Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-14

Keeping that steer underneath mo
stead of on top Of me, where he'd
ruther be, and after us the whole
town, whoopin', yellin', craekin' of
six shooters and carryin' on wild.
''Then we had SO and was as good
as anybody. But it didn't last long.
The tin horns come out after pay day
like hoptoadS after a rain. 'Twould
puzzle the government at Washington
to know where they hang out in the
meantime. There was one lad had
face on him with about as much ex-
preston as a hotel punkin pie. He
run an arrow game, and he talked
right straight along in voice that had
no more bends in it than billiard cue.
Heres where you get your three
for one any child may do it no chance
to lose make your bets while the ar
row of fortune swings all gents ac-
commodated in amounts from two bits
to double eagles and bets paid on the
! NAIL says he.
"'Red,' says Aggy, 4 can double our
pile right here. Let me have the
money. I know this game You'd
hardly believe it, but dug up. .Dou-
/ BILE or Quits:' says he to the dealer.
LET her co. says the dealer. The
arrow swung around. Quits says the
dealer and raked in my dough. 1t was
, all over in one second.
II grabbed Aggy by the shoulder
and took him in the corner for pri-
vate talk. 4 thought you knew this
gamer says 1.
81 do says he. That's the way It
! always happens And once more In
my life experienced the peculiar feel
| ing of being altogether at a loss for
words.
"Aggy.' says I at last, I've got a
good notion to lay two violent hands
on you and wind you up like an eight
day clock, but rather than make hard
| feelings between friends I'll refrain.
Besides, You are funny cuss, that's
sure. One thing, boy, you can mark
/ down. We leave here tomorrow morn
ing
"'All right says Ag. This sporting
life Is the very devil. like outdoors
as we'll as the next man, when 1 got
there
so the morrow morning away we
went. All we had for kit was the
F., picks. shovels and pans. The rest of
our belongings was staying with the
hotel man until we made a rise.
Gag said he'd be cussed If he'd walk
A hundred and fifty miles of stroll
was too many.
but we amt got a cent to pay the
stage fare says l.
says he.
mot by a town site.' says l. I'VE
owe him all we're going to at this
very minute. You'll have to hoof it
that's ALL
az tell you 1 won't. 1 don't like II
have anybody walk on my feet, no
even myself. 1 can stand off tina
stage driver so easy that you'll won
der 1 don't take it up as profession
Now, don't raise any more objection:
please don't says he. L can't tel
you how nervous you make me, al
ways finding some fault with every
thing l try to do. That's no way for /:
hired man to act, let alone a pardner
$50 of course he got the best of me
as usual, and we climbed into tn
stage when she come along. Now
our bad luck seemed to hold, becaus
you wouldn't find many men in tina
country who wouldn't stake two fel
lers to a wagon ride wherever the,
wanted to go and be pleasant abou
it. I'd have sure seen that the MAJ
got paid, even if Aggy forgot it, bu
the man that drove us was the surl
est brute that ever growled. Whel
you'd speak to him he'd say, 'Unh'-
style of thing that didn't go we'll il
that part of the country. 1 kept m
mouth shut, as knowing that L didn'
| have tho o0ma nm will, 1roiubod m ~,