The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1907-12-26

kASt WuOle ana HuStleu Out 10 tue oar
where my friend and the hotel mar
was waitinS Now III take that drink
that's coming, and rather than be
small about it I'll buy one for you
too, and then we're off, says l.
"'You won't do no such thing says
the hotel man. It's horse on me-
and I'll supply the liquor. Mr. Jones
Is In the play as much as anybody
$50 the hotel man set 'em up. and
that made one drink. Then Jones said
he'd never let drink suffer from
consequences yet when he had the
price, and that made two drinks.
had TO uphold the honor Of the ranch,
and that made three drinks. Hotel
man said 1t was up sticks now. and
he meant to pay his just debts like an
honest man. and that made four
drinks. Then Jones said-well, by this
time see I needn't have hurried
breakfast so much. More people came
IN. ! woke up the next morning In
the same old bedroom. Every break
fast Aggy and me got ready to pull
for the mines, and every morning I
woke up IN the bedroom. should
IKE to draw a veil over the next two
weeks, but II would have to be
pretty strong veil to hold It. I tried
to keep level with Aggy. but he'd
spend three dollars to my one, and the
consequence of that was that we went
broke within fifteen minutes Of each
other.
r<n stp ftts M II
TO draw to that day. We sat there
and cussed and said. Now. why didn't
we do this, that and t'other thing in
stead Of blowing our hard earned
Dough- TIL bimeby we just dripped
melancholy. you might say. How
somever. we weren't booked for n dull
time just yet. That afternoon there
was great popping Of whips like an
7njun sklrmish and into town comes
a bull train half n mile long. Twelve
yoke Of bulls to the team: lead, swing
and trail wagons for each, as big as
houses on wheels. You don't see the
like of that in this country. Down
the street they come. the dust flying.
whips cracking and the lads hollering:
whoa haw. Mary-up there! Wherp.
Whoa hawr'
~And those fellers had picked up
dry threats walking In the dust; also
they had n months wages aching In
their pockets. We hadn't much more'n
got the thump of their arrival out of
our ears when who comes roaring into
town but the Bengal Tiger gang, and
they had four months wages. The own
er of the mine got on bender and paid
everybody Off by mistake. You can
hardly imagine how this livened up
things. There amt nobody less likely
to play lame duck than me. but there
was no lodging the hospitality. The
only idea prevailing was to be rid Of
the money us soon as possible. The
effects showed right Off You could
hear one man telling the folks for
their own good that he was the Old
Missouri River. and when he felt like
swelling his banks 1t was time for
parties who couldn't swim to hunt
the high ground. while the gentleman |
on the next corner let us know that he
was a locomotive carrying 300 pounds |
Of steam with the gauge still climbing
and the blower on. When he whistled |
three times. he said. any intelligent |
man would know that there WAS dam
ger around.
"Wel, sir. put the Old Missouri |
River TO bed that night. and he'd fat
tened ont To n very small streamlet in
deed, while the locomotive went lame /
before supper aud had to be put in |
the roundhouse by n couple Of pushers.
That's the way with fine ideas. Coldf
facts comes and puts a crimp IN them
Once | knew small Teller l could ;
have stuck In my pocket and forgot |
about, but when we went out and took |
several prescriptions together on day |
he spoke to me like this. Red says |
he, put your little hand in mine, and
wen go and take birdseye view Of |
The universe Astonishin' idea, wasn't
n? And him not weighing over hun
dred pound. Howsomever, he didn't
take eny birdseye view of the uni |
verse; He only become strikingly In |
disposed.
-Well. to get back to Boise, you !
never In all your life saw so many
men qand brothers as was gathered
there that day. and old Aggy. he was
enc OF the centers of attraction. That
big voice and black beard was always
where the crowd was thickest and the
wet goods flowing the freest. Gentle
men, says he, let's lift up our voices
n melody That was one Of Ag's de-
usions--he thought he could sing So
four Of 'em got on top Of a billiard
table and presented Rocked In the
Cradle Of the Deep to the company.
which made-me feel glad that hadn't
Been brought up that way. After Ag
Aad hip locked the last low note an
ether song bird volunteered.
This was little fat Dutchman,
with pale blue eyes and mustache
nike two streaks Of darning cotton.
He had come to town to sell pair Of
heef steers, but got drawn into the
Geueral htlaritys and now he didn't
care Z cuss whether he. she or II ever
sold another steer. He got himself on
end and sung Ileeb Tadderlont mox-
true eckstelu' In style that made vou