Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-09

band-eight strands and the re-
peat fgure-an art that l never could
master.
sat inside with a one-pound pack
age Of smoking tobacco beside me and
newspapers within reach, rolling the
days supply of cigarettes.
Reddy stopped his story long enough
to say. Don't use the Princess Slip
per- kid-that paper burns my tongue
take the Granger; there's plenty of
It."
Well, as was saying, I'd met lot
of the boys up in town this day and
they threw as many as two drinks into
me: 1 know that for certain, because
when we took the parting dose / had
a glass of whisky in both my right
hands and had just twice as many
friends as when I started.
When 1 pulled out for home I felt
mighty good for myself-not exactly
looking for trouble, but not a-going to
dodge it any, either. l was warblins
Idaho" for oil was worth-you know
how pretty l can sing? Cockeyed Pc
terson used to say it made him forget
all his troubles. Because" says he,
you don't notice trifes when a man
bats you over the head with two by
four
Well, I was enjoying everything In
sight, even little drizzle of rain that
was driving by in rags Of wetness
when q f1atfaced swatty at Fort John
son halted me.
Now, it's dreadful thing to be but
ted to death by nanny goat, but for q
full sized cowpuncher to be held up
by a soldier is worse yet.
To say that L was hot under the col
lar don't give you the right idea of
the way l felt.
why, you cross between the last
rose Of summer and bobtailed
flushr' says I, what dyer meant
What's got into you? Get out Of my
daylight. you dog robber, or III WALL
the little horse round your neck like 8
three ringed circus. Come, pull youl
freight"
1t seems that this swatty had beer
chucked out of the third story Of
Frencby's dance emporium by Bront
Thompson, which threw a great re
spect for our profesh into him. Con
sequently he wasn't fresh, like mos
soldiers, but answers me as polite as ,
tin horn gambler on pay day.
Says he: 81 just wanted to tell 70,
that old Frosthead and forty braves
are some'ers between here and you
outfit, with their war paint on ant
blood in their eyes, cayoodling ant
whoopin' fit to beat hell with the blow
er on, and If you get tangled up witt
them / reckon they'll give you a hal
cut and shampoo, to say nothing o
other trimmings. They say they'r
after the Crows, but it's a ten dolla
bill against last years birds mes
that they'll take on any kind of trou
BILE that comes along. Their hearts
mighty bad, they state, and when a
Injun's heart gets spoiled the diseas
Is id catching. You'd better sto
awhile"
Now, cuss old Frosthead and yor
toO.' says 1. eff he comes crow hoI
ping on my reservation I'll kick hi
pantalets on top of his scalp lock-
"All right. pardner," says he. at
your own funeral MY orders was I
halt every one going through. But
amt a whole company, so you ca
have 1t your own way. Only IL you
friends have to take you home in
coal scuttle, don't blame me. Pas
friendw
So 1 went through the officers qua
ters forty miles an hour, letting out
string of yells you might have hear
to the coast. just to show my respe,
for the United States army.
Now this has always been my lucl
Whenever 1 made band wagon pla
somebody's sure to strike me for IN
license, or else, the team goes into I'll
ditch mile farther on, and come o,
about as happy as a small yaller d.
at bobcats caucus.