The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1903-10-27
HOW HE GOT EVEN.

MY name rs refer, Dut mat dOeSn
count. His Nibs calls me James and
the missus calls me "Jeems." ] don't
count, anyway, except that | tell the
yarn. They live down in Prairie
ayenoo, but can't tell you where, be-
cause His Nibs don't want the man"
around telling family yarns.
His Nibs bought a benzine buggy
and that's the way it all started.
He has called the buggy the Rolling
Peanut. 1t goes that way mostly
Before he got the thing one of his
pals came over and he said the physical
exam was something fierce.
Think you can pass it?' he asked
His Nibs. They're something fierce
down at the city hall. You amt much
around the chest. You had better go
in for a few stunts with the dumb bells
and the pulley weights"
"Do you think so?" said His Nibs,
looking kind of dubious like. Per
haps i had"
So he rugged up a gym in the barn
and took to doing stunts two hours
day. / had to put on the gloves with
him, and we had goes. His Nibs was
easy with the gloves, but of course
couldn't hit hard. He worked for
three months during the winter and
his pal used to come over and feel his
arms.
you kind of shy yet" he would
say, and shake his head. "You know
Wullie Thompson? Well, they turned
Wulie down fiat. Wouldn't give him
his license at all He couldn't do
double handsprings"
Then His Nibs would add another
half hour on the stunt, until he got to
spending most his time in the barn,
and his pal brought fellows over to see
him work. Once in awhile, when His
Nibs wasn't looking, they used to
smile like.
Well His Nibs got to looking like
lightweight ready for weighing in.
He was as rosy and hard as nail, and
we went down to the city hall. His
Nibs tells the man in the electric de-
partment that he wants a license and
he sends him into the health depart
ment. His pal went along. The fell
low in the health department looks at
him and then trots out some yarn, yell
low, blue, pink, green and other
colors, and asks His Nibs to pick the
colors. and His Nibs does.
Then the fellow has His Nibs work
his arms about a little, and says:
you're all right You amt muscle
bound and you amt color blind. Take
this back to the city electrician.
Then His Nihs looks at him and
says: SIS that all?" and the fellow
says yes. Then His Nibs looks at his
pal, but his pal had gone. His Nihs
swears and goes back to the electric
man and gets his license. AS he went
out he says:
"I'll get even with Percival Archi-
bald yet" He went home and tore
down the pulleys and gave me the
gloves and dumb bells. The fellows
came around after awhile to ask did
he pass the exam. and they had to so
down town. His Nihs said he didn't
think there was enough in the wine
closet.
Well, His Nibs gets the benzine
buggy, and he asks his pal to have a
spin with him, and they sets out. and
takes me with them. His pal asked if
His Nibs wasn't goin' to have the chat
fur go long, and His Nibs said no, he
could run the buggy fine. We get out
along the pike about five miles from
the nearest horse, and the buggy
balks.
His Nibs gets down and looks under
it, and so does his pal. Then they both
get in again and give the wheels and
brakes spin, but it won't go. His
Nibs says:
well, it's all off, we'll have to push
it in"
who's going to do the pushing"
asks his pal
"Well, I've been thinking abont
that" says His Nibs. "Of course, you
don't know how to steer an automo-
bile. I'll have to do the steering"
"Oh, don't l know how to steer an
automobiles" says his pal He jumps
in the machine and whirls the wheels.
II know all about steering ma
chine"
His Nibs looked kind of thoughtful
for minute and said;
81 guess maybe you do know how to
steer q machine, but that amt all.
guess I'll have to do the steering"
Divide up the stunt" said his pal.
"I'il do half the pushing"
I'D like to, honest" says Els Nibs,
'but don't see how can. You haven't
got license, have your"
NO. | amt" says his pal
''Then you can't run an automobile"
says His Nibs. IF policeman came
along and found you running ma
chine he'd pinch the whole outfit. You
amt licensed to run one. l cont see
how / can do any of the pushing. I've
got the license. I've got to run the
thing. Youll have to do the pushing"
Then his pal swore considerable and
said It was tommy rot, but His Nibs
said no he wasn't going to take any
chances. He wasn't going to have his
pal arrested for running an autorno-
bile without a license. Not him. He
was willing to make good many sac
-ifces, he said, but he wouldn't let
,hum be arrested on account of him.
III have to do the steering" he