The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-04

And you at once turned around
and said that while you and a COM
panion were out in the Rocky noun
tains hunting, a forest fire took place
at night. You knew nothing about
it until the tent was burning over your
heads. The other man had already
Suffocated, but you rolled out of the
flames and ran seven miles. Then
you stopped to draw a long breath,
and you found that your eyebrows had
been singed off, your ears blistered,
your hair turned to brick color, and
the soles of your shoes burned through
in seven different places. You had
just started to run another seven miles
when a huge grizzly bear approached
you and laid down upon the ground
that you might mount to his back.
You did so, and he carried you to
safety and licked your burned ears
before he passed from sight. You told
that story, Mr.. Bowser, didn't you?"
Il did," he calmly replied.
Il was looking at our callers as you
related it, and their faces told me that
well, I can't help that
1T was one evening about four
weeks ago that Mr.. Bascomb and his
wife called. He and you got to talk
ing about the war and he said that
during the Civil war he captured nine
of the enemy with only a club in his
hand, and was made an officer for so
doing. He told that, didn't he, Mr..
BowSer?''
Il should say he did,
And then you had to have your in
nings. You related that during the
Boer war you were commander of
British nan-of-war. At daylight one
morning as you were cruising around
you saw Boer warship three or four
miles away. She also saw you, and
endeavored to escape but you put on
steam and overhauled her. She run
up the white flag of surrender, but
you paid no attention to it. and opened
fire with your $50 great guns. She
went to the bottom in five minutes,
carrying with her her crew of 1000
men. Not one of the poor fellows es-
capedi You were made Admiral Bow
ser for your great gallantry. Mr..
Bowser, you reeled that story off as if
you were telling about digging a
woodchuck out of his hole
Yes. it was easy work. he half
yawned.
But do you think that either one
the story? In fact you had only be-
gun it when / saw Bascomb wink at
his wife. He kept up the winking all
through it, and three or four times
she had to make great efforts to
choke back her giggles and her tit
ters'
But why did he wink and she want
to giggle ?" asked Mr.. Bowser.
''I'll tell you why. Both of them
knew that you were not in the Boer
war. That the Beers had no war
ships. That no man-of-war ever car
ried a crew above a thousand men.
Mr.. Bowser your story contained three
of the most whopping lies I ever
heard"
+'Oh, don't know about that"
lone evening about two weeks ago.
said Mrs. Bowser after looking at him
in establishment, "our neighbors, Mr..
and Mrs. Green came in for a game
of cards. We were just ready to sit
down at the table when Mr.. Green
mentioned the fact that he had just
met that day that man who had saved
his life some thirty years ago. AS a
boy Mr.. Green had gone out to skate
on small lake. He had been skating
about three-quarters of an hour when
a large wolf came out of the forest
and began to pursue him. The pursuit
had lasted nearly an hour, and the
boy was about to fall from exhaustion
when the man spoken of came along
with his dog and the wolf was fright
ened away. Mr.. Bowser did you tell
a story to match Mr. Green %
Most certainly" he answered.
Yes, you did, and Mr.. Green began
laughing as soon you started in.
He seemed to understand that there
was a whopper coming, and he was
right. You said that wnen you were