The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-08-30
OFFICIALS WE'RE HIS GAME.
But He Thought The Portuguese Consul
 Was A Whole State Legislature.

w dS A w AOl6 oldlG LeSloib
 There was a hardy fellow named Bronston who lived in a shack on desert claim just at the edge Of the Wyoming grounds who had repu- tation for being about as handy with his fists as the next conner. Bronston had an especial dislike for the duke" hunters, and it was his boast that In a fair encounter he could best anything wearing good clothes and carrying fifty seven pounds of variegated ammunl- tion. He was kept fairly busy.
 The hunting grounds despite the pre- sence of Bronston, became more popu- lar year after year, until finally he had to be little more select in his opera tions, as there were altogether too many visitors to allow him time to do the whole lot justice. He finally an- nounced that in future he was going to whip nobody below the rank of colonel in military life and nobody who in civil life wasn't at least a Mayor of a big town or a president of a railroad. By following this plan he succeeded in fill- ing his time comfortably without over working himself. He was uniformly
  ped at his ranch and introduced them selves as eastern tourists bent on doing some elk extermination. They asked if they might stop over night with him.
 "Gentlemen,'' said Bronston, "do it happen that there's a gineral amongst you?"
 No, there didn't happen to be. "A judge, mebbe, or a e-presi- dent?' There was not. It was an unofficial party. The only man with anything approaching an official designation was a young fellow who was Portuguese Consul in a seaport town down East. He wasn't a native of Portugal him. self-just a plain American citizen, who had been appointed to the place be- cause he had the time to attend to the few duties.
 "Concernin, counsel" said Bronston reflectively, q don't know. I never heerd of sich. Doubtless. mebbe. it's a responsible an honorable job.' He was answered that 1t was Well" he suggested, "mebbe he'll do. Come out here in the yard, gentle men, an the exercises will begin" They had no idea what was coming, but Bronston explained briefly, and the young man seemed perfectly willing to take his part in the melee, though the others, terrified, tried their best to argue Bronston out of it. The desert claim settler made rush at his victim and found he wasn't there. He had carefully stepped aside, and as the mountain fighter thundered past him the consul hit him on the ear. Then the Portuguese representative followed up his advantage, and, leaping upon the prostrate Bronston, battered his head against the ground until he had worn a hole in the hard soil He picked Bronston up and threw him out into the road, and then went out and threw him back again. The Portuguese Con- sul it may be remarked, had spent the better part of his life learning how to box and wrestle, and this was his first opportunity to let himself out
 In an hour Bronston came back to life. He wearily looked about him and said Gentlemen, did a dozen or two Supreme Court Judges sneak UT while I wasn't lookin' an tackle mel? He was told that no such thing had i happened.
 "P'r'aps 1t was @ State Legislature | No. it was just young man who | was a Portuguese Consul.
 | He drew sad sigh. T wouldn't a believed it." he said T had more con. | fidence in the institutions of this land | of freedom of ours. To think that g man who has licked Governors an States 'torneys an sheriffs an Con. gressmen should be whooped till he's l half dead by a further that can't talk the langwidge of his own furrir countryl Gentlemen, they ain't no use bein patriotic no more; the republican | form of government is crumblin,' an she's goin' to fall. Dog it all! I beat
 the daylights out of a, reg'lar United States Senator wunst, an, here I an on the broad of my back with two ribs
 broken by emissary of despotism. The
 games over, an the U. S. of Americks
 ain't got a chip to cash in.''-Chicagc l Record.