The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-09-28
SHORT STORIES

70 6CC I00 SCCucS OI Wl6 yOuIus LUZ AAO
one knew this. and the talk finally
sifted down to the proposition that the
stranger made in reply to Sawyer's re-
mark that he didn't know him, he
would have to have some sort of guar
tee.
what is the price OF this team?
"'Five hundred dollars
"'I'll pay for it, and II it Is injured
why, then, you will have no cause to
worry, will your
zoe was agreeable and he put the
money into the safe and the man drove
off with the team. They saw him
around town with the team all week
sometimes off for two or three days, and
again back in the stable for the night
Finally the stranger came in after
or 10 days and delivered up the team for
good. 1t was found to be in the same
condition and so Joe went along to the
safe and took out the $500 and passed
1t over.
'rhe stranger put it in his pocket
and buttoning his coat said one or two
pleasant things about the horses and
went out.
HE hadn't gone far before Joe re-
membered something-he hadn't got
any pay for the use of the hitch. Calling
" the uldII, lHC uldu CdHlG UdCh
"'See here, said Joe, you haven't
paid me for my team-the hire of it,
mean
~ haven't had your team
"'Wh-hats that? Haven't had my
team? Whose team have you had?'
my own. Didn't buy and pay for
it, and haven't you just bought it
back? Didn't you just say that the
team was just as good as it was when
took it and worth just as much
money; didn't you say that you were
satisfied
eyes, said Joe, but you have had
the use of the horses all this time..'
"'True,' was the reply, but you have
had the use of the $500 all this time,
too. One offsets the other and the
stranger went out, while all of the
stable loungers rolled out of their
chairs with laughter.
"The next day the stranger came in
and paid Joe literally for the team hire
for the entire time, and said that the
| trade was fully as good as the hitch.
and that was saying good DEAL"
-
No policeman was in sight, Of course.
That was because he was wanted, says
the Boston Journal.
Hit him, Muggsy!'
Soak him, Swipes!"
Nov youse got him.
Put it on Their smeller!'
These and many other edifying ejac-
ulations were hurled at two small boot
blacks who were earnestly engaged in
spelling each others face with their
fists, while a big crowd stood in cir
Gle about them in front of the postof-
fee. Fst5 ,e-4
It was going badly for the larger of
the two boys, when a member of the
Boston Peace society, or one of its
branches. stepped in and separated the
boys. For wonder they seemed will
ing to stop. The peacemaker said:
"Well, what are you fighting about?"
Then an amusing explanation fol-
lowed. and a new idiotic joke was
started on it's journey through the town.
for every man and boy in the crowd
! that heard the explanation started off
to Spring the joke on the first ac-
quaintance he should meet, and pos
sibly to be a participant in another
fistic engagement.
This b,oke comes to me and seq.
Say, what's next to Their last letter in
the ralphybet-'
"'Y' seq T.
OoA 1 WdHuS 10 KNOW, SEE lie. ana ne
| laughs and swipes me on Their back, en-
! ther others all laughs. too. I don't see
no joke in it. so I hits him on Their
| peerer. Do youse see"-'
He stopped short; a grin spread all
| over his dirty and bruised face. He
locked sheepish and then laughed out
| right.
"Hully gee, I see it now. You're all
| right, Muggsy. Shake! Why, Y. sure
It's a good one and I'll spring it on me
brudder."
They shook hands and went off to-
gether. The crowd laughed and each
one FASTENED to spread the plague-a
new joke.