The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1899-06-30


The muskrat Frenchman is to be
found dwelling in the fats along the
Detroit river, near Detroit, Mich. In
stature he is small, in complexion like
to his native mud, in habits simple
and-uncleanly, in appetite satisfying
himself with roast "muskrat shtum wiz
onyon," washed down with whisky
little better than raw alcohol. In
imagination he is wild, vivid, fanciful,
~extravagant.
On Monday Antoine Boudie, e. true
type Of the muskrat F~renchman, came
into Jean Baptiste Montie's saloon at
EcOrse with a red and swollen nose.
There was considerable excitement in
the saloon. The two Cicottes Of De-
troit were playing a match game OF
pedro with the two Monte brothers.
Thedo Cicotte was winning, and play
ing every card with a yell Of triumph
and a thump of the knuckles that
made the table dance. Fourteen
timei" he shrieked, as he played on
the last trick and chalked the score
down on the table top, while the
crowd, composed OF unkempt, I'M
washed, but sympathetic muskrat
F~renchmen, pressed closely around the
players. The triumphant Thedo
turned and beheld Antoine Boudie's
nasal beacon.
"Haylo, Antoine. Ha! Re red nose.
Ware you get him?"
Ware I get him? I tell you. You
say liar, but so it is. Dees morn l
talk pail an ak an go to ~rivaire; walk
out bout half acre on ice, chop hole
in ice an get wataire. Den I say, 1
thirsty; get drink 1 stoop, poot head
in hole, drink wataire. Sploshl bang!
Something's by ze nose hat me fast.
I geev great swair, leap, fall on ice,
hear something strike. I rub wataire
out my eye. Look. Dere on ice lie
cat feesh, beeg, so long, va l poo
out wataire by my nose. All! she hurt
an bleed, but 1 TAX feesh an pail an
go to house. FRS 1 put leetle fat
muskrat on my nose teel she feel YER
fine. Den I weigh feesh-2O pounds.
I TAX before many beeg feesh, but not
so on my nose. Wen feesh TAX nose
for bait I JUS soon be couple acre on.
I tell you, feesh bite my nose. How
wheesky max red lax dat? You call
me liar? You hear dat Kanuck fell
low? Somebody hoT mel 1 keel him!
Obi good. All right. Vas. 1 TAX
drink den. Leetle glass wheesky,
please"
Antoine went to the bar, and the
cards being dealt again the game was
proceeding when the side door opened
and Theophile Campau came in drag
cling a large sturgeon that would weigh
perhaps 80 pounds. Jean Baptiste
Monte turned to him with an inno-
Gently inQulring expression:
"Ha, Theophile, you got vale. Ware
you fin dat drift 'shore?"
wat! You insoop me LAX dat?
I'm him Oh hook wat 1 bait for him.
You stop play card minnit I tell you
uuare ting. Dis morn-early-I go
feesh. T'ink 1 catch few leetle perch.
I row out couple acre off Lighthouse
Point, were ice is gone off. After vile
perch he began bite. 1 pool. SplOsh!
Beeg sturgeon he come, ketch perch
by tail; hoI him up out wataire, IN
hook him of hook, t'row him in air.
Perch fall back in wataire and swim
way. Wal, I tink dat quare ting.
Den 1 trow in gen. Ketch nudder
perch. Splosh! Sturgeon save him
same way by tail. Dis go on nine,
ten time. Den I get mad, I rage,
swair, I t'row fist in air, I stamp
pritty near hole in bottom boat; but
when l t'row in gen sturgeon come
JUS LAX same time before, on'y does
time he wink at me he's eye.