The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-12-19
SOME STORY TELLERs.
An EngIishman who Was Pretty
Good, But There Was an Amer
lean Miner Present.

''The Lord save me from an English
man who has done things or says he
has," said a western man at the Wal
dorf-Astoria- recently, relates the New
York Tribune. "Such one will spoil
any party and throw gloom on any
gathering he happens to be in. An En-
glislhman of this type was once visit
or in my town, and at the club he be-
came an unmitigated nuisance. Nc
matter what story was told, the Brit
Usher invariably went the narrator one
better. For example, one man told of a
big faro game he had seen at Cheyenne
in those never-to-be-forgotten days
cry one in the cattle country simply
reeked with wealth. 1t was a good
story, but a soon as it was finished the
Englishman rang in one of an expert
ence he had had at Monte Carlo that
made the Cheyenne tale seem like a
bottle of fat champagne.
"Then an ex-army officer told OF a
company of infantry at Gettysburg
that had been sent up to capture GER
tain hill. They didn't secure it, but rs
per cent. of the company lay dead or
wounded on that bloody hillside before
heboys in blue could be driven back.
'The Englishman capped that with
an experience of his in India. Out of
q company of 76 Sikhs that he COM
manded only two caped-him self and
another, the other shot so full of holes
that he looked like nutmeg crater.
"When the refreshments made nee
essary by this last anecdote had been
as to relate an experience he had had
while hunting bears. The Englishman
chimed In at once with legend Of a
bear hunt of his own. He had only six
shots in his magazine rifle and was at.
tackled by four adult and two cub bears.
After an exhibition of fancy shooting
that must have made the performances
of wild Bill or Billy the Kid look
amateurish, the last bear fell, shot
through the heart, only six feet from
where the doughty Englishman stood.
fiThe silence that followed the rela-
ton of this Munchausen positively
hurt, but when 1t was at last broken
the fate that Englishman had SO long
been tempting was upon him.
"'That experience said the soft
voice of six-foot mining man, who
had been silent, reminds me of SINH
lar one myself once had. / was after
antelope and had chased a pair of them
all the afternoon. They finally came to
canyon and made for it. Just as they
got to it's entrance / shot twice at
them, missing both times. l didn't
Gre again, for the reason that those
two shots were all that had In my
magazine rifle. Nothing daunted,
spurred my weary mount forward and
soon found myself within the shadows
of the canyon, which rose precipitous-
ly. With the idea of resting my horse
dismounted and that wretched bron.
cho took prompt advantage of my
kindness by jerking the reins from my
hand and making bolt of it. Look
ing around for the cause saw grizzly
at least nine feet high rushing toward
me with open mouth. l can tell you
I legged 1t up that canyon and busy
brain accompanied me. | couldn't
shoot the grizzly, for my last shot had
been fred at the antelope. Just then
a rock came into view, and, utterly
spent, cast myself upon it,
Here the miner came to a full stop
and the deeply interested Englishman
leaned breathlessly forward. What,
he queried, what did the bear do, my
dear fellow?' Why returned the
other, without batting an eyelash, he
ate me up, of course"