Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-03-17
CAP'N BOUNCE.
A Love Story Somewhat Out OF
the Ordinary.

curiously and incomprehensibly than
In Cap'n Nathan Bounce, Of Paradise,
N. d.
Capn Nathan Bounce was a retired
old sea.dog; he often declared he was
a reformed pirate, and he had come to
Dakota TO live because, to use his own
words:
"Well, blow me II could ever stay
within smellin' distance OF salt water
without goin' aHoat, so what does do
TO resist the temptation2 Why, !
tuchs myself away In this corner Of No
Mans Land, my boy. builds INC II
shack shaped something like the
for'ard part OF boat an paints her
name--the Polly o., ye mind-on the
side; has my lockers an what ! calls
my fo'castle, an cannon as fires at
sun-up an shutdown, an union jack
as runs up peak every day Of my
life, do, an'-au' not word. oyl
III have n Mrs. Cnpn Bounce In that
ere old hulk Of shack one o. these
days--ha, ha, ha--now, you see"
Cap'n Bounce drew half pay from
the government because OF n long and
hoL orable career in the war Of the re-
bellion; TO the putting down OF which
rebellion he had Ito use his own words
AGAIN. "lcnt willin' hand" In other
terms his hand had been "lent" SO
thoroughly that IL now lay in the Mis-
sissippi, somewhere below Natchcz
and an iron hook adorned the stump of
his right arm.
There were two things indispensable
TO the well being ana jovial content.
mcnt of Cap'n Bounce. One OF these
things was his pipe; the other was his
thermometer. The former Jim Littel
once declared he could smell as far of
as he could hear the cap'n's cannon, and
the latter, a great brass affair notched
with immense figures, was the pride OF
the old sailors heart Whenever he
lacked for occupation he filed his pipe
with the strongest kind of "jolly tar"
and polished his thermometer
Beside this thermometer, in unmis.
taxable characters, was printed table
to this effect: At sixty degrees, every
thing lovely. At seventy degrees, open
starboard window. At eighty degrees,
open larboard window At ninety de-
grees, take OF pea jacket AT one
hundred degrees, sleep on the upper
deck.
There was also n graduated scale Of
doings to be done at various notches
below sixty degrees. Cap'n Bounce
conducted himself in accordance with
this table, and Buster Blucnose tells
how, one winter afternoon, he found
The cap'n outloo In his shirt sleeves,
81 nj
having happened to his thermometer
which had lodged a particle Of mercury
Mt ninety degrees.
All good men have weaknesses,
presume, and the cap'n's special weak
ness was fondness for the society of
the softer sex. lie had, as he him
self boosted, popped the question to
twcnty-thrcc lcddy's, widders, young
maids an old maids, an, Lord love
ON, nary one would take him for
love or money; but they wanted to
look out, they did, cause stern chase
Is long chase, and he'd follcr EN-
like a man-o'-war after slave dhow,
see II he didn't, my boy" 1t was
rumorcd in Paradise that Poly q,
whose first name and last initial were
blazonel on the cap'n's shack, was the
cap'n's last love, but the story was
never vouchcl for by the cap'n himself.
1t came to pass that Simon Yarrup, a
Michigan farmer, immigrated 10 Da-
kota and took up claim in the
vicinity OF Paradise. II this immigra-
ton had consisted of old Simon, alone,
il Is dollars TO cents the name of Var
rup would never have figured IN this
tale; but old Simon was accompanied
by his wife, n lady of comfortable pro-
portions with an uncomfortable habit
OF wearing the NGrrup incxplicables,
and, oh, heavensl by Belindy Yarrup.
And Bclindy larrup was tall; and
Bclindy Harrup had hair that was the
color of faded oakum; and Belndy
Yarrup had eyes that tried to be blue
and red Mt the same time and compro-
missed ON n muclSy gray; and Belindy
Yarrup was seen, oh fate! by Cap'n
Nathan Bounce rs she drove by the
, Polly o, one afternoon in n democrat
wagon that had passed its best days in
| Wolverine roads
The cap'n's Thermometer at this mo
ment was standing at ninety degrees
consequently the cap'n was outdoors
minus his pea Jacket The cap'r
watched Bolindy aud took in at one
comprehensive glance the whole o
her engaging makeup Bclinly also
took in the cap'n and would you be
lieve it, she actually smiled. Then the
gay old sea-dog hooked his handlier
chief out of his pocket and waved It
and Belindy Yarrup ratified tin pal
| at him coquettishly, and drove slowly
out of sight watched by the enraptureC
but reformed pirate.
wait till she comes back, ;" muttere,
the cap'n, diving below and lighting
his pipe. I'm show her thing o
two" he added, and pulled mysteri
ously.
For two hours Cnpn Bounce watched
the road leading from Paradise, anC
when he finally glimpsed a sorre
horse and democrat wagon jogging
leisurely in his direction, he made readl
for little surprise. Waiting until thu
fair Belindy was directly opposite III
Polly @, the cap'n cleared his decks
dipped the union jack, and fired hi
cannon, full two hours before sunset
as a delicate attention and salute TO tn
passing maiden.
When the smoke had cleared ava.
there was discovered u terrible calam
ity. The sorrel horse had take
fright at the cap'n's cannon and wa
yanling the democrat wagon madl.
along the prairie road at 'thc top OF hi
speed, while the fair Belindy clun
with both hands to the wagon seat
and her sunbonnet, held to her chin b.