Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-08-12
At A COLORADO RESTAURANT.
one Which All Tcndcrfeet Are Adj
vised to Carefully Avoid.

viscd to Carefully Avoid.
"If you are going to Colorado june
tion," said the man in the plaid rain
coat, don't stop at the Nickel Dining
restaurant. 1t may not be running
now, or somebody may have killed off
its enterprising landlord, but If it is
still in existence, with its free-and-easy
sign swinging in the wind, shun it as
you would the plague"
Ibid they do you up thereY' asked
one of the crowd.
did they? Well, that depends on
what you call doing up. cant say |
like to eat where they use a bowie
knife as toothpick, or to have the land
lord keeping tally on my appetite with
revolver. 1t might have been only the
custom of the country, but to stranger
it was rather wearing"
"Did you stop there long9'
Long enough to be frightened out OF
a years growth. l was accompanied
by my partner, Jack Rollins, and we
had been told at the last ranch we
stopped at that the landlord was queer.
But we were both hungrier than jack
rabbits, and the prospect of a good feed
was alluring, to say the least"
swell, didn't he feed you?"
II am coming to that. Jack seemed
to think we would have quite a picnic,
Judging from the rough looks Of the
pine-board restaurant, and wished he
had his shooting irons along-Jack
could shoot the glasses off q mans nose
and never defect a hairs breadth, but
great Caesar, as we filed into the shanty
door what a comforting smell of grub
was coming outl Jack and me saluted
it with hats off, and as soon as we were
inside we drew up to the rough table
and seized plate Of bacon and another
of beefsteak and began to eat as If we
had only railroad time to wait. There
was a man hustling round and some
standing about, but we wanted TO eat
first and pass the time of day after
ward. | was just raising the last bite
OF steak to my lips when something
cold touched my ear and hoarse voice
said: Drop it,
Gentlemen, there are times when it
behooves us to be obedient, and | rec
ognized one Of those times at that mo-
ment. l dropped the steak and the
cold touch was removed from my ear,
while the hoarse voice continued:
There are others, and we want hash
for lunch tonight
"My partner did not demonstrate, and
presently we said we felt tired and
would 20 to bed. The landlord showed
us up ladder into loft and said he
would bring up the bedclothes later
and we could sleep comfortably on the
floor.
ut was a cool night--the nights are
all cool in that region-and after awhile
we heard the landlord stumbling up
the ladder in the dark. We could see
the CLEAN of his revolver and asked no
foolish questions.
"Ile had thick comfortable with
him, and as he spread 1t over us we
felt that II was warm. Jack yentured
to ask him il we could get breakfast
with him. He said yes in surly sort
of a way, and left us, and, what with
the warmth of the quilt and the excite
ment of the dinner, we were soon sound
asleep, and did not waken until morn
ing, when our eyes saw the gleam OF
steel.
Breakfast ready" | asked, trying
to assume an air of bravado.
"'Eat round the edges Of yer quilt;
it's all the breakfast you'll git, said the
landlord, emphasizing his remarks
with flourish of his revolver.
"Then / saw that we had slept under
an immense buckwheat pancake, and,
gentlemen, you may not believe me,
but Lnevel. made a heartier meal. But
that isn't saying that | enjoyed being
coerced into taking my breakfast in
bed. That is why | have held a spite
against that particular place and land
lord ever since for abridging my rights
as an American citizen. just say you
saw me IL the Nickel restaurant still
lives, but don't let the landlord get the
drop on you. This is my station. S'long,
reptlemen. Chicago Times Herald.