Evening star., 1907-05-05
/ o


side of about two minutes had him goin' just
right.
Whats your particular line; Joe?'' says l.
"Injuns,' says he tappin' himself on the breast
bone. Il don't cal'late to talk much about it: but
when it comes to Injun fghtin', I'm to home
Didn't know them Bangor Injuns went the
war path often,' says l.
Bangorl" he snorts. Guess you mean Old
town? Wall, them kind don't That's why amt
never had a chance to show what I'm made Of; but
if ever l start west once, after them Si-ox and
Aypaches, you'll hear of things that make yer
Amt tackled any of 'em yet, then?" says l.
NO." says he; but I've read lots about the
cusses in books. See?''
nickel libries, sames you these D. kids and
office boys readin' in the subway trains. Say them
waybackerss get some queer bubbles in their gray y
matter, eh? Here this old rooster, almost old
enough to be a granddaddy, and goin' daffy over
such stuff as that
Well, jolies him along and he pulls the throttle
out you might think he'd caught all the fish and
killed all the game the Maine woods ever produced,
and that when it came to the hero stunts all he
needed was room to swing himself. Compared to
him. Rialto hamfatter admittin how good he was
could be convicted of ben modest.
Next thing Joe does is to open his coat and exhibit
his medals. 1t collection that most covers his
shirt front; and they was all kinds, from Grand
Army badge to silver shield won at turkey shoot.
judged that most of em had been faxed up by city
sports that wanted to string him; but Joe seemed
proud of the lot as if they'd all been presented by
Congress.
It was heap easier to start Joe talkin about him.
self than to switch him off; but at last strikes
the combination.
Il expect Mrs. Pell will be glad to see you,"
HUH he grunts. Il don't want to see no
women"
What's wrong with the 1adies3" says 1.
Don't like 'em,e. says he, and shuts UP like
"oh, guess you'll take to Mrs. Purdy Pell,"
says l.
But that's where want prophet She's
waitin' at the station with the rig but Joe wouldn't
so much as shake hands with her, and when she
moves over to make room for him on the same seat,
he shifts and climbs up alongside the coachman
What delightfully."- odd character he is, says
Mrs Pell to
Hes all of that" says I. Hope you enjoy his
visit"
With that goes back to town, glad enough to get
him off my hands; and when fetches the studio
who should meet comm out but my old side part
ner Leonidas Dodge all rgged out in sporty clothes
and wearin' puff tie with Brazilian diamond
horseshoe almost life size.
Gee, Leonidas!" says 1, "you look like money
was easy and you'd let some Bowery tailor go far
as he liked Why the noisy uniform!
It's part of the business, son" says he.
You amt gone to maxim a book, have your"
I might of known he hadn't He explains that
he's got job managin the Deadwood Dick Wild
West Company, that's gettin together here for an
early start on the Southern circuit But even with
a backer that's willn' performer on the check
It's because the noble red man is gettin' to be
such scarce article" says he. Never saw any
thing like it before in the histry of the tent show
business. Here I am offering forty-hve month,
board and transportation free, and the best do
towards assembn' my troupe of genuine war chiefs,
each and everyone of whom was in the thick of the
fight at Wounded Knee, is to collect scTtbby
bunch of Cattaraugus county basket makers, that
never blanket in their lives and wouldn't
know snake dance from the minuet. Wild, un-
tutored savages, straight from the reservations of
the great West, they're supposed to be: but saw