Year: 1878

Dancing to a Strange Tune.
A MONG the mad wags attached to the
IA SantaFe Expedition some years ago,
there was not more inveterate getter
up of practical jokes than Capt. H., poor
fellow! he is dead now but the memory
of some of his laughable pranks still
lives.


In the early history of country
whose existence is but of recent date,
Capt. II. was sent by the secretary of
war, on recruiting tour through East
ern Texas. When journeying from place
to place on horse back he CHANGED one
evening to stop at a small tavern, where
he soon discovered that every prepara-
ton was in progress for a ball. Ever
ready and ripe for anything in the shape
of fun or frolic the captain at once re-
solved to put up" at the tavern for the
night and take part in the festivities.


AT the time the circumstances took
place, which we are about to relate,
society was said to be divided into three
distinct classes in Texas. First there
was the aristocracy, or "upper crusts,"
who, from the fact that they wore shoes
and stockings, were by common con-
sent allowed to take precedence in all
matters, of taste, elegance or fashion,
Then came the second, or middle class
an order that wore shoes but were un-
able to go to the expense for stockings.
The third or lower class ''went barefoot"
and ranked below the first mentioned
grades in every respect. Thus was society
divided at the date of this story.


After Capt. II. had "seen to" his
horse and procured his own supper, he
repaired to the ball room. There he
found promiscuous assemblage collect
ed, many of them engaged in the giddy
mazes of cotilions, jigs and country
dances. He noticed, however, that none
other than those who were wearing
shoes and stocking were upon the floor,
and as the evening wore towards mid
night he ascertained that none other
were allowed to take part in the dance
By this time the first society had be-
come wearied with salutary exercise
and relinquished their claim to the next
in rank.


He was another monopoly, for unless
person had shoes upon his or her feet,
such persons would not be allowed upon
the floor. 1t bore heavily upon the
lower orders-the shoeless and stocking
less gentry-but they were compelled to
submit to those arbitrary laws which
always will govern alike in the most
free as in the most despotic countries.


A wooden clock upon the mantel
piece, which had found its way into
Texas in company with some Yankee
pedlar, was striking its little ones before
the middle class became wearied with
dancing, but by the third watch of the
night they had tired themselves down
and manifested willingness to give up
the floor to the next in grade.


But now q dilemma occurred which
entirely spoiled the sport of those who
up to this time had ''no show" what
ever-the fiddler who had been imbibing
rather coplously or whlskey was FOUND
to be so drunk that he could not sit up
on chair, much less draw tune from
his violin. They rolled the drunken
man upon the floor, they stirred him up,
they rubbed his head with vinegar and
they crammed an entire jaI of Under
woods pickles down his throat but all
would not do.


At this juncture, and when the poorer
people had given up all in despair, their
spirits were suddenly elated by an offer
on the part of Capt. III. provided they
could procure him the fiddle, to give
them tune. He knew just about as
much of performing on the violin as a
common negro banjo player does of the
more difficult passages of the Stabat
Mater, but his powers of imitation