The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-21

that-if appearances 90 for anything
lit was the Revolutionary war. The
counter in the Office is just at the foot
Of a broad stairway that wanders
| about a good deal before reaching the
floor above. AT either side Of this
broad stairway-the rfght-hand side
going up. and the right-hand side
coming dOwn-the floor thereof was
worn to nigh the danger-line, and, il
! the cause therefore,, this wearing
| away was caused by the feet Of
small army Of colOred bell-hops tot
ing loaded mint-julep glasses up the
stairs and unlOaded ones down, keep
| ing to the right going each way. II
| that was an old-time custom at that
inn-and it probably was-and the
house was as ancient as it seemed,
the treads' of that stairway had
probably been renewed several times
since that house was built. The m. j.
glasses going up, with a couple OF
straws sticking straight up-the load
ed ones-appeared pert and cheerful.
while those coming down seemed sad
and bedraggled, and looked as though
, they had been there" some with q
few pieces of ice and a little water in
the bottom, the foliage wilted and
tired looking. and. usually. one or
both straws much the worse for wear.
As I noticed this continuous going
and coming of greenery 1 was led to
think that, possibly, when Macbeth
got excited at seeing "Birnam Wood"
|. come to Dunsinane," instead
of being in the castle of Dunsinane,
he was in the old Battle House, Mo-
bile. Alabama, U. s. A., and saw the
m. J. squad when business was brisk.
II found out while there what the
price was for m. j.. have now for
gotten. but whatever it was, "de ba h
sah, must have been a little Klon-
olke We were there about twenty
1our nourS, on and on, and aScended
and descended that stairway many
times before we left, but never once,
early or late. going up or coming
down, did we fail to meet from one
to four or five tray-bearers, going up
with loaded and down with unloaded
glasses, SO insistent-I was told-was
the insidious call of the m. j.
On our arrival at Pass Christian on :
Tuesday morning. man standing on |
the platform when our train stopped |
stepped up to Jim and me-we being
the only people who got off there
and asked, BE you-alls the men Mr. |
Austin told me wanted to go a-f1shin' |
today. when you got back from Mo-
bile?"
Yes. and are you the man Mr.. Aus
tin said would meet us here when we |
got back?" we asked.
Yes; gottany eatin'tobacker?
Don't use it, answered.
II don't chew tobacco" said Jim. |
II burn it. Have a cigar"
Don't keer f do said our new |
friend as he accepted Jim's proffered
cigar, which he stuck-the end to |
light-in his mouth, and just as Jim |
said, That's wrong-end-to, my man."
he bit of about two inches, put the |
balance of it in his left-hand pants |
pocket. picked up our two suitcases |
and with. Come along" headed for
the hotel chewin' his "eatin' -tobac- |
kerr and squirting the juice into the |
exact center of about half the knot |
holes of the plank sidewalk as we |
passed along. After he had hit his |
third hole. Jim said to me as we fol- |
lowed after, Pretty good shot, eh?"
At the hotel the man said, IF you |
change yer britches, as I reckon yo' |
don't want to getcher good togs all |
slime" We changed.
With shrimps for bait. the man
rowed us out about an eighth Of q |
mile, cast anchor in about ten feet of |
water, squirted some tobacco juice into |
the water for luck" then calculated, |
Nov go to it," which we proceeded
to do.
Jim and each had an immense
cane pole, our boatman sitting In the
middle seat, where he baited our
we wet a line, Jim asked the man.
Aren't you going to fish. too?"
Wont have time," said he, as he |
handed Jim a baited outfit.
Il live mighty nigh Missouri" |
laughed J. B. as he winked at me-
Jim sat in the bow, yours truly in |
the stern.
By the time the man had handed !
me rod. Jim had something" 1t |
proved to be a shark! 'Twasn't very
big. Before Jim got it off his hook
or the man for himEI landed a fine |
sea trout. Jim's next victim was what ]
the man called "a top-gauant cat
I believe that was its name. 1t had |
fin like a shark, sticking out of it's |
back, and before it was unlocked it |
was covered with slime about an inch |
thick, and the man used a rough bath |
towel which he brought along in order |
to hold it. An eel is covered with |
sandpaper when compared with a t. e. |
catfish. And so it went-every time |
we let down a hook we snagged some
thing different. And all the time. the |
man was telling us of things that had |
happened to fishermen down there. |
Told odd and weird tales of this, that !
and the other. Also of tarpons as big |
as a small whale, when in a playful
MOOD. jumping clear over the heads /
OF folks sitting upright in a boat and |
tending strictly to their business II
was sitting sideways in my seat, with /
my back partly turned toward the |
ID. ROCKEEETTER