The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-01-06

THE sANCTUM DOOR SWUNG BACK, AND
MR.. HARLE sPOONER ENTERED.
like as we 0 our way to the Kicker
office and sat down to write an edi-
tOrial on the annexation of the United
States to Canada.
We felt a balminess steal over US as
we wrote.
We had thoughts OF raising the sal
airy OF our agricultural editor and Won
dered to ourself if it would spoil his
industrious spirit.
We have kept our horse editor on ST
a week for the last year in order that
he should not be tempted to commit
matrimony. but we wondered now if
the time hadn't come to raise him a
dollar a week and let him become the
head of a family.
Mr.. John Schwartz, the druggist,
came in and called us a liar. but IL
balminess remained.
Mr.. Jerry White, the s%aloonist, drop
, ped in to say that he would riddle our
carcass II we had anything more to
say about him in the Kicker, but we
only laughed and wtnked at him.
1t seemed as If nothing could trOu-
bic us or put us out Of temper, 1t
was one Of those days when one looks
around him and realizes hat this Is a
| good old world and doesn't want to
take chances on the next,
We We're never In better fettle for
writing. We had advanced fifteen
reasons why it would be a good thing
for Canada to get hold Of this coun
try and We're hunting around for the
other fifteen when the sanctum door
swung back and Mr.. Charles Spooner
entered We noticed that he had a
gun in his hand and that there were
signs Of mental excitement In his face.
but as this Is the way with half our
callers we paid no particular atten-
ton to him.
Mr.. Spooner, it should be explained,
landed in Giveadam Gulch about three
months ago, He had watched the
slow but ure approach of that re-
s~istless thing called civilization, and
be had bucked against it. He wanted
old times to stay with us md to keep
the new far away. He looked over
the town, thought the soil was fer.
tile ard hitched his cayuse to the
nearest post The late deceased. as
we must now speak Of him. didn't lose
any time getting to work. He used
his guns right and left to reduce the
next census, and he was soon known
as a %riproarer To do him Justice. he
had Sand-lots of sand.
Drove Him Out of Town.
We are secretary Of the local vigi-
lance committee. The late deceased
was given a fair show to make his
mark. and then it became our painful
duty to notify him in writing to light
out and hit higher attitudes. He re-
fused at first to go, but one night.
after standing on q barrel with 4
noosed rope around his neck for ten
minutes. he changed his mind. He
didn't seem to blame anybody in par.
ticular at that time. but after getting
away he felt Inundated and laid it al!
to us personally. He had now come
for his revenge. but of course we
could not read his mind.
The late deceased opened the inter
view by announcing that if we desired
to kneel in prayer he could spare us
three minutes to ask forgiveness for all
the mean things we had ever done in
our life. We told him that it would
take three weeks to make any sort of
a job OF it. but he refused to see the
humor In our remarks. He her an
n tina no had como n distance
Of a hundred miles to shoot us into the
other land and ordered us to elevate |
u hands. Up they went. ANY editor !
In this part Of the west who is worthy ]