Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-08-01
From the New York Sun

wrong, like they most gently Is. there
amt nothin' til prove 1t to 'em short o.
gettin' cracked on the nut hard enough
for to put 'em where they won't never
know nothin' no mo-.
II knowed a man, name o. Rathbun.
over in Green county, some years ago, t
made out he knowed all about mules.
II say to him one day, l says: 'Rathbun,
you sure do go too fur / says. when you
claim fer to know 1t all, special In ref
renee to mules. which is ordained by a all
wise providence for to upset whatever
you'se a-reck'nin' on, don't make do diff
ference what tbs
But he wouldn't listen. He says: Come
round to my stable. Greenhut, I've got q
mule tilcre't L want to show you. l bought
him FIR almost nothin', bein' as he's got a
bad name. He won't kick. but he's bit
three niggers nigh fatal, an they say he
can't be kept tied up. When / seen him
j knowed what the trouble was. so /
bought him., an he's as gentle as n kitten
now t I've took care of him FIR q week.
There is mules t has to be licked like
blazes, an there is them t shouldn't be
beat. Some hain't no onderstandin an
some YOU en- reason with. Now they'd
made a mistake with this one, an beat
him when he wanted to be coaxed, so, be-
In some high sperr.ted, he nachully bit.
He's playful, too. an i ain't sure but what
some o the bitin' was meant FIR a joke.
Just come round an see what change Eve
made into him in a week
well. ! went with him, but while VIC
was on the way / tried to teach him some
pin. This we're mule may be trained. all
right i says. but he's a mule. He's liable
for to do somepin' you amt look,n' for
But Rathbun wouldn't listen. He cap
cred along to the stable. like he was goin'
to show me a blue elephant. an me with
him, some Interested. When he opened
SIn 1ON~ tI-t -.t- 80 ~.
barley, contented as you please. in his
stall. but he looked round. kind O laugh
in like. when Rathbun stepped in. Then.
mighty sudden, 'thoughten a word o
warnin'. he reached out his off hind leg.
fore Rathbun had got nigher'n about
eight foot I'm the stall. an gave him a
rap side O the head L sent him all in q
heap ag'in the side o. the barn. He never
moved. an when l got to him he We're
stone dead"
Joe Bassett was not the only listener.
though he was. perhaps. the most inter-
ested. since 1t was told as Il sort of re-
primand for n declaration that the big
sheriff had boastfully made that mo yap
I'm up st. Francis way cd come to town
an raise ructions. not while I'm round"
lnas:nuch as old man Grecnhut was an
avOve9 admirer Of Bassett's prowess, it
had been a little surprising to the others
to hear the rebuke, and Jake Winterbot-
tSit. bSsti L a sSAii JIM ciii Il Ctc
Kenney had also listened in some surprise,
and. it must be said. with an air of not
being thoroughly convinced.
Jake Winterbottom spoke first. IL don't
sees you're trumpin' in or followerin'
suit. G%rcenhut," he said. Fur as this
yerc Rathbun is c'ncerned, pears like he
didn't know so very much about mules,
nohow. + he didn't reckon a mules leg
10 be more'n eight feet long. More'n that,
faint certain but what the mule meant
for to be playful. Pears like your story
don't prove nothin'. but S f,r's Joe bein'
able to handle a zap FIN ST. Francis, /
reckon there amt no argument COMM
Ihere was a general murmur of approval
though no one felt called on to add to
Winterbottom's remarks, and old man
Greenhut looked inquiringly around from
one to another. Seeing that they all APP
peared to be of one mind, he shook his
head slowly and somewhat sadly.
Going to his favorite chair by the WIN
dow, he put his feet on the sill and smoked
Tor a long time in silence. Then he said.
Minds me O Dave Dutton. There want
no more promisin' youngster in Mississippi
pi, my he had the same failin' as some
has. o knowing too much, an it kind O.
spilled him some.
when he growed up, not feelin' t he
had 10 call fr farmin.' an bein' some
pro1udiced about liquor. he decided TO
take up cards. so I says to him how ii was
'VHAo AiShy' II II II,It, Dul
there's a heap o players t goes broAe.'
HE was cocky, though. like L said, an
he on'y laughs. Trouble with en- he
says, they don't know the game. I'm GO
IN to study poker he says. It'll l know
1t from Genesis to Omega Ii a man knows
1t all there amt no such thing as Ccttin'
the best of him
A | says. Dave, that's b,asphenious.
TIL good Lord never intended for a man
10 Know all about draw poker. You may
learn a heap. an / don't make no doubt
you VIII. but YOU can't never learn it all
hut ne on'y laughed ag'n. an he says.
i reckon l en- do it An he practised Oh
his neishbors round Greenv1lle till he sure
was the best poker player in them parts.
Then he took to the boats
Then the old man turned his attention
again to his cigar and smoked so long in
silence that Joe Bassett at length said
1mpat!ently: We'll, what happened him ?
DID he make good or didn't hec What's
al; this about, anyway?'
II haint never heer'd," said old man
Greenhut. HE was dom we'll the last i
knowed. O course he'll be come up with
some time"
The sheriff spat on the floor. LETS
liquor" he said. rive got to have some
pin to take the taste o. this outer nv
mouth"
There was n procession to the bar and
the liquor was produced at the sherif's ex-
pense. AS the last man was pouring it
into his glass the door opened and n good
looking middle aged man stepped in and
looked around inquiringly. Joe Bassett.
seeing that he was a stranger. said heart
lily: w uns was just takin' a drink.
Won't you jine US? Pleased to have YOU"
Thanks" said the stranger. II DOM
care II i do" and then after that round
had been disposed of he proved his knowl-
edge of the etiquette governing the occa-
sion.
BY the time the second round was put
way old man Greenhuts face cleared UP.