Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-03-31
HOW MIKE GOT EVEN.

HOW MIKE GOT EV EN-. |
1t was a beautiful morning. Not
cloud in the June sky, not leaf stir
ring on the old cottonwood tree by the
spring. The cattle, after a restless
night. were lying in close order and
lazily chewing the cud or stretched out
broadside on the thick green carpet.
On the edge of the bunch few calves
were frisking about with tails up, and
one impatient youngster was butting
away at his browsing mother with a
vigorous suggestion that it was time to
rise and furnish forth the morning meal
On an adjacent hill the horse wran-
gler, still draped to the heels in the yell
low slicker he had donned in the thun-
der shower of the night, sat idly in the
saddle with hand on his horse's hips,
looking away over the pea green range
of early summer to where the noun
tain tops glowed in the rising sun.
The cook S fire of damp wood, kindled
directly under the tree, sent up thick
smoke which spread throughout the
branches, but collected above them, ex-
tending one straight, slender, lofty col
umn into the blue. Some blackbirds
were scolding about being smoked. out
of their leafy home, and on every side
resounded the mellow notes of the mead
ow lark.
1t was beautiful morning, but no
one in camp was happy, for every mans
clothes were wet, and Mike Tussler had
the toothache. Now, it is we'll known
that when the big back tooth of big
buck Irishman takes notion to ache it
is wholly different proposition from
an ordinary case of NAL de dents.
"You don't know anything about it. -
Mike declared. "This isn't just tooth
ache. 1t aches all over. Did you ever
see one of them fiery comets with a
long, forked tail on TO a bright head?
Well, this pain is just like that. My
tooth S the redhot head of the thing, and
the tails are going all through me. =
Mike lay down on his back, and the
cook looked in his mouth.
"Did you ever see chestnut or acorn
with wormhole in it? That's the way
with your tooth. Just little bit Of
hole right into it. It's terrible small
hole to worry about. .
Nothing small about the feel of it, .
said Tussler, and he asked for day off
to go and get it tyanked. "
He could not be spared that day, but
the next morning went away to the
nearest town. 1t was always days
ride, and, as is the preverse way of ach-
ing teeth, his began to feel much better
| when he came in sight of the village.
He felt SO much relieved by the time he
! had ridden down the cue street, with its
esquare front, one story wooden build
ings, that when he was finally seated in
the dentists chair he didn't want to
have the tooth pulled.
II was just coming along the street,
he said to the dentist, and saw your
brand on the door. So / come in to ask
you to look in my mouth and tell me
how old be. .
"Old enough to take better care of
your teeth, - he announced, after look
/ ing them over.
"Have got to have the lasso on that
back one?'' asked Tussler.
''You have got to have it filled at
once. "
"What'll it cost?' asked the cautious
Irishman.
''Three dollars, :" said the dentist. 81
use only the best materials and have
but one price.
"Well, said Mike, "it don't hurt
any now. l guess l won't let the job
today"
..That's robbery" he assured him
self, as he went away to copper the ace
for five and lose it. "The cook said it
was an awful small hole.
The next morning, however. his tooth
having meanwhile resumed business, he
was waiting at the door when the dem
tist came down.
"You don't get up SO early as we do
on the range by about four hours, said
he. 81 been standing here all night
want me tooth filled full. "
So Mike had the work done and paid
so cents extra for capping the nerve.
And the whole thing didn't take him
an hour, f" he reported when he returned
to camp. "I've been robbed. f"
Mike clings to an opinion with proper
tenacity and the conviction that the
dentist had ''beat him out of good So"
laid debt and duty upon him which
he had no idea Of shirking.
''What you going to do about it?'' the
| boys asked
'Wait, says Mike.
The hard routine work of the spring
round up went on for some weeks. Again
the boys asked, What are you going to
do about your dentist?"
| "Wait," says Mike again.
| When there is work to be done, COW
camp is stirring at daybreak. Getting
out in the gray dawn one morning, it
was seen that regular tenderfoot outfits
with tents had come in during she night
and pitched their camp near the cow
boys.
Mike strolled over and poked his head
into several covered wagons, bringing
back the report that no one was awake.
"What are they loaded with?" was
asked.
/ Fertilizer, y said Mike.
i "Come off, y they all cried; mot in
those dude wagonsp'
sGive you my word, = insisted Tuss-
Ter; mot thing in 'em but old bones.
| About this time Mike became very
solicitous for the safety of his bed roll.
"Handle it like eggs, he told the dri-
yer of the mess wagon. Is loaded. -
When the outfit got around to the
home ranch and there was at length a
few days rest for horses and men, Tuss-
Ter said; Boys, I've got to see my den
tist again. Come along to town. +"
They came along to the number Of
eight, and leaving them at the Cayuse
saloon Mike went over and had an in
teryiew with the dentist.
You remember, be said, plugging
q tooth for me last spring2''