Year: 1866

mOS4ultOS OuA Il 0CnucEs


BY BRICK PoMERoY.


Night before last, in order to sleep, we
placed piece of raw beef steak at the
head of our bed. In the morning it was
by the mosquitoes sucked as dry of blood as
on old sponge, and our skin saved at least
two thousand perforations. All about the
room in the morning were mosquitoes, pie
thoric with blood, loaded till they could
not fly. We killed few, but the job was
too sanguinary, SO we left them to their
feast.


Last night, in order to get even with the
serenading devils, we stepped halt pound
fresh beef steak in some old rye whiskey
anu left it Un u plate by the bed. In ten
minutes after the light was extinguished
swarm Of these back biting bill posters
made an advance movement One of them
caressed US sweetly on the nose--he sent
in his bill-there was a slap-a diluted
damn-a' dead mosquitol Soon We heard
tremendous buzzing about the wiskey.
soaked beef


The entire mosquito family come sing
ing in, and such an opera-good Lord de-
liver US ! But they did not disturb rs with
bites-we fell asleep to be awakened in ten
minutes by the worst mosquito concert ed
itor, mortal, devil, angel, divine, Dutch
man or any other man ever listened to.


We raised light, and the greatest show
OF the season .as there TO be seen, Every
mosquito was drunk as blind fiddler, and
such an uproarious night as the long billed
whelps had, never was seen before this
siie of ,Seiah! The worst antics Some
we're playing circus on the plate. One big
fellow, with belly like Falstaf, full Of
blood and whiskey, was dancing juba on
the Bible, while fat friend of his tribe
lay on her back beating the devils dream
on an invisible tamborine with one hind
leg Two more were wrestling on the
foot board of the bed, each with his bill
stuck iast in the timber. Another was
tying the legs of our pants into bow knot
to place about the neck of Anna Dickinson,
which hangs against the washstand, while
another red stomached customer was try.
ing to stand on his head in the wash bowl


All over the room were drunken mos
quitos One long billed, gaunt repres ent
ativc was trying to ram the mucilage bottle
full of newspaper clippings. Another chap
was drilling hole through revolver han
die and singing "My Mary Ann" while
anpther was limping across the window sill
in search of fresh air, to the agonizing
tune OF tramp-tramp-tramp One little
rat of q skect was trying to jam the cock
out of Ben Buffers eye with tooth brush,
as his picture hung in the room beside that
of Kidd the pirate, and lew other thieves.
Another drunken statesman of the mosqui-
to family, reminding us of Zach Chandler,
was talking Russian to lot of drunken
companions as they lay in heap on the
plate, while still another one sat in the
handle Of our bowie knife, doubled up with
cramp on the stomach, and trying 10 unite
his tail with his bill, which seemed like
Lincoln's back bone when Anna Dickinson
said it wanted stiffening. He was sick
looking skeetcr, and died in three minutes
after VIC saw him, her, or it, as the case
may be. Another one combed his hair
with paper of pins, tied piece of white
paper about his neck, pasted five cent in
fernal revenue on his rump, and died like
loyal citizen. A worse behaved set Of
bummers we never saw. They have acted
fearfully. About two thousand lie around
dead, but sadness seemed not to break in
upon their hilarious rioting npon blood and
whiskey. Hall dozen of them sat on our
new hat playing draw poker, using worn.
lozenges for checks, while one of the party
got clean busted by making fifty dollars
blind good to four flush which didn't fill {!
He will be apt to wear cotton socks next
winter and keep away from church colleo
tion day. Six others were trying to hang
one who looked like Copperhcad, to the
corner of match safe, but as they were
drunk and he sober, it is not safe to bet on
his b. ing dangled. They have eaten the
beei--drank the blood and whiskey-drill-
ed the plate full of Loles--and on the cen
tire table organized Son of Malta lodge,
using five cent shinplaster for blanket
in tho act entitled The Elevation of Man."


Another red bellied leader of the Miss
Keeter family had battalion of drunken
burners on the edge of q spittoon watch.
ing him jam fur over coes into bis left