The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-02-24
ODE
Blue Moon
"a Tale of the FlatWoOds

history. The one-eyed fisherman
chucked his hat up in the air ana
yelled--a lusty cheer, in which the
crowd joined. One would have thought
that each man there had sold Blue
Moon--or found one.
The Pearlhunter fell a good deal as
the crowd seemed to feel--a loosenlng
of the tension. For that matter. the
fat little buyer seemed to feel some
thing of the same relief. Caught up In
the crowd, both buyer and seller were
swept across the road and into the ex-
pectant door of the Mud Hen.
The Pearlhunter had just Twenty-Five
dollars and twenty-seven cents In ms
pocket. He had counted it that morn
ing while waiting for Louie Solomon 10
come. 1t was the last cent after pay
ing his mothers funeral expenses. he
threw q pocket-worn twenty-dollar Dill
on the bar and motioned to the crowd.
Make it good whisky he said. mo
squirrel goes this round"
He couldn't have made better
speech for the occasion. The crowd
cheered. The little Jew said some
thing, but it couldn't be heard. me
bartender set out long row of glasses.
The river men grew suddenly quiet
with the gurgle of the filling.
Each man picked up glass ana
stood waiting until every other man
was served. The crowd was too occu-
pied to notice it. but the Pearlhunters
knees were fairly shaking under him;
his face set and pale. He was about
to do the hardest thing he had ever
tackled in his life, even harder than
mentioning money to the Wild Rose.
He picked up his glass: set 1t down
pushed it back.
water for mine!''
To a man, the crowd whirled and
stared. Louie Solomon swore.
"vot iss!' he said. "You make 1t
foolishness?"
NO." was the slow answer. I'm
off this for keeps"
"H-l!" growled the one-eyed fisher
man. "Since't when did y'u quit?''
"Yesterday-about SHUTDOWN.
He raised his glass and clinked with
Louie Solomon-the aristocratic bour-
bon against the Flatwoods spring-and
drank the celebration of his great day
in a glass of water. The others were
too busy just then, or cared too little,
to press the point, or take the trouble
to wonder just what and what all he
meant by "yesterday--about shutdown y
Louie Solomon set his glass down
with a bang.
1Himmel! Dot don'dt shtruck bot
tom yet. It vas all soaked up in mine
throat Already. Fill 'em up ag'in, all
hands roundt. Undt dis one ISIS on
Louie.
"Where iss mine friendt vot trim
from me twenty-t'ree dollar?' Louie
asked, feeling his vest pocket, as ne
had done probably a score of times
since crossing the street.
"Oh, he went up the Yellow branch
| this afternoon to look at some timber
options" the bartender answered.
"Tell I'm mebbe he come by de camp
t'night undt Gift me chance to git II
back my twenty-t'ree dollar"
ssI'll tell him when he comes in"
The bartender wiped off the bar. The
Pearlhunter was already out on the
sidewalk, where the Jew soon joined
| him, and they walked together down to
| the white skiff. The three rowers were
still in their places, glum as their EN-.
/ plOyer was yoluble.
It was well toward evening when
| they pulled UP to the landing at which
the houseboat lay. Louie gave careful
| directions where to build the fire, and
followed the Pearlhunter up through