Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1888-10-18
THE COLONEL.
He Roalizos His Duty rs a Di-
rector and Does It

an the result wuz that when the war
wuz over there wuzn't any think left
NV the HANDFUL nd St. 10 but the roll
in stock nd the two strealSs NV rails
from ono end NV the road TO the other.
In the spring NV 81 had TO go out
into Kansas. and taking the Han bul
nd ST. Jo at Palmyry Junction / wuzn't
long In flndin' out that the Han bul md
St Jo railroad wuz iist about the wust
cast Of rollin' prairer ever struck.
There wuz one bunk left when /
boarded the sleepin' car and / he'd
presence NV mind 'nuff 20 ketch on to
IL. Il wuz then just about dusk an the
Niger that sort NV run things in the
car sez TO me; Boss, sez he, "rn
have 10 get you to please not to snore
tonight, but TO be uncommon quiet.
"What forP' sez |. "Hain't paid
my 81 an hain't / entitled to all the
luxuries NV the outfitPn
Then the nigger leant over an told
me that Colonel Elijah Gates, one NV
the directors NV the road an the
the richest man in Marion County,
wuz aboard, an IL wuz one OF the rules
NV the company not TO do any think TO
bother him or get him to sell his
stock.
The niger pointed out Colonel
Gates md | took a look at him as he
sot readin' the Palmyry Spectator.
He wuz one OF our kind NV people
long, raw-boned nd husky. He
looked to be about sixty-may be not
quite on TO sixty. He wuzn't both
cred with much hair onto his head.
md his beard was shaved, all except
two rims or fringes NV il that ran
down the sides NV his face md met
underneath his chin. This fringe
filed up his neck so thet he didn't
hev 10 wear no collar. nd he hadn't
no jewelry about him excep' big
carnelian bosom pin that he'd the
picture NV woman's head on Il in
white. His specs sot well down on
his nose md could see his blue eyes
over 'em, small eyes, but kind ur
good-natured. Between his readin'
NV his paper nd his eatin' plug ter
hacker he KEEP toler'ble busy till
come bedtime. The rest on us KEEP
IL wuz an honor 20 ride in the same
sleepin' car with the richest man in
Marion County nd director NV the
Han'bll md St. Jo. TO boot.
Along about eight o'clock the
Colonel reckOned he'd tumble into bed
when he'd drawed his boots nd hung
up his coat nd laid in fresh hunk
NV nat raj leaf he crawled into the best
bunk nd presently we heerd him
sleepin'. There wuz nuthin' else for
the rest NV US to do but TO foller suit,
md We did.
1t must have been about an hour
later-say along about Prairie City
that a woman came aboard with a
baby. There wern't no bunk for her.
bL. the niger allowed that she might
sit back near tho stove, for the baby
'peared TO be kind ov sick like nd tho
woman looked like she had been erwin.
Whether it was the jouncin' ov the
car or whether the young one wuz
hungry or he'd a collie into Il | don't
know, but any how the train hadn't
pulled out NV Prairie City afore the
baby began 10 take on. The Niger
run back as fast as he could nd told
the young woman that she'd have 20
keep the baby quiet because Colonel
Lily Gates, one NV the directors NV the
road, wuz in the car nd wunt be dis
turbed. The young woman caught up
the baby scart-like md taxed soothin'
20 II nd covered its little face with
her shawl md done all them things
thet women do TO make babies 90 TO
sleep.
But the baby soouId cry, and, in
spite OF all the young woman nd the
niger could do, Colonel Elijah Gates
heard the baby cryin', nd 80 he
walked up. First his two blue yarn
socks come through the curtain md
then his long legs nd long body nd
long face hove into sight. lie come
down the ear to the young woman nd
looked at her over his specs. Didn't
seem 10 be the least bit mad; lest
solemn nd bizness like
MY dear madam" sez he 10 the
young woman, 'you must do sumpin'
TO keep that child quiet These peo-
pie have all paid for their hunks md
thoy are entitled 10 a good nights
sleep, OF course | know how It's with
young children--l0M cry sonetiDies-
have raised 'leven NV EN- myself, nd
know all about 'em. But as director
nv the Han bul nd St. 10 I've got 10
perfect the rights OF those other folks.
30 llst keep the oaby quiet as you
kim
Now there warn't nothin' cross in
the Colonel's tone; the Colonel wuz as
kind nd consid'rit as could be expect
cd NV a man who he'd so much respon-
sibllity a-restin' onto him. But the
young woman was kind NV nervous md
after the Colonel went back nd got
into his bunk the young woman sniflcd
and worried and seemed like she had
lost her wits, nd the baby KEEP cryin'
llst as hard as ever. Waal, there
wuznt much sloapln' to be done IN
that car, for what with the baby cryin'
nd the young woman a-sayip': "Oh.
dear, nd ''Oh, N.Y." and the algger
a-prancin' round like the widder be-
wiiched-wiih all this goin' on, sleep
wu2 out nv the question. Folks began
70 wake Up nd put tholr heads outern
their uuuKs 70 see What wuz tho dog
gone matter This made things pleas
anier for the young woman. The
Colonel stood Il as long as he could
and then be got up second time nd
oome 'lown ihe oaf nd looked al the
Quna woman over bis spacs
hng. as | unt ielfhl Won afore. .