Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-24
THE STRANGE EXPERIENCE OF
ALKAu DICK
BY Fret HARTE.
Copyright, 1897, by Bret Harte.)
BY Fret HARTE.


He was a cowboy. - A reckless and
dashng rider yet mindful of his horse
leeds; good humored by nature bat quick
In QUARREL independent of circumstance,
yet shy and sensitive of opinion. .abstem-
ious by education and general habit, yet
Incorporate in relaxation, self-centered-
yet possessed of childish vanity-he was
a characteristic product of the western
plains, which he should have never left.
But reckless adventure after adventure
had brought him into difficulties, from
which there only one equally adven-
turous escape-he Joined Il company of In
Gians engaged by Buffalo Bill to simulate
before civilized communities the sports and
customs Of the Incivilized. In divers Chris
tian arenas of the nineteenth century he
rode a northern barbarian Of an earlier
date might have disported before the Ro-
man populace. but haTmlessIy. of his own
free will. and of some little profit 70 him
sell. He threw his lasso under The curious
eyes OF languid men and women Of the
worlu, eager for some new sensation, with
admring Dlaudits from them and a half
contemptuous egotism of his own. But
outside of the arena he WAS lonely, lost
and impatient for excitement. An in
genious attempt to paint The town red"
did not commend itself as spectacle to
the househoiders who lived IN The vicinity
VI E-d.i court, LONDON, ana AIk1Il DICK
was hailed before respectable magistrate
by serious policeman and fined as If he
had been only a drunken coster. A later
attempt at Paris to 'incardine'' the neigh
boh0od OF the Champ de Mars, and round
up a number of boulevardiers met with a
more disastrous result. the CLEAN of steel
from mounted geHddrmeS and mandate
20 MS employers. So 1t came that one
night. after the conclusion of the perform
ance, Alkali Dick rode out of the corral
gate OF the hippodrOme with his last weeks
salary In his pocket and an imprecation ON
ms lips He had shaken the sawdust of
the sfi m arena from his high tight-ftt1nR
boots; he would shake off the white dust of
France, and the effemnate soil of all En-
rope also, and embark at once for his own
country and the far west. more practi-
Sai anu experienced man would have sold
ms hcrse at the nearest market and taken
train to Havre. but AlkaH Dick felt him
Sell incomplete on terra firma without his
mustang-it would be hard enough to part
IIoih II on embarklng-and he had deter
hihed 10 ride to the seaport He was ie-
horant OF the language but with "Hayre,,
upon ELS lips and western faculty of find
ing roads, he would succeed Besides he
Mouiu De less likely to be troubled with
train. h III d
Inc spectacle of 1.-THE horseman clad
IN Rembrandt sombrero velvet Jacket
,..l collar almost Van Dyke in its
proportions, white trousers and high boots
Win long curling hair falling over his
shouiaers and a pointed beard and mus
s'eIe was plctureque one, but still not a
noEellF 10 the late-supping Parisians. who
iooheu up under the midnight gas as he
PASSED, ana only recognized one of those
men "hom Paris had agreed to designate
as hoino Bills going home. A few gem
uarhes looked suspiciously after him. But
Aihah DICK vanity was already surfejted
WIN the impressiona BILE admira ton dis
p-dyti by male and female Paris for him
Gu ms companions, and he was too eager
now TO get away to wish even a hilarious
coilnict with the police. He kept his tongue
anu MS temper until he had passed The
barriers and fortiiications and II was
ohly when he was fairly on the road tn 81
hermann that he gave vent to a character
isuc yen and loosened the reins of his
mustang. AT o'clock he pulled I'D at
WdSSlie cabaret or inn, preferr,ng it to the
puohclty OF larger hotel, and lay till
morning The slight CONSERVATION of the
cabaret keeper and his wife over this long
haired phantom, with glittering deep-set
eyes was soothed by royalty flung gold
com ana few words of French SLAM
picked up in arena. which-with the name
oi HaNre-comprlsed Dicks knowledge of
the language But he was touched with
their ready and Intelligent comprehen-
sion OF his needs, and their genial if not
so comprehensive loQuacity Luckily for
MS quich temper, he did not know that
they mad taken him for a travelling quack
doctor going to the fair of Yvetot. and
ing him for a magic balsam to prevent
m1gralne. He was up betimes and away
giving wide berth to the larger towns
taking byways and cut-offs, yet always
with the western pathfinder's instinct even
among these alien poplar-haunted plains,