The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-09-10
WE WERE rapidly getting ac-
~ Paul sHoup.

me q - y At'f"N -
needle couch. tipped his hat a little FUR
ther forward so that the sun but gilded
the tip of his nose. and delivered his IN
~trcductory remarks. When the light
had filtered it's way INTO the under
standing, we knew that he was of more
than ordinary Importance and his
roughing it but the result of a within;
still. nothing but his truthful counte-
nance kept us from sailing the tale
about the authorities tying down the
Atlantic coast to keep it from tipping
up when he came west of the Rockies.
Billy Edgerton yawned slightly and
drew M his knees. He said he believed
IL was in poor taste TO use titles either
before or after a name, even il you did
have "A right to lean 'em up against both
ends. and that was why he was known
simply ms Billy Edgerton. Incidental
". he informed us that a hundred thou-
sand rubles wasn't such a very large re-
ward for the Russian government to
offer for a political offender; but he
preferred to take no chances. and there
fore came up TO Lone Star after he had
met and circumvented in San Francisco
The fourth detective of the imperial
bureau.
Then johnson, of Colusa, straight
ened himself up. as il he had just awak-
ened from a sweet dream of peace i've
an uncle" said he, "who is worth $780,
600, and I'm his only heir. I'd think a
great deal more of him, though. if il
wasn't for my aunt, who don't lk
him" Here he paused and blew a few
rings from his old cob pipe, but the
question didn't come. You see.' he
added. my aunt is worth 81 100000, and
I'm her only heir also"
After that there was more silence. and
albeit we sprawled lazily in front of the
cookhouse. | felt that my autobiog-
raphy was becoming overdue. As my
worldly effects would scarcely com
fo-tablv clothe a scarecrow. and moth
inc short of morocco binding would
make my personal history attractive,
looked up at the stranger who through
it I'll had sat quietly on his detected
mule, hoping for n diversion.
"Howdy, gentlemen he said. turn
ing large aud solemn eyes upon MS and
disclosing a c~ountenance of p~hilosoph-
lcal grayiey. Each of us acknowl-
edged the salutation by slightly shift
ing his position. and Jerry, whose
tongue is that of a multitude, answered
"Howdy."
The newcomer removed his sombrero.
and his hair fell about his head lk a
shock of overripe wheat. Then he gen
tly laid his fiddle case acros the pom
mel of his saddle and asked: is this
a purity good place TO stop"'
"We stop here?' answered Jerry,
la~conically.
live tol-bly high?"
"Six thousand feet
The late addition slaughtered up.
shook his threadhare coat and lifted
one cowhide boot. dust-whitened in the
crinkIes. from the stirrup. and reaching
down. softly tapped the earth with i
to make sure he was OF solid ground.
Then he cautiously dismounted.
Jerry. who is inclined to be critical.
regarded the mule with disfavor. His
owner. noting the glance. remarked:
Jeremiah amt the finest-lookin mule
IN the world. but | couldn't steal a bet
ter. I had a sight finer n in Iunis,
he added, deprecatingly.
an Tunis.' echoed Johnson. Where
have YOU been??'
an Nashuay. n Tunis. n Cape Cod
IN Lisbon some time back. That was
before | went to Kobe-went thar from
Paris. which is a fair sort Of a place. J
hated TO leave"
johnson drew his breath and de
handed: "Why did you?"
Mutual objections between me r
the gov'ment. Two days war all they
give me to take my last farewell" h,
said. slowly rosining his bow.
what did you come up here for?'
ITO git out Of civilization" Responded
the stranger. I'm Disguised. People
lie SO thar's trouble everywhere. n tn,
only man you're sure is %anywhar neal
square with the law is the Teller Jest
out'n jail"
There didn't seem to be any use o.
asking further questions of the new
conner. but / think the opinion was
general that TO him truth was stranger
than fiction. He laid his fiddle on tn,
log and looked attentively Mt his mule
IF ii wasn't for bein' so Uneasy abou'
Jeremiah. who needs a drink. l nigh
play n little tune on the fiddle" he said
Edgerton took the hint and a buckle
went down to the creek.
A trifle of a glow in the western SIX,
was all that was left of the day wheT
Home, Sweet Home" rounded up thu
performance. l looked at Edgertcn
who was lying with his hands claspe,
behind his head. and thought ! saw
tear in his eye; seeing but dimly myself
wasn't certain. But. then and there
Lone Star adopted Ezekiel and Jere
miah.
We told him Of a deserted corral
mile up the road. and he became one o
US Some days, when he felt UNUSUAL,
en'tgetic, he would run a rocker dow
Dy the creek for a time. but he pre-
Tered to play or sing. and the camp ap
proved Of his Judgment.
think that Scroggins was the mos
unpleasant man who ever saw the sui
set i'm the pnnsC~ a