The times., 1898-11-18

the bar, but the pool balls kept on flying.
They were not being thrown at anyone
in particular, but they were handy az
as the game was getting feTcer. 1t was
second nature to let them fly. Beer tot
ties were seized upon and used as billies.
Chairs were lifted on high and cracked
on skulls of iron. Even the fiddles were
turned to in the general seizure of weap-
ons of offense Men were knocked down
and trampled upon. Scalps were split
and blood was flowing from dozens OF
faces Even Sweeney's hadn't seen
time like this for many glorious night.
Round and round the fighters seethed like
chips in whirlwind and then on a sud
den, with a curious rush. they all whirled
out of the door. They were boody.
blown, and half naked-most of them
hut strangely enough, no one seemed
seriously hurt and no one seriously angry.
by Godr' exclaimed one big fellow as
he waved aloft an empty beer bottle like
a war club. Did We see me soak that
scorpion that soaked me? Oh, but l gave
him a good one
He was entirely good-natured in his re-
mark. although he looked as though some
one had given him an extra good one.
He was bleeding from cut over the right
eve The rest of them We're equally good
natured The air outside appeared to
have worked in an instant a complete
change in them although they were all
more or less drunk. Many of them had
beer bottles and pool balls still with them,
but the desire for their use had tempor-
arily disappeared. While they were dis
cussing with one another the great
amount of fun they had had pounding
each others heads, the proprietor of the
wretched saloon. which had been totally
80.
carried the gang outside. quietly closed
and barred his doors, glad that the build
ing was left him.
What to do next thereupon became the
question of moment. No one wanted to
fight. not even James Wright, ESQ, al
though for lack of something else 1t was
entirely possible that they might start
this sport again. Fortunately there came
along at this time a commissioned Off
GER and every drunken Jackie, true to the
spirit of obedience to his superiors, which
is ground into his very nature, became
silent and respectful. saluting promptly
with the awkardness of inebriety. striv-
ing to mask itself. But the officer. too,
was somewhat the worse for his even
| ing's pleasure, and forgetting himself a
| little in his real admiration for "bullies''
! in generator all naval officers do love
| the "bullies"-he stopped to find out what
| the excitement was. He learned that
| there had been a fight and after advising
! them to restrain their propensity for such
practices, he invited all hands around to
THE Last Chance to have drink with
| him. Discipline of years was too much
| for the men. and he could not cajole them
into accepting his invitation, so he pass
ed on. But the suggestion as to The
| Last Chance" appealed to the men to be
particularly good once, and after max
| ing sure that the commissioned officer
| was out of the way they repaired thith-
! er.
1.-The Last Chance" is a saloon much on
the order of Sweeney's. being so named
| because 1t is the last saloon on the street
| leading to the Government wharf. 1t,
/ however, also has the honor to bear the
! name of the The First Chance" for
! the reason that after landing at the Gov
| ernment dock it is the first saloon that
| can be reached in point of time. The
| proprietor, being somewhat humorous as
well as thrifty by nature, has hung up
a sign across the sidewalk in front of
| his place and it reads, 1.-The First
Chance or THE Last Chance" accord
ing as you are coming from or going
to the Government wharf.
Here. then, the band of jackies recon-
menced their drinking, and, of course
their fighting. They kept 1t up until the
sun rose, one by one dropping out as
the liquor conquered even their desire
to fight. When morning came, there ir
l-front of 1.-The First and Last Chance
lay twenty jackies all in a row, sleeping
as peacefully as though they We're ir
their hammocks. They were bruised ant
battered and had to spend some days II
irons, but they'd had their fling and were
ready to go hunting the Spaniards.
This is just what they had to do within
very few days, and they got them, too