Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-02-23
BnffaIo Bits Little Joke.

To number of his intimates a few
evenings ago Mr.. Sam XAVIER of the
Chicago Conservatory unbent so far
as to tell one Of the experiences Of his
recent trip abroad There's Quite a
town over there they call Lunnon, he
began, "but there was very little En-
glish, you know, about it when / was
there. II was very American. From
is royal 'ighness down to the boot
blacks the tendency of the British in
teilect was toward the formation Of
American habits and customs as Illus
trated by Buffalo Bill and his wild
westerners.
II had been in town only over night
when / ran across two Chicago news
paper men-Vance Thompson and the
younger Busby. Together we sec out
to see what we could see We found
the entire population headed for the
Wild West show. Somebody said is
coyal 'ighness would be there on the
usual free pass, so we went, followed
Tie crowd, and Clipped in our few
shlllings for the encouragement of
home talent. We managed to worm
ourselves into a conspicuous position
on the very edge of the track Just as
the old coach drove up preparatory to
being pursued by mob of whooping
savages-at $40 a month and found
Buffalo Bill rode up alongside and the
Britshers cheered themselves hoarse.
He glanced in our direction, and, rec
ognizing Busby, winked for him to ret
into the coach with his friends and
help fire blank cartridges at the pur-
suing redskins. We got in and the
old coach ratified up in front Of the
grand stand, where, in the front row,
sat is royal 'ighness explaining to the
duchess Of something or other that the
Americans were really quite intelligent
as a class and would doubtless get over
some of their rough and bloody ways
as they grew older.
1T seems it had been arranged for
is royal 'ighness to ride in the coach
that day, and he came down to get in,
but as he put his foot on the steps he
saw us inside. and so exclusive is he
that it nettled him. He wanted us put
out before he would get in. But Bill
came 10 our rescue He had invited
us, 50 he proposed to stand by ms.
You see, said he familiarly to the
prince, those fellows are half-brecds,
and pretty UGLY ones, too. | don &
think it would be wise TO stir up any
fuss with EN-. They're bad citizens
when they're rled.
when everything was ready they
gave US couple of dozen revolyers
loaded with blank cartridges and away
we went, the Indians after us and Bill
with his cowboys after the Indians.
everybody blazing away for dear lle.
Our ammunition lasted until we got
back to the grand stand, where sc
drew up in a cloud of smoke and amid
wild applause. The coach had been
rescued and the Indians dispersed.
Bill then rode up and in a stage whis-
per said that one of us mus play dead.
Busby said he'd be hanged if he would
do it, and | swore | wouldn't make
such a spectacle of myself. Vance
Thompson was just making similar
declaration when a swarm OF cowboys
grabbed him by the legs and began
pulling him through the window, feet
first. tie vas in for it, and might as
well make the best of it, so he let him
self remain limp and played the dead
man very well.
"'Yes. he's dead, said one of the
cowboys, quietly slipping his fingers
into Thompson's watch-pocket. This
was SO realistic that Vance was per-
ceptibly thrilled.
"'Ho's a goner, said another, turn
ing one of the dead mans trousers
pockets inside out and scooping up
the contents. Vance could do moth
ing. To come to life now Guild make
him the laughing-stocl: of 10000 peo-
pie, if not the whole city.
Another cowboy went for his breast
pocket, where he carried his letters of
credit and paper notes. This was too
much. Visions of beggary were float
ing before his mind, and he was about
to come to life and make an enormous
fuss when Bill rode up and told his
cowboys that they had carried his joke
far enough - Chicago Ne0S,