Evening star., 1896-02-29
ALkALI IKE AND HIS TOWN

Denver tell you,'' began AlkaIi Iks iA a
reminiscent way, addressing the inquirine
gentleman from New England, about this
way that Lop-eared Watkins paid his long
standin' debt Of gratitude to the Hon. P1unl
Sa1ee! Say I didn't? Much obliged!
Tell you how 1t vas: This yere latter
man had saved the other felSer's life at the
risk Of his own, under sech suspicious cir.
cumstances, so to speak, that Lop-eared
| couldn't never forgit Linn for it, From
what I've read 1 judge that, in the east
vixen man saves al ether mans life the
rescued man pulls out his wallet. clears his
th'oat an hands his preserver sech a sum-
from a dime up, as he latters himself his
life Is worth. Or, mebby, he invites him ur
10 the house an gives him glass of cider
an usual 1t is good cider, too. All o.
which is satisfactory. if you happen to be
built that way.
"Out yere, in the loundless west, as
some feller called it, tie prevailin' way is
10 say nuthin', the rescuer KNOWN that the
rescued man will retaliate il he ever gifts q
chance, an neither party considerin' tina
any promises are necessary.
bat thlS yere Lop-eared Watkins was
somewhat different fiom the common run
OF men. an the debt he owed the Hon.
Plunk Skee weighed upon him. He
couldn't. somehow, rest easy till he ha d
paid 1t, an the longer it ran on the more
uneasy lie got. He was continually on the
"atch Tor chance to break even with his
preSefver, an at last he became positively
oHc1ous In the matter an took to dogyin'
ms benefactor around an campin on his
trail perpetual, lookin' for chance to dis
charge MS debt.
Several times Trey came mighty near
comm to blows over Lop-eared's grateful
persistence. The Hon. PUNK wasn't nc
more touchy tha1 common folks, but no
gent admtres 20 have another gent dublin
around after him Continual hungerin' an
lhirStln' for some calamity to befar1 hin,
80 that he can git chance to rush in an
DO the handsome thing
for long time Lop-eared didn't have
no luck at ALL but continnered to hover
arount the Hon. PIunk's suburbs an trus,
IN Provldencc, bime bye his perseverance
was rewarded. One dark night as the Hon
flunk 1s sa'nterin home to roost somebody
hops unexpected around a convenient cor.
ner behind him an breaks his head, a rit
or Two and three or fou. legs for him with
ciub beats him to quiverin' jelly gen.
eraily an, comes mighty near leavin' him in
pieces all over tha surroundin' neighbor.
heed.
1T hain't long till yere comes Lop-eared
watkins an thankfully picks I'D the Hon,
FUNK, packs him off in triumph an beds
MN MIN down In the best room In the hotel--the
prldai chamber, no less Thar wasn't nuth-
In too good for the injured man. DIR. Slale
would have been ample for him. but one
doctor was heap too insignificant in the
estlmation OF the grateful I.op-eared. Nuth-
IN would do but that he must have all the
medicine men in the county swarmin'
around the bed of palm
foor PUNK was in mighty critical shape
an when the doctors announced that they'd
nave to saw a piece out of his skull an
mortice in silver plate Lop-eared was SO
pleased that he da 1ced for Joy. He stuck
an hung for a slab Of silver about three
times as big as the biggest piece that the
most extravagant doctor in the gang was
within to put in-nuthin' was too rich for
the man who had once saved his life.
Ine doctors overwhelmed Lop-eared
after lor & an in terestin' wrangie. an he
compromised with 'em by havin' the watch
tinker eLgrave the folerin' motto. sur-
rounded by wreath of touch-me-nots, on
the silver plate before it was put in place:
presented to the Hon. PUNK Skee by
mis- 'ovih' friend Lop-e ared Watkins
For right smart Of a while poor Punk s
HE hung in the balance. as they say in
stories. an durin that time his lovin' friend
Dragged that II he was snatched from our
mitst by the cold hand of death, as it were.
he'd give him the hottest ohsequies, the
longest funeral procession an the taiIest
tombstone ever seen In Hawville. Durin'
the time that his prey was lingerin' along
uncertain whether to live or die, he hover
ed over him day an night. an wore him
tendin' him.
This went on till finally the Hon Punk
was able to set up in bed an partake of
spoon vittles One day, about that time. I'm
trackin' upstairs to see him. an when I'm
about half way up, hears sort OF q hooraw
of some kind in the sick room an two.
three pistol shots: an then yere comes Lop-
cared boolgin' heaGlong down the stairs.
runs over me similar to a whole stampede.
tumbiin' me plumb down to the bottom an
then skins out Of the hotel as the crow
flies.
Il collects myself an cripples up stairs
to Plunk's room an finds him propped on
the pliers with his six shooter. clutched in
his wasted hands,
Did you meet Lop-eared Watkfns9 saws
he.
.o Believe I did says I. PAWN my per-
the matter with him: he 'peared to have
been sent for in great haste!
- was endeavorin' to gun the mizzable.
low-down WOLF says he. savagely, but i
was too shaky. Ike. II you have any
you'll go out an shoot up that cuss for
me to the best of your ability"
Looky we're, Punk says I. ,plenty
stern. don't you think you are actin
tryin' to shoot up a philanthropist who
has done you as white as he has? Bur
cussed IL I ever had the pleasure of Wit
nessin' sech base ingratitude!'
tude" says he. That thar wolf shore
done me white while I was helplessIan'
I give him credit for it-but, dad burn him.
he's the primeval cause Of my befn' in
this yere condition.
I want to know says I, throwfn' I'm
my hands in astonishment
Yes, by jing! It was him that fell on
me with that thar club in the first place an
mangied me up, Jest in order to put me IN
a position whur he could pay his debt of
gratitude to me. An that's the-by gosh
reason that. If he Is still in the settlement
the first time I'm able to come a-crutchin'
1t out. I'll ventilate Lop-eared Watkins so
that the Jay birds can fly right through
him!
'Mebby he meant WELL. says I, sooth-
in'ly, an
'Ur-r-r-r-r" says he Look at this
we're coffin plate in my skull an then tell
me II you think I'm too hasty with my
gun? Gosh hang it all! Think of nv
havin' to wear that thar obituary to the
end of my days an bein' the lauyhfn'
stock an mock of the whole civilized
world! Think of havin' the public readin'
my title clear on tablet embedded in the
top of my head! I'm a marked man for
ever! Ur-r-r-r-rv
Don't excite youself! says 1. BE
earn. an
BE carrnr he snorts .Kah, you
talk like man with a wooden leg! Go
on out of yere an leave me to bear INV
cross in sollytude an grow a new crop of
hair to cover up that thar guideboard as
best can
'Also I done it. An that's how Lon
cared Watkins paid his debt of gratitude
to the Honorable PUNK Skee"