lent by just cause and o deep
wrong, dis too tief palaver! Poke hab
ha!wns like sou Here lie lifted from the
bottom Of the boat a head of an old ram,
upon which the immense brine coated,
battered spirals stood prominently and
grimly forth Poke hab hawns like soT
he again demanded, while the foam gath
cred around his lips; IAN bullock hab
foot like dat?" he raved, as he made
another wild flourish with the shank.
white man savy heap, black man heap
fool, but dis too-tief humbugH
And so it was; for, as now came to see
it, the old rascal had parted with his
casks as containing anything the market
required. If pork was wanted, he I'M
hesitatingly sold them pork; if beef, beef
If they had demanded diamond backs or
macaroni he would have supplied either,
or both, from his boats. Nothing could
have stopped him. White bait, boned
turkey, saddle rocks. canvas backs, South.
down, picked horse, anything-anything
under the sun. And yet the wretched
old fraud was not in the least disturbed
by the awkward manner in which his
Ubiquitous transactions had rebounded-a
situation and a state of affairs under
which had already begun to feel lone
some and tired | was whipped and
hacked from the start. But not so with
old Potsdam. He even contrived to seem
hattered by their attentions. Through
his attitude he seemed to say: 81 am
waiting for you to finish, then | will pro
coed to show you that you are suffering
from an acute attack of bone in the head.
| understand your objections, and find
them nil You are a scurvy lot, and the
whole of you couldn't bait bird trap. !
will try and give you a lesson in com
MERGE before finish. when once | get a
chance to speak.
White man no hab skin like So, he
began, in all solemnity, while he pointed
Il finger at me-
Now what this had to do with it, and
why he should drive the question with
such a magnificent sweep, or indeed at all,
could not see. He appeared to me to be
getting muddy; moreover, ] determined
that in the event | ever found myself
overstoclled with mutton again, | would
not establish floating branch house with
him at the head. Briefly, | thought he
was cropping Two minutes afterward !
saw that his very accent was methodical
craft, and acknowledged him supreme.
"Yas, he hab de skin, admitted the
spokesman of the malcOntents; and his
wrath began to show signs of giving way
as he did so Evidently he too was wonder
ing where the Great Fetch, the old fool
was going.
He no hab country long time gone from
dis" asked Potsdam, slowly.
Vas, he country long time gone, was
conceded. somewhat anXiOusly.
HE no hab ship to ketch him country
"Yas, with distinct anxiety this time.
1T no take ship six moon to ketch dat
country"
Den why he poke no hab hawns, an
why he bullock no hab foot, like so?'
In other words, what do you know
about the far away home of the white
stranger? and what do you know of the
relation of horns and hoofs as accidents
of the white mans cattle in that distant
land? His skin, his habits, his achieve
ments, and his native land are unlike
your own. By what right, then, resting
within your own limited knowledge, do
you propose to restrict him to hOrnless
hog and to conventionality in bullock
feet?
This was enough. About went the
boats, and down the river scurried the
whole flock as fast as flashing paddles
could drive their clumsy crafts along,
leaving my unupsettable old liar standing
squarely on his feet. But whether he had
convinced them that they did not know
bread fruit from gourds when it came to
a question of foreign commerce, or
whether they abandoned him in despair
because they considered him such an I'M
speakable fool that it were folly to con-
test the matter with him, | have often
wondered.
No, | didn't give them back their oil,
for they ate my mutton first, and then
attempted to repudiate the transaction
afterward.
So, because expediency and gratitude
were both enlisted with the Ashantee, |
accepted the monkey, tied him by the
neck to a post of the veranda, and resumed
my seat and pipe. This left the donor
nothing else to do than to walk off, and
picture he made of it as he went. Black,
oily and stately, the leading features of
his dress were a sadly battered miners
hat and a tired looking pair of sailors