The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-02-22
HE TOLD HIS STORY.
AND THE UNWILLING AUDIENCE WAS
COMPELLED TO LISTEN.

COMPELLED TO LISTEN.
A Long Winded but Resourcefu1
sherif's Treatment of the Crowd of
Loungers That Rudely interrupted
| His Yarn About q Bear.
The sheriff of Salmon county was q
good story teller-that is, he so consider
ed himself. Whether the story diverted
his hearers or not was a matter of little
moment to him. He would start story
which had no visible point and no appar-
ent end and keep on telling shaking
with laughter himself and cl ping his
| victim on the back with his immense
| paws. The miners and cattler en- who
frequented Shoup's store at Salm N City
| had a social code Of their own. When a
man got launched into an impossible sto-
| ~, they simply pulled string attached
| to a rather diversified gong which Mac
nabbs, who ran the store, had put up for
the express purpose, and the story teller
was cut off short.
But the sheriff was better than the
gong. The second time he started one Of
his stories little Johnny Harris gave the
gong a pull. The sheriff paid no atten-
ton to it and still talked. The next night
|
| The gong was rung until every one in the
building was arm sore, and then his audi
tors gave 1t up and bore with the sheriff
as best they might until he tired himself
out and started for home. Just before he
left he said:
"Mac, why don't you let that Teller In
that's bin a-ringin? II 'twuz me, I'd git
mad standin out there even IL knowed
| that you wuz a-listenin to me tellin
tales"
1--WE got to do somethin to head that
old land pirate off," said Charley Bryan,
the MINER because il we don't and this
thing keeps up We'll all of US be so weak
by spring that we won't be able to git
out into the hills"
The sheriff did not come to the store for
some time after this occurrence. He had
been obliged to make journey into the
| hills to post some notices on a mine; con-
sequently the crowd had had time to re-
gain its spirits little. Then. too, Sam
Slick, a veteran stock raiser and practical
Joker, had been added to the ranks after
q long absence from the country. One
| Saturday night the sheriff burst into the
store and after buying two bits worth Of
| tobacco took his accustomed mackerel
barrel and placing It near the stove In the
center Of the circle began:
"Say, boys, heerd an awful good story
| up to Lemhi county. You know this yer
Sam Deemer? Well, he's the greatest
bar hunter in all that county" he said.
"What county is that?' broke in Slick.
"Lemhi," answered the sheriff In the
tone of a man answering the census emu
| merator.
That's old fiat footed, black haired
Sam, amt it? asked Slick.
ssYas - eaid Tho sheriff hurripdIv
81 know him."
"Well, the sheriff continued, looking
around the circle for confirmation, they
amt no one that kin touch the old Deem
er on bars. Why, he's killed more bars
than any man In Idaho"
"Who told you that" said Slick.
"Why, know it; I've seen the hides"
"What kind-black. cinnamon or griz-
zlyT
"All kinds; don't make no matter to
him."
The crowd by this time had caught the
cue from Slick, and every time the sheriff
opened his mouth he was piled with ques-
tions. Finally he got so confused that ev-
cry time he started to speak he could only
blurt and stutter. Then the floods Of his
anger burst loose, and he rose from his
seat and burst out of the store.
"Well, WE'LL" said Slick when he recov-
cred from the spasms of laughter into
which the occurrence had thrown him,
we've got rid of the sheriff fur good.
reckon"
The sheriff didn't come around again
for some time. About month afterward
he sauntered into the store and went up
to the counter. He was very much sub
dued, and it seemed as If his pride was
broken.
GOOD ev'nin. Mac" he said. "Gimme
two bits worth of eatin. will you?" And
when Mac handed the tobacco out to him
he turned and stood with his elbow rest
ing on a pile of dress goods and listened.
Finally he pulled his big ulster together
as II to go.
"Whar have you bin lately. sheriff."
said Sam Slick. seeing that there was no
danger of an incursion on the sherif's
part
ooh, I've bin pretty busy up to my
house, putin in this 'lectric light from
the plant over on the river and gittin
things generally fixed up. l wish some
of you boys'd come over and take look
at 1t. Things is fixed up nice. Why
don't you come over now? You hain't
got anything special to do?"
The crowd went. and the sheriff show
ed them everything and how the electric
light worked. Finally he said:
"You amt seen the cells yet Come this
way"
Then he opened the door and ushered
the crowd in one by one through the broad
grating. As the last man passed the sher-
if instead of following him banged the
grating to and locked It The visitors all
ran back to the grating and tried to open
It.
"Hey, sheriff. they shouted. "This
amt no Joke: this is blame mean. Let US
out Of here"
"Take your time. gents" said the sher-
If; "you amt in no danger, and ! hope
you amt in no hurry"
Then he pulled an armchair up in front
Of the door, while the crowd waited ex-
pectantly. When he got himself settled,
the sheriff began: "As was a-sayin that
Saturday night. this yer old Sam Deemer
was the orneryest old cuss after bars
ever you seed"
The visitors knew they were in for It.
The sheriff sat there and told them that
old moss covered. four mile long lie that
was a half cousin to old Father Time
himself. They had to listen. for they
couldn't get away. When the sheriff was
through. ce unlocked the door. and as he
babe them good night he said:
swell, l guess we are about even. so
we kin start square next Saturday night,
when l want to tell you a story about
friend of mine down in Texas named
Robbins"
! But his visitors never heard his words;
they just wandered away. meeklike. as
fast as they could without running.-New
, York Sun.