, 1889-03-21
SLAM AND CHEYENNE.
How similarityin sound Nearly Caused
Trouble.
Detroit Free Press.l

wretched road it iolted and jumped, and
only with extreme difficulty could the
inside passengers maintain a conversation
There were four of us. One was a mining
expert, a mild. gentlemanly graduate Of
Freiburg, on his way to examine SOM
prospects" in Bodie. another was a
clergyman who had secured a call as pas,
tor of a church in Carson, New, the third
was a barber about to establish himself in
Bodie. and the fourth was tho writer. Tie
clergyman and the expert sat with their
backs to the horses, and the barber and
myself faced them.
You are a newspaper man, L believer
said the clergyman, leaning over toward
me so that his voice might be heard.
Certainly" 1 replied.
Nov, L think" he added after a
pause, that | have some very interesting
material for newspaper articles. l have
been for seven years a missionary in"
Here the old Concord coach jumped
over a rock in the road, and l Just caught
the word siam" as it was breathed out
of the missionary about the instant his
head struck the top of the coach.
During that PERIOD" he continued,
when he had settled down once more, Il
have had occasion to observe as well as
study this wonderful people. Take, for
instance, their method of executing GRIM
inals."
Wall, how do they execute criminals
different from anyone else2" queried the
barber, who at this point seemed to de-
velop an interest in the conversation.
Their method of execution is as fol-
lows: The criminal is brought into a
large public square and ordered to kneel
down. The executioner then dips his
finger in some mud which is handed to
him in a saucer and makes a mark on the
victims neck"
What kind of mud2" demanded the
barber. Was it yellar mud?"
st seemed to me to be a grayish kind
of mud"
''Y're mistaken; thar amt no grayish
mud in ten miles round. But go ahead
stranger"
"AsI remarked, the e%xecutioner, hav-
ing made the mark with mud on the
neck of the victim, is now preparing for
the final coup de grace"
What's that2" broke in the barber,
Il want to have this thing straight"
Its French for the finishing stroke.
The executioner being ready. his assistant
hands HIM his heavy, doubled-edged
sword; holding it in both hands he lifts
it high in the air and. with one swift,
keen stroke he sewers the head of the
condemned man from his body"
Its a lie I" This from the barber, on
whom all eyes were turned.
Look here, gentlemen" he burst
forth, I've lived in that country myself,
an know what I'm talking about. Thar
amt no gray mud thar It's all yellar,
an thar amt no double edged swords,
neither. The only swords in the place
belong TO the officers in the militia, an
they wouldn't cut the head off a turnip.
l allow as how we have a bad name u
thar all along OF horse thieves an r~ustlers,
an we hang men at times without waitin'
for no grand jury, but we strung them up
like gentlemen. We don't cut their
darned heads off like chickens. This
Teller is playin' We for tenderfeet."
II beg your pardon" ~interposed the
clergyman. but l have been a missionary
in that country for seven years and know
whereof l speak"
wall, I've been a barber thar for FIVE
years an ye can't play me fer a fool"
my friend, it is not the habit of the
people to be shaved by public BARRIERS"
That another. l shaved hundred
of then, an thar are more barber shops
in the town to-day in proportion to its
size than in Frisco"
MY friend. l fear there is some mis-.
take. L was referring to the habits and
ustom of the people of Siam"
Take it all back, sir. l thought you
were talking about the people of Chey-
enne."