The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-10-02

GLASS EYED BILL
BY Lloyd osbourne Author of Forty Between Etc
Illustrated By Estelie Rice


try and showed it by his artIess con-
tempt of Gods Own. Bob Hamrnil,
the driver of the Las Vegas stage
condescended a little to his only pas
senger-offered him a nip, together
with few reflections on the universe
and went out of ffS way to say
some nice things about lover thar"
But the. strai ght-backed, yellow-mus-
taehed. soidierly looking gentleman
from ''over thar" received these adj
vices with inarticulate murmurs of re-
preston; and on their being repeated,
turned away the light of his counte-
nance from Robert Hammil and en-
crossed himself in the scenery of Cali
fornia, This was a pity, not only for
its tacit denial of the brotherhood of
man, but as it later on involved the
descent of the straight-backed gentle
man into what might be called space
together with a dressing-case, des-
patch-box, hat-box, portmanteau, gun
! case, portable bath, and a roll of
steamer rugs The stage dropped him
at the dusty crossroads, disappearing
in the direction of what a rusty iron
notice said was jacksonville, while the
erstwflile passenger gazed bIankly at
another on which was the half obiit-
Grated inscription: Ell Nido Ranch.
A little unbending on the part IF the
gentleman from lover thar" would
have resulted in Bob's taking detolr
and disembarking him all complete at
his destination; and this for no other
toll than a grasp of the hand at part
ing and a hearty you're welcome as
he whipped up his four horses. But
Captain Anstruther was unused to a
scheme of things where a ready fellow
ship counted for more than money. All
his life people had automatically arisen
to carry his baggage, move him in the
proper direction, and answer generally
for his comfort and well being. To
find himself on a dusty road, in the
heart of wild and lonely country,
an orphan traveller so to speak, with
nobody to take care of him but him
self-was it any wonder that Captain
Claude George Pennifield Anstruther
looked somewhat depressed, or that
the tails of his pugree dropped Imply
in the ambient air of the Golden
State?
Of course he had pugree. and
strange, enormous shoes with hobnails
In them, and g. wonderful checked
knickerbocker costume, involving a
weird variety of gaiter that stopped
half way UP his calf. He was no less
singular inside than out, and next his
skin was a leather money-belt, and he
was wound round and round with
III n oh01-
era. and concealed about his person
was a silver drinking-cup that cost
eight guineas at Silver's. and COM
pact little filter that weighed only a.
pound, and an extraordinary knife of
extraordinary size, which had a fold
ing spoon in it, and gimlet and a
saw and a sailors needle. He had
been s'outfitted'' in London at an ex-
pense of hundred pounds sterling,
and that was why he clanked as ne
walked and dug things into him when
he sat down. Why California should
require such terrific preparations it is
not for the narrator to say. Perhaps
it is because the narrator does not
know Does anybody know, indeed,
why the Briton abroad should assume
a guise likely to tempt the lightning
from its path and interfere with the
stars in their courses?
Captain Claude George Pennifield
Anstruther regarded his dressing-case,
despatch-box, hat-box, portmanteau,
gun-case, portable bath and roll OF
steamer rugs with a dawning sense
that British solidity and lightweight
might be carried too far He was even
more of this opinion by the time ne
had conveyed these articles to the
shelter of some adjacent chapparal
and had Topped off with the help OF
the knife with the folding-spoon, the
gimlet, saw and sailors medley
enough dusty branches to hide them
from the gaze of possible passers-oy
This accomplished, he set off. in NJ
very rosy frame of mind, to follow the
road TO Ell Nido Ranch. He did not
step out with the air OF man as
sured of a bath, a Scotch and soda,
and a hospitable welcome On the
contrary, he wore the set expression
of one engaged with a very disagree
able duty. and lis mind. instead CT
dwelling or the beautiful and roman
tic scenery, was weighted like lead
besides with the memory of a dressing
case, despatch-box, hat-box, portman-
teau, gun-case, portable bath, and roll
of steamer rugs left unchecked in the