Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-11-27
[CoNTINUED.7.

smile, But don't want to abuse you"
"Do. l enjoy it. I'm beast, a self
ish beast!" For somehow his intense,
comfortably small.
"What have we to offer?' 1 demand
ed.
"Wait till l have got these things
cleared away and my housekeeping
done"
l pressed my services upon him,
somewhat feebly, l own, for can't
bear dishwater, but he rejected my
offer.
81 don't like trusting my china to the
hands of tenderfoot."
.Quite right, though your china would
long range"
1t was delft quarter of an inch
thick, so smoked while he washed up,
swept, busted and arranged the room.
After the room was ordered to his
taste we proceeded to hold counsel. He
could offer dinner, magic lantern, mu-
sic. eve can fill in time for two hours,
but" he added gloomily, 1--WE can't beat
the dance and the high kickers."
"Have you nothing new or startling?"
He shook his head.
mo kind of show-dog show, snake
charmer?"
"slavin has monopoly Of the
snakes"
Then he added hesitatingly: "There
was an old Punch and Judy chap here
last year, but he died. Whisky again."
'What happened to his show?"
The Black Rock hotel man took it
for board and whisky bill. He has it
still, suppose"
did not much relish the business,
but l hated to see him beaten, so I
ventured, 81 have run a Punch and
Judy in an amateur way at the var
sity."
He sprang to his feet with a yell.
"You have! You mean to say it.?
We've got them! We've beaten themw
He had an extraordinary way of taking
your help for granted. "The miner
chaps, mostly English and Welsh, went
mad over the poor old Snowman and
made him SO wealthy that in sheer
gratitude he drank himself to DEATH"
He walked up and down in high ex-
citement and in such evident delight
that felt pledged to my best effort.
WELL" | said, FIRST the poster. We
must beat them in that"
He brought me large sheets of brown
paper. and after two hours hard work
l had half Il dozen pictorial showbills
done in gorgeous colors and striking
designs. They We're good if do say it
myself.
The turkey, the magic lantern, the
Punch and Judy show, were all there,
the last with crowd before it in gap
ing delight few explanatory words
were thrown in, emphasizing the high
~ artistic nature of the Punch and
Judy entertainment.
Craig was delighted and proceeded to
perfect his plans. He had some half a
dozen young men, four young ladies
and eight or ten matrons upon whom
he could depend for help. These he or
gained into a vigilance committee
charged with the duty of preventing
miners and lumbermen from getting
away to Slavin's.
"The critical moments will be imme-
diately before and after dinner and
then again after the show is over" he
explained. "The first two crises must
be left to the care Of Punch and Judy,
and, as for the last, l am not yet sure
what shall be DONE" But saw he had
something in his head, for he added, 81
shall see Mrs. Mavor."
"Who is Mrs. Mavor?" asked.
But he made no reply. He was a
born fighter, and he put the fighting
spirit into US ALL We were bound to
win.
The sports were to begin at o'clock.
BY lunchtime everything was in readi-
ness. After lunch was having quiet
smoke in Craig's shack when in be
rushed, saying:
''The battle will be lost before it is
fought. If we lose Quatre Bras, we
shall never get to Waterloo"
whats up"
"Slayin, just now. The miners are
coming in, and he will have them in
tow in half an hour"
He looked at me appealingly. knew
what he wanted.
"All right. suppose must, but ii
is an awful bore that man can't have
a quiet smoke"
you're not half bad fellow" he
replied, smiling. 81 shall get the la
dies to furnish coffee inside the booth
You furnish them intellectual nourish
ment in front with dear old Punch and
Judy"
He sent boy with bell round the
village, announcing. "Punch and Judy
in front of the Christmas booth be
side the church," and for three-quar
tiers of an hour | shrieked and sweateG
in that awful little pen. But it was
almost worth it to hear the shouts OF
approval and laughter that greeted my
performance. 1t was cold work stand
ing about, SO that the crowd was quite
ready to respond when Punch, after
being duly hanged, came forward anC
invited all into the booth for the hot