The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1893-01-20
y
n and Maude tasted it.


country"
Sam and Maude tasted it.
"Tou remember the coffee we had on
Western island" | continued, "the
morning when you dropped your shot
gun overheard and we had to dive for
it in ten feet OF ice water? That's the
sort of experience that teaches a man
how to make coffee. I've never been
satisfied with the mild, pale product Of
civilization since then"
Il told you not to put an egg in it, "
said Maude.
Nonsense" / reioined cheerfully:
"that gives it flavor. Of course" |
continued, turning to Sam, Eve don't
get quite so good a quality OF coffee
here. When a fellow goes out into the
wilderness he depends upon his coffee,
and the store-keeper who sells it to him
realizes his responsibility. He knows
that if he puts up an inferior article the
hunter will return with a double
barreled gun full of duck-shot and
reason with him. You can't shoot a
groceryman here in Brooklyn without
exciting remark" "
Il knew the egg would taste" said
Maude.
you don't know good coffee when
you get it. my dear" said l. Fill up
Sans cup and give me another. This
is treat we don't get every day"
Il told Howdy not to put in whole
egg" said Naude, "but he would do
"This has the real strength" " said I.
"You remember the coffee made at the
head of Dead river?"
made II bot TINA "coiI
Johnny Brooks got the wood"
This savored of treason, but I could
not believe that Sam would go back on
me and make his old friends whole
married life wretched for the sake of a
little coffee.
"If you hadn't put that egg in---"
Maude began.
THAT gives it body and color" said
I, stirring the muddy fluid. "I'll take
another cup, my dear. / seldom drink
more than two, but this reminds me of
old times. Have some more, old boy.
Don't be backward"
"Howdy," said Sam, with that solemn
deliberation which marks his most i'm
portant utterances, "your coffee tastes
like an underdone ham omelet with
gravy on it,.
to put that egg into it."
So | was alone and my old friend had
turned against me: but / was not to be
defeated so easily. | rallied at them. /
told them that they had no appreciation
of a good thing l accused Sam of
falsely siding with lady through
stupid and mistaken notion of chivalry
"No," said Maude, its that egg,
told you--"
| would not let her proceed. / called
for another cup of coffee, and SO we
finished the breakfast somehow, and
Sam and | went to town. But the cof-
fee began to take hold of me. 1t is al
ways very trying to my nerves when
taken in excess. | remembered too late
that | had just put the same amount
into the coffee pot that was considered
full dose for party of six hardy hun
ters, and that / had drank it almost all
alone. My hand shook SO by IL o'clock
that / couldn't put q cigar into my
mouth without risk of poking it into
my eye. We went over to the races in
order to complete Sans business in the
city, and was as nervous as ii l had
been losing my own money instead Of
Sans.
That night as lay staring up to the
dim obscurity of the ceiling, counting
thousand or trying to remember an
old dream, or using some other of the
hundred tricks which are said to bring
sleep, and never do it, | heard mur-
nuring beside me, and drowsy voice
said: ut was that egg, Howdy, | told
you--"