The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1894-03-24
"SUFFERIN NATE"

al long sufferin nan on airth." II
was Mates way to be patient and
long suffering, just as it is some
mems way to Fly off the hooks" and
lose their tempers on the slightest
provocation. Perhaps the latter way
is more convenient, as saving one a
vast amount of lacerated feelings and
loss Of pride, but Mates way had the
advantage of costing it's owner fewer
post norton regrets and fewer
friends. True it is that Mates friends
were wont to impose on him much
as other people did, but he didn't
mind that-at least they thought he
didn't. And it was this supposition
that led some of them into subse.
quent difficulty.
Nate was one of the principal char
acters and most important features
Of Manganese, where he lived. To
be a principal character necessitates
the possession of much spare time,
and Nate had this essential qualifica
ton nearly every day in the week.
When he didn't have it, he was at
work, but this did not happen often.
Nate was like Rip Van Winkle-al
ways ready to take a drink or to
lend a hand for the benefit of some
n else, but prone to shirk labor
which might benefit himself and his
family. So Mrs. Presto sewed dresses
and things, which was quite conven.
lent for Nate, as it gave him more
time to indulge his fancy for loafng.
Mates loafing places were the Elk
change and Red Front saloons. These
places were most convenient, being
provided with plenty of chairs, and
being the places most affected by cit
liens likely to set 'em up. Here Nate
did most of his suffering, of whatever
kind. 1t came mostly in the form of
jokes, practical and of mouth, leveled
at him by his fellow citizens, and in
these he took a sort of m~ournful
pleasure, as being an indication of his
popularity. 1t is a well established
fact that an unpopular man is seldom
troubled by jokers.
Like most of his kind, Nate had a
dog mot a yellow one, however, but
a spaniel to assist him in loafng,
and it was Curly whose misfortunes
led to Mates final reformation.
One afternoon, as Nate was lazily
holding forth to some of his cronies
from his seat in the Exchange, there
was a slight commotion ON the street
outside, and they went to the door
to ascertain the cause. 1t was Curly.
He had stopped in at the Red Front
to look for Nate, and some of the
crowd down there had proceeded to
have fun with him by tying a tin can
to his tail.
He was now coming up the street
somewhat more rapidly than usual
and heading for the Exchange as a
possible place of refuge. Nate picked
him up and carried him inside, where
he removed the can. Then he sat quite
still for a few moments, petting Cur
ly and quite unconscious of the
laughing mob in the saloon crack
ing fool jokes at his and Curly's ex-
pense.
Suddenly he arose, and without a
glance at any one strobe out of the
door. The crowd followed, wonder
ing what he intended doing. Nate
stopped a minute in front of the bar
Der shop to speak to Jim Calkins.
Got a gun, Jim2"
Yes"
Gimme it, FIR a few minutes"
What We goin' t do, Mater"
jim" answered Nate slowly, but
working his nails in and out of his
palms very fast, I'm goin down t.
lick tn brute th't put that can on tn
pup-an want t be fixed t. shoot
back eff he makes a gunplay."
Jim handed him the desired 6-shoot-
or, and he went on down the street
to the Red Front.
The jokers had gone inside and
were laughing as they waited at the
bar for drinks.
"Hullo, Mattel" called Nosey Price,
who was buying" Bring tn dog
an come an have a drink. Door he
drink too? see i'm rushin tn can
jes' now"
Of course all the men laughed up
roariously, but they stopped short at
sight of Mates uplifted hand and
blazing eyes.
"Hol on, Nosey," said Nate quiet
ly. II want t know first place who
tied that there can on tn pups tail2"
The knot of drinkers at the bar
looked at each other half amusedly
for a second OIL two, and then one
asked, laughing:
why, Nate2"
Because" answered Nate, II jes'
come down yeret' r'mark th't I'm pa
tent an long sufferin myself, but
Another laugh interrupted him,
and then he went on:
But l don't perpose no brute is 60
in t tease that dog O mine, none
whatever. Tn man th't did it is q
dirty, sneakin coward, an l en- lick
iml"
They saw he was in earnest and
did not laugh. Bill Kiley, a big, raw
boned, ham listed, dad" man from
High Pines, who stood at the farther
end Of the bar, stepped forward.
"Wh-what did you sayW he asked
supposedly. wy, you half growed
snivelern-