New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-21
THE FAT MAN WITH The
THIN FACE.
.cocKA1GNE. IN THE SAN FRANCISCO ARGo-

limited States part of lt-ior some DlS-gsine hunU
ing out on the plains, and In the ROCKIES near
Fort laramie and Cheyenne; and was on my way
home TO England, after about as dehghtluI TWO
months l ever remember to nave spent Ill NY
life But il is not about that or anything con-
nected with il, that l have sat down TO Wrltc
Quite different incident from any That could pos
slbly occur during siXty-days continuance OF
buhao-hunting was the one the licUs U, "Hion
am about TO narratc. ID. .,;
l had got as far as Chicago without anything
Of moment happening to break the homogeneous
routine of daily and rightly life in Pullman
sleeper and l was standing out on the pat
form of the gigantic station, seeing TO the re-
checking OF my luggage ana Ib IT'S s aed uOIhE IN
Southern train, by which was gong on 10 New
York / had Just pointed out the last artcie e o.
my property TO the bagga ge-naSter, when d VOICE
behind me said:
Bin West l recllon?' -,,.
l turned and saw a man whose tut ensemble
seemed to instantly condense and fix itself upon
both my physical and mental retlna as " a Iat man
with a thin face" That fact having become cs-
tablished in my mind as by NASH BEAN 10
take note of feature, form and dress lie was
a man of medium height, and aged about hVc
and forty, should have said had he oeeE p an
Englishman, which he clearly was nov. DuU
Americans as rule, look TO British eyes lulIy zen
years older than they are; and TINS man, peinS
Enthusiastically American. put down as nT Seo anu
thirty His hair dngy sort OF hght proWh'
thin long, and struggling; his eyes were piue'
ms well as could under pair OF shaggy eye
brows: and sandy mustache and gOatee or
chin whislers," shaded his mouth and chin nm.
His face | have said, thin ana IL was. put
nerbaps the effect OF the high cheek bones sunkel
cheeks and deep wrinkles about the corners, OIL
the mouth and eyes heightened beyond realty
by comparison with the rotund Inquire nehcatl
them. His shoulders were narrow Du' ms Slrtt
AT the waist was something enormous dOn
think I ever saw so fat man; that is 10 say
from his waist down, for, while his Legs were
elephantne in shape and proportion ms ar,i ifs
where they were bare at the wrists. We're qulte
the reverse and what, | remember, struck me aS
peculiarly odd that his hands were small anu il
Thin almost TO boniness. One generally looks Tor
pudgy" hands, with stumpy fingers ana coior-
less pufiness at the joints In rat people; p9', on
the contrary. not only were the Han"s % Il13
in most unaccountable manner. On inc oack VI
his left hand was small, bright red patcn or scar
like recent burn lie was dresSGo III n,a Nab io'
and considerably the worse Tor wear ana a,senVI I
of brushing which hung open unbuttoneo anu
shovel a suit Of dark clothing. qulte rs ulIasn-
ionable in cut, and as out OF repair ne "olc
pair of sQuare-tOed broad-soleu American ooo'I
of about the largest size L ever remenper anu I
ON his head was q higl-crOwned, sou nat Oh inc
" Alpine, pattern, drawn down over MS eye
I,etyvecn his lips. or rather, IN the cAu9mc iclr
hand corner of his mouth ne ne d" o, GnctC
did not in the least necessltate The remoVal,
Altogether, he curlous~looHhg nsuIg' ;S
he stood there looking at me and although IN
The main. exhibiting the peculiarites of " rough
America with which had OF late nee9 a tIlrom OWL,
much in contact he seemed SO der Ddd n
he oaze while his personal inventory ahNeu IL
self in nv recollection in the form and manner as
have recorded 1t ABOVE.
Bin West? eh, Mister?'
NV soiourn among Colorado COWBOYS nad con,
xiderably removed the hauteur with wmcn naa
REGARDED the familiarity of Strangers IN America
on my outward journey, and repned'
"Yes, / have"
Fur as 'Frisco?'
aNo: not as far as that"
Why. pshawl you amt been West we don't
call no place West in these here days snort
Frisco. No Sir
"That's about the size Of it Coin East.
should judge
Yes, am
"NYork, pcrhaps?'
wall that's pretty fur East, anyhow; amt
It? Bout as fur East as you KIN gu IN uneSe
here days" And he smiled as well as the aey ten
of yellow tobaccC-discolored teeth.
II don't gree with you as 70 that" returned.
- am going further East still"
rrinned ned increduiously Wall, now, I'd Just
like to be informed how you can go further East
gage-master, who was putting the checks on my
Traps before they went into the car
/ didn't fathom then that this pretended igno-
rance was but an adroit way OF finding out my
route and destination
Would you? said. Well then, if you
must know, am going to England"
His lips worked good deal as said this, and
he chewed away at his cigar as if his thoughts
were occupied with far more serious matter
than that rnder discussion
NUM-" said he, after minute, guess you
got me there. That is pretty conslderabic east OF
N'-Yorl ana no mistake. Going 10 England, en-
Well, dog-on il, if here amt streak O. luck,
he added, in an gndertone TO HIMSELF 'hougn l
caught every word
"Eh? Whats that you say about luck?' I
demanded quickly, looking straight at him.
/ thought he looked confused for a minute:
but it was only for minute, for he answered
Why, just this. Bob Hudson, up on State
ST., is particular friend Of mine. He's the agent
of the National Line of steamers that run to Lon
don from N'-YorlS every week. On every ticket
that's sold outside the office Bob gives per cent
10 the chap as drums up the passenger / reckon
now can sell you ticket and make the COM
mish BIZ is biz
Thanks ] replied g I'm sorry, but have ;r
P sail sn'@vS nssisg FsneS S un' Lane
Oh, you do, CHI" he said, in voice whose
tone Of satisfaction sounded curionsly out OF keep
added words Wall that's too cnssed bad, amt
it,? / thought sure ! was goin' to collar that
little old 10 per cent"
At that moment the baggagc-master handed me
the brass checks for my luggage and the first
thing dId-as had made it a custom 20 do
was TO take down in my memorandum book the
numbers OF my checks
Cce-willikensl' exclaimed the fat man.
"Yon've got a pretty considerable load o. them
things, should remark. Lemme see
Before ] could answer demur he picked the
checks quickly and with marked a1roitness las |
aftoeward remembered out OF the half-shut palm
OF my hand, in which they lay, and began TO count
them
Eight baggage checlss.7 he exclaimed. Wall,
now, you are well fixed. that's fact. And not
been to Frisco, either? But perhaps you're
travelling with your family" he added, dubi-
ously jngling the checks between the palms Of
his hands.
=" No; Pm alone" / returned holding out my
hand for the checks.
And eight baggage checks for one passcngerl'
he went on, not needing my gesture. " Guess you
had q smallest excess to pay up to Council
Bluffs Couldn't get no eight trunks squeezed
into one hundred ard fifty pounds-not in these
here days"
II hadn't to pay anything" / said. They
ore all small traps-mostly riiecases and saddle
bags"
That's lucky, amt IL? / am pleased lie
said this with curious expression. lie looked
as though he glad; and yet, for the life of
me i couldn't why he should be- or what