Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1914-04-17
By LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

| LANDLORD.
what l do? How you know 1 do
anything?"
WAL most of 'em that comes here
have had to light out from whar they
come"
II say noting about why l come
from home, except that l must spend
year in fortress If stay dare. My
vader he say: Carl, you spend a year
In fortress, den you serve your time
In de army, and when you come out
you haf lost a good deal of time. Sup
pose you go to America. Lots Of peo-
pies go to America, and they all get
rich. Vot you say, ehT
Il say: 'Vader, l go to America. l
spend de time I spend here and in de
army maxim money, and then l come
back to de raterland 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 l don't talk about dot"
81 reckon 1t wouldn't make much diff
ference about here unless 1t was for
boss stealin'. 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
you'll have to dance wharf.-the grass is
too short"
"Not YOU mean, dance?"
"The hangman's jig"
The landlord took young Becker to
a room and when he returned remark
ed to 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 Steerage 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 a new country
is proverbially n rough country The
evening of Mr.. Beckers arrival he
came downstairs with Il singular look
ing cap on his head. y 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 rs Becker entered
the room and fixed his gaze on the
cap.
"Well, now" he remarked. that's
the purtiest piece of headgear | ever
seen in these parts. If it had feather
from a peacock's tail stuck into it it
would be dandy ornament for a wo-
man"
Becker heard the criticism, and his
! lips broke into beautiful smile.
Say, young man." pursued the man
with the red beard, "whar did you git
yer bonnet?"
"My bonnet-ha, ha! You call dot a
bonnet"
II axed you whar you got it."
81 got dat when l vas in de univer.
sity."
"Phew, the university! You don't
mean you've been to college,"
Yah, Heidelberg"
well, we don't stand no SIGH rain
bow tops as that out we're" And the
speaker, drawing a knife about sixteen
inches long from between his shoulder
blades and catching Mr.. Beckers cap
on its point, tossed it on to the floor.
A change came over Carl Becker. He
stood looking at the man who had re-
moved his cap with an expression of
serious dignity.
"Pick up my cap" he said, land gif
1t back to me-"
"Well, like that!' replied the other.
I'D have you know, young man, that
we don't take orders out here, and we
don't allow young men to wear any
! headgear except the sombrero Of the
country. II you want a fair fight you
shall have 1t. Reckon you amt armed
or I'd heered from you afore this. Jim,
give the boy a gun or whatever he
likes"
The man addressed as Jim thrust
revolver into Carls hand, but he de-
clined 1t and said he would take
knife such as had been used in the re-
moval OF his cap. A knife the same
length as the other was handed him,
and he put himself in the posture Of a
fencer.
"You got lot of style about you,
amt yOu?" said Beckers opponent.
But before he could finish the young
German gave him n cut in the cheek
that concentrated his attention on his
enemy's knife. He made thrust at
Becker, but Becker nimbly retreated
out of reach, and before his enemy
could recover for another attempt he
received cut on the other cheek.
Then Becker cut off the tip end Of his
nose. Lastly he gashed his forehead,
and the blood running down into his
eyes stopped the fight.
"Whar did you learn to handle a
knife like that? asked the landlord OF
Becker
II learned dat at the university. 1
vas champion Of my corps"