Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-03-20

Ing, my rar1urr lily hasn't gone of
uu a business trip. As Il matter I'll
fact, he left town night before last
with two-thirtlS Of the money we'd
pulled ont of Il pocket up an Silver
creek n the company OF two ha'I
breed Injuns, Il Chinnman AMI four
more sons Of guns not classified, all
IN such state of hcastly intoXicatlon
that their purpose. route nnd dtStina-
ton are matters of the widest con-
lecture. I've been laying around town
here hating myself to death. thinking
perhaps | could sell some shares In
mine that we'll find yet, II we have
good luck. If you want to 20 wild
eating over the hills AMI far away.
I'm your huckleberry.'
THAT hits me all right says l.
For what | don't know about mining
nobody don't know. When do We
start
This or any other minute says he,
getting up from the table.
Wait TIL | finish up these eggs
says l. And there's Il matter OF one
drink coming to me outside. l may as
We'll put that where 1t won't harm
any one else before we start
"'.lll right. says he. waving his
hand. You'll find me outside, at your
pleasure, sir
Il swallered the rest of my break
FIST whole and hustled out to the bar.
where my friend and the hotel man
was waiting Now I'll take that drink
that's coming. and rather than be
small about 1t I'll buy one for you,
too, and then we're off, says I.
"'You won't do no such thing says
the hotel man. It's n horse on Inc,
and I'll supply the liquor. Mr.. Jones
Is in the play rs 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
lonesomeness 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 I see | needn't have hurried
breakfast so much. More people came
In. l 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
woke UP In the bedroom. should
| like to draw veil over the next two
weeks, but 1t would have to be Il
pretty strong veil to hold It. tried
to keep level with Aggy. but he'd
spend three dollars to my one. and the
| broke within fifteen minutes Of each
| other.
"Wcll. sir, we were a mournful pair
/ to draw to thnt 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- till bimcby We just dripped
melancholy. you might soy. How
somever, we weren't booked for dull
time just yet. That afternoon there
was a great popping Of whips like an
Injun skirmish and into town comes
bull train half n mile long. Twelve
yoke OF bulls to the team; lead, swing
and trail wagons for each. rs big rs
houses ON wheels. yS;; don't see the
like OF that in this country. Down
the street they come. the dust flying.
whips cracking md the lads hollerlng:
Whoa haw. Mary-up there! Wherp!
| Whoa haw"
| "And those fellers had picked up
dry threats walking In the dust: also
they had 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 n 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
VAS 20 dnl"ing the hospitality. The
only idea prevailing was to lie rid OF
the none: :;s 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
OH the next corner let us know that he
was 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 dan
ger around.
well. sir. l put the Old Missouri
River To bed that night, and he'd flat
tened out TO very small streamlct in.
deed, while the locomotive went lame
before supper and had to he put in
the roundhouse by Il couple Of pushers
That's the way with fine Ideas Cold
facts comes and puts n crimp In them
Once knew small Teller l could
have stuck In my pocket md forgot
about, but when we went out and took
several prescriptions together on a day
he spoke TO me like this. Red says
he, put your little hand In mine, and
we'll 20 and take birdseye view of
the universe. AstOnishin' idea, wasn't
1t? And him not weighing over hun
dred pound. HowsOmever, he didn't
take any birdseye view OF the uni.
verse. lie only become strikingly in
disposed.
well. to get back to Boise, you
never In all your life saw so many
men and brothers as was gathered
there that day. and old Aggy, he was
one Of the centers Of attraction. That
big voice and black beard was always
Where the crowd was thickcst and the
wet goods flowing the frecst. Gentle
men,. says he. let's lift up our voices
in melody" That was one Of Ag's de-
lusions-he thought he could sing. So
four of 'cE got OH top of n billiard