Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1914-04-30
Why Carl Becker
Game to America
By LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

III.
MS II stepping on springs, entered the
bar and office rooms and told the land.
lord that he wished to stay with him
| for short time.
My name is Carl Becker. hail
from Cologne, and I'm going to settle
down in this country"
What did you do thar maxim it nee.
essary for you to leave?" drawled the
landlord.
What do? How you know l do
anything?'
"Waal, most of EN- that comes here
have had to light out from whar they
| Gomez
II say noting about why come
from home, except that must spend
year in fortress If stay dare NV
vader he say: Carl, you spend year
in fortress, den you serve your time
III de army, and when you come out
you hat lost good deal of time. Sap
pose you 60 to America. Lots of peo-
pies go to America, and they all get
rich. Vot you say eh?'
II say: 'Vader, l go to America. l
spend de time l spend here and in de
army maxim money, and then come
back to de vaterland and take care of
you and mutter'"
"A good idee." replied the landlord.
what was they goin' to put you in
the fortress for?"
"Vot for dey put me in de fortress?
Ach. think don't talk about dot!''
II reckon It wouldn't make much diff
| ference about here unless it was for
boss stealth. That's about the only
thing they don't like in these parts.
You kin shoot all you like and it's no
body's business but yours, but you take
anybody's boss and if they ketch you
| too short"
"Vot you mean, dance?"
"The hangman's jig
The landlord took young Becker to
| a room and when he returned remark
ed to a few persons who happened to
be present:
"That's the kind we want out here"
Carl Becker was among the higher
grade of emigrants and came not over
in the Storage: instead he came first
class and when he reached Nevada
had $1,000 in his pocket. That was
in the day when silver mining was
new in this region, and new country
is proverbially rough country. The
evening of Mr.. Beeker's, arrival he
| came downstairs with singular look
| ing cap on his head A number of the
rougher element of the country were
| standing at the bar drinking. A man
| with red beard in sheepskin breeches
| happened to turn as Becker entered
the room and fixed his gaze on the
cap.
well, now he remarked, that's
seen in these parts. If it had feather
from a peacock's tail stuck into it il
| would be a dandy ornament for wo-
man"
Becker heard the criticism, and his
lips broke into beautiful smile.
Say, young man." pursued the mai
with the red beard, "whar did you gi,
yer bonnet"'
MY bonnet-ha, ha! You call dot /;
bonnet?''
II axed you whar you got it,
II got dat when vas in de unjver
sity.''
"Phew, the university. You don
mean you've been to colleges"
Yah, Heidelberg"
well, we don't stand no SIGH rain
bow tops as that out yere.'' And tn
speaker, drawing a knife about sixteel
inches long from between his shoulde
blades and catching Mr.. Becker's cal
on it's point, tossed it on to the floor.
A change came over Carl Becker III
stood looking at the man who had RI
moved his cap with an expression o
} serious dignity.
"Pick up my cap" he said, "and 81
it back to me-"
well, like that!' replied the othel
I'D have you know, young man, tina
we don't take orders out here, and W
don't allow young men to wear an
: headgear except the sombrero Of til
country. If you want fair fight 20
shall have it. Reckon you amt arme
or I'd heered from you afore this jim
; give the boy gun or whatever b
likes
The man addressed as Jim thrust
revolver into Carts hand, but he d.
clined it and said he would take
knife such as had been used in the r
!. moval of his cap. A knife the san
: length as the other was handed hir
and he put himself in the posture of
. fencer.
, You got lot of style about 20,
amt your said Becker's opponen
q But before he could finish the your
. German gave him cut in the chez
3 that concentrated his attention on b
Q enemy's knife. He made thrust
+ Becker, but Becker nimbly retreate
}, out of reach, and before his enen
= could recover for another attempt
It received cut on the other chez
4 Then Becker cut of the tip end Of b
It nose. Lastly he gashed his forehea
e and the blood running down into b
q ewes STONED the fight