Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-01-20
GREAT GUNS.
,d;ars, Stirring Stories Of Solid
'''N Shot, Screaming
Shells,
pot+,es. Bursting Bombs, Buzzing
Bullets, and Bright
Bayonets
Yankee Trick.

ada A Yankee Trick.
Is he orlar want to tell another old but
Nc v III ~. ~ on Donovan, of the Bully
r bd S.o4' last in the field and first out"
=, npn'it 10 Company Fl, Thirteenth ver-
'k'N l''' Going to Camp Carusi they We're
ions ,,nned at Wolf Run Shoals, Virginia.
In, weather was cold, the ground frozen
:, S,f.l with snow. Many of the boys
"% ,os sck and many died in spite of the
iH CAM snsts and care we gave to them. We
of lscame accustomed to death, but not,
Lon, ~ nan,a writer's say, Indifferent.
SON. fine sick was old Sam c. He
a''He s' u yery peculiar man. He had COM
se's "a NC Of the funny qualities of Mark
'ne ,ains characters, Jim Blaln and Scotty:
~ a' limo story he discounted with big
'N! 1 1,.', III dictionaries known. He was not
'4 ~ lass for big words in any language,
nj .;nol or manufactured, for the occasion.
on ''nmyrrsation was a mixed up lot of
y, a,se composed of railroad switches.
r,wo,c stores. card--playing terms, and
''e n'sr slang, as "you bet," now you are
l. o aa,f and now you are howling," etc.
f"n he was very heightened and used
y. most absurd and Imaginable Boston
n,,ish At the time of which I write
~, was. as he said, "on level grade and
~" 10 make flying switch, and would
y there on time bowling, if the track
.snt creased" He meant that he was
dissent and would soon be out
Sauoyau, who had waited on him through
,y,; is illness, had Just come in, and over
a,nu caring Sans talk, exclaimed:
wv .UoWly Moses, Sam! Yez ate enough
T., q, two men and I'll have We in the bone
,n.', ard beyant before yez get forninst the
,,r witch, so---
, .'' aIIush! St Paddy, enumeratc not your
'' 1olascent rooster ere be ceases to be owl
y, II orm. replied Sam. with comical gravity:
:" "Poruk and beans poruk and Bostin,"
~, ~ kellsd Pat. and what does ye say?"
, I, 81 said would show you a Yankee trick
~ :, u when got we'll which You could play on
sf.f The greenhorns.
''" don't and with lot of chatting at each
' "a, other the matter dropped for two days.
~ =" Then the willy sam, who had been closely
~ wv drinking freely, took out two dollar bill
md smoothed it carefully for long time,
h'' i'm the watchful and half intoXicated Don
IN pyan exclaimed:
VI An who yez been Robin, Sam? Give
"l'. me that"
san What. gif You zwci tollar! Not much,
=" Mickey, me jack pot OF Emerald Isle. lii
!" 90 you one better. and bet you can't stand
' w, there by the bunk and hit my hand on the
wall. Is ii q go, Shamrock"
''' AN the ten shilling is mine at oncet?"
'''"' said Donovan.
~Yes, if you can hit my ripper. If you
''a' don't YOU owe me two dollar William"
E'Hi Done" said Pat. putting up the money.
. sam rolled over to the wall and put his
Der big hand up spreading out his fingers.
" no Pat squared off at the front side of the
co bunk (Which was wide one and he could
loN Just reach the walN; he took careful aim,
ma Nv; and let fly q tremendous blow at Sans
II hand
~! Sam quickly dropped his hand, and DON
,sa,r ovan's fist hit the rough board blow that
.nj split it and caused tin cups and bottles to
nol jingle and fall to the floor.
i: "poruk and banes! Bostin banes!" yelled
+ r., Sam, with roar of laughter.
aon Bad luck to ye!" groaned Donovan,
a. shaking his bleeding fist. "Its Yankee
~, ~ trick sure! Hush! Here comes the man
,'' you licked the other day. Play the trick
- on him like this. Bet him dollar he can't
as hit your hand, and"
Ems Before Sam could further explain, Joe,
-. of Company B, came in, and Sam began q
~ To- of his nonsense, but managed to get Pat
~. and Joe to betting on many things, and first
in %lnklng slyly at Joe, then at Pat, and had
w. the two all mixed up, and hot at each other.
just rs five Of us came in, Joe, who was
I u" always polite, took off his hat. bowed, and
started for the door, to leave us. This
mace Eat mad. and he called out.
rk Bad cess to We. NE hop o me thumb!
IN | bet ye ten shilling ycz can't hit me
,,cv hand, We Bostin Iank, so will"
,ra| doe looked at us, and then at Sam, who
heI "mked and said something about flying
,era switch and exhaust pipe too full, etc. Joe
Pei borrowed Sam s two dollars, and said:
,pe| well, Pat, put up your hand. I'll try it,,
he bnt don't catch on to your game"
fol "Put up Your duke, Pat" said Sam, who
ned mad his hand over his nose.
,c And to our surprise Pat put his hand
MI over his nose, and said, with great enpha-
,;s SIS and confidence:
mel len shilling yez can't hit me hand."
Quick as cat. Joe struck from his
1o shoulder at Pats hand. Quick as he was,
nr Eat was quicker. He pulled away his
haisd' and consequently received Joe's blow
asp upon MS nose. and instantly measured his
Ie,I 'ehg'h on the floor, with blood streaming
vol eyes RAPIDLY swelling. Joe founded like a
,oc aeeront OF the door. We stood lumfound-
Al; 'i; sam low voice and words. Disasters
,eu VIII event',ae even in hospital of surremest
! h integrity. brought us to ourselves and we
nd loafed and yelled with laughter; and Sam
I'D var me iouiest and most boisterous. Pat
nj pounded TO his feet and Yelled Give me
m l!e twenty shilling! He hit not me hand,
'n,l p'l' MOI nose. He's lost the bet Again
~, We Seiied till oar sides ached, and had to
Nil .,'A on the chairs for support. After lit
Ie we became cooler. oar lrughter subsidized,
ana lUlned to Sam for the money. He lay
,o vi Ai' t;.rk hi; eyes distended and Gilated,
a sfih stretched is big mouth almost from
car to enr. out Of which oozed a stream of
nj I hio'a. Inc surgeon Fastened to raise his
I'D a .'a'' and asked how he t 1t. Sam ieebly
,,'s !" IFS nd, and in reply to Pats init
81 F:l that 1T was another Yankee trick,
l'lhliE said: "A creased track. pard.