Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-06-14

Sweet as heated honey Is.
| James whitcomb Riley.
ROMANCE OF FIR TOP.
Up long, rock walled Colorado
mountain road crept a swaying, vel
low painted stagecoach. With heav.
ing chests the dappled leaders
strained the thick tugs, while the
driver idly swung his whip and shot
streams Of AMBER at saucy chip.
munks. Two passengers were walk
ing. They were tourist from Bos-
ton and the manager Of the Horseshoe
Mining company. Horseshoe stock
being at low water mark, the man.
ager showed every possible mark Of
attention to his companion, who, If
appearances counted for anything,
was quite we'll to do. On the box
with the driver sat youthful per-
son with an oldish face surmounted
by pocket hat. Something in his
manner denoted an acquaintance
with the vicissitudes Of life in all its
aspects. The driver looked at him
curiously and cracked his whip.
Ever in holdup, pardneri"
Eyes"
'Tho't SO. Ever helt up byl a
woman9"
mo"
"Tho't not. I wuz onct. Want
ter hear bout it9"
The passenger looked sharply up
and said, lis it a true story9"
''D'ye s'pose / could stuff youG"
II think not"
'That's what I lowed"
"An right, then. Pitch in," ex-
claimed the other.
''See that bend up thar whar tn
road slips round benin tn mount'nf"
eyes"
'"That airs tn place"
What were the circumstances"
'They wuz pile r circumstances.
Member Dick Brandt"
Where did he ivef"
"Fir Top"
II was never in Fir Top"
"You will be soon. Dick Brand
wuz wunner. KEEP tn hotel n Fir
Top. Could drink mo- whisky than
any other man n tn county. An
gamble! Gambled, is clo'es away
onct. Some feller gin i'm a hoss
blanket ter wear home. What you
s'pose he wanted ter do then3"
Don't know. What was itf'
Wanted ter bet tn hoss blanket
ag'in quart r llcker. Dick Brand
had two darters, Linda an Bet. Lin
da marr'd the fo'man Of tn Royal
Flush here las spring.
well, Dick gambled an drunk,
drunk an gambled his time away.
Never los much stuff by it, though,
tel Doc Martin come ter town, for tn
boys all liked Linda an Bet, so when
ever Dick wuz losin, they'd make tn
squeezers run his way awhile.
when Doc Martin struck tn dig
gins, he put on lots of side 18th his
stovepipe hat an yaller gloves. First
time e seen Linda . smirked a lot,
an purity soon 'twuz goin tn roun's
that tn doc wuz lovin Brands gal.
Linda wanted none r his love, an
she tole i'm so. Bin a white man
he'd r let her be then. But g want.
So what dyer s'pose e done2"
Don't know. What was it2"
"Sayl Is them air fellers back
thar in sight yita"
"Yes. They're just this side the
bend"
Whoa thar, you devils. Hol up
yer heads, will yer, an stan steddy.
Why, Doc Martin got playin poker
ith Dick Brand. Martin wuz dan
dy ith tn cards an won all r tn
pore FOOLS dust. Dick wuz wild ter
git is money back, of co'se, an asst
Martin ter wait tel q could go an
borry some stuff from some r tn
boys. Martin then up an smiled q
Chinee smile an pulled a roll r bills
outen is inside coat pocket. Jest a
roun thousan dollars. He slapped
th' bundle down on tn table an-say,
amt you fellers tired r walhni
Yas, I s'posed you wuz. Climb In
an be darned quick bout it, fer I'm
goin ter rattle down this slope like q
tornader tearin up Kansas farms.
Air you readyi G1ang, ye sons I
Belzebub. Say, pardner, whar I
bouts wuz / at when ! bit it Off
you were saying that Martin put
up his cash"
Sure. I rikkolect now. Well
Dick jumped like a vile broncl
when he seen tn rils. More money
n he'd laid eyes ON silice tn railroad
wuz built up ter Sunset. Martin tols
I'm ef he'd make out morgedge on
tn hotel fer a thousan dollars, pay
able in q years time ith intrust q
9 per cent, he'd stack tn col thou
san ag'in the dockyment
Brand done 1t like tn loon that q