The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-04

skirt eagerly as Harlequin unloaded
his tiny theatre. and, tumbling the ap-
paratus wagon from a load. led his
horses to the log sta bles at the back or
the tavern. And the majority of Little
Rocks citizens in the middle of Ar
kansas territory, on that winter day
OF 1885, were repeating the child's ques-
tions.
4 don't know, sis" the woman an
sWered, patiently. Maybe your dad
can tell She plucked the sleeve OF
her husbands hunting coat inquirinSly
as she spoke.
Don't ask me. sis, for I don't know
any more than your ma He glanced
down at the eager child, holding the
fringe Of his buckskin breaches; then,
turning to a man standing near, cried
out:
Come over here. colonel, and explain
this circus business. Lizzie" turning
to his wife as the man just hailed
strobe over with a broad smile and
hand outstretched, this is Colonel
Davy Crockett The woman courte-
sled and shrank behind her big hus-
band. kiss him, sis" the father
stopped quickly to whisper to the child.
Hes been to Washington, in con-
gress!"
In a moment she was in the great
hunters arms, nesting close against
the bright steel of his rife, Long
Betsy
The newcomer was a man of middle
age, who walked with a swing of con-
scious pride, and whose bronZed face
gloWed in the sharp December air.
Tall, somewhat slender, but close-knit
and supple, he bent to the little one
caress like a bit of finely tempered
steel. About him was a radiance OF
physical health, an irrepressible flow of
! spirit; he seemed like a seasoned bow,
/ bent and tingling for the press of the
] arrow.
, why don't he begin?'' cried the little
/ girl, oetulautly.
/ Hush. sis. Don't talk that way to
4 the gentleman the timid mother Hut
] tered forth, reprovingly. but Crockett,
} setting the child down from his arms
said:
Now, you wait here with your moth
J er, sis, and I'll go find out why this
/ Harlequin man don't begin. Won, t
! you come IN Dick, and take - ne
( smiled back at the little girl as they
/ entered the tavern bar, calling out,
/ TN fetch him" Presently there came
| out the sound of laughter, a shout of
| approval, and cry, Give US another
/ one of them, coIonelI"
Your dad says he's the greatest hand
I for stories the mother ventured to
explain to the impatient girl. The two
/ moved across to another family group,
/ waiting, like themselves, for the men
to reappear.
I
| began to cry, and the wives fitted here
and there to ask where Job and
/ Adam" and William" had been seen
! last, and how under the sun can q
body expect to wait all night for thai
circus man?" And after a time the
tavern bar had emptied its crowd tC
| swell the grumble of impotence
Crockett and his companion came Ou'
to the road, glanced about for the little
girl, then Joined the party.
It's this way, SIS began the hunt
er, taking the child on his knee as hi
sat on a smOOth-tOpped stump. 'EYOJ
I see, the ShOWman'S afraid he can't Civ
his show, because the fiddler'S over
charged his head; and, as he's only go
one leg. it don't take much to knOcl
him of his balance. He can't play to
! | day, and there's no one to take hi
place. Then the showman's afraid i
he don't give his show the people
burn his outfit and lynch him for de
ceiven 'em.
Peoples the same sis-here or il
5 Washington Crockett, recOllecting hi
recent defeat for a seat in congress
from Tennessee, swung easily from hi
explanation Of the showman's defec
> ton to a discussion of that late Angus
election, the result of which was nov
q But he came back with that inevitabl
r smile, and the apt word:
so, you see, sis, unless he gets a I'D
der he can't show, for a Punch an
e Judy show without fddlin', as every
n body knows. is like roast pork and a
[ apple saucei" The colonel laughed an
II fell silent-for a moment, watching tn
child's perplexity. I'm real sorry"
I added gently
= AS the Snowman came out to ii
tavern door to announce the abandon
ment Of the promised performance,
- white bearded old man drove int
; sight. a lean gray horse shutting b.
e tween thesshafts Of a ramshackle bucl
y board CrOwding his knees in frOl
Y was a large trunk, while over II
- back of the vehicle, curiously drape
hung some freshly washed shirts ar
: fiannels drying in the afternoon SUI
e His clothes were grotesquely old ar
shabby, and his face, where it was n
covered with a long beard, had lOT
- since come to the color of snuff.
On stepping into the crowd the jade
n horse stopped instinctively. For mil
i ute the old man sat quite still, gaziI
t straight ahead, in his eyese the IA
! away look of an imaginative child.
a It's old Adam Silbee!" exclaim
Il Crockett, as he glanced at the curiO1
go figure, then turned to explain to Il
others: He's a preacher, and a le
s. turer. and an author; and he's got
books in that trunk. He's a preach
without a church. so he takes the wOr
. for his congregation, travelling here al
g. there and everywhere-this year
1T Arkansas, last in Tennessee. maybe ne
"a in Missouri. Because he's wrote Sc
mons that have nothing but good do
trine in EN- and lectures and histOri
that amt even that much, some peoI
ut call him crazy: but I say he's philos
I'd pher, for nothing ever bothers him, al
n he's got a heart big enough to love {
= whole world He's nearly always alo
y when he travels. preachin', lecturi
and sellin' his books, when the spf
j. moves, and keepin' from gettin' Ion
some with a fiddle that knows mo
heel ticklin' tunes than I ever heard
i And I've got an ideal" The WOO
man sat down the child from his KIN
5 and strobe into the tavern. In a MINI
in the landlord came out to grip old S
Of bees hand. and cry out heartily
a. I'm glad to see you, Adam; you
come just in the nick of time!"
''Eh? I've come opportunely?" que
toned the old man, facing round.
e. why, yes, that you have, for 1 rec
rl1 on you've brought a head and hes
a. | that re willin' to help US poor mC
tals.'' The landlord spoke with beco
- ing respect
True! Very true!" answered
philosopher; this will no doubt be
az excellent market for my pamphlet
- He STOPPED to lift the lid of the trunk
You don't understand me-" cont
ie- ued the landlord. There's a p'