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Show I minnit he kiin in that dow and I sot my eyes on him." - , , . Then he gave me a cordial invitation to call on him whenever 1 come his way, assuring me that he always treated ' a man right when in his place, and I I boarded tho train for Spokane. j W. Q. Benton, ONE OF TllEOLD-TIMERS A Zentuoky-Oalifornian Who Carries Four Bullet Holes Oonoealed in His : Anatomy, , : SOME STAETLIHQ EXPEEIEN0ES. One of Those Old-Tima Stories Richly Elavored With "Twaddlo-" : Notes of IateroBt. Ra Fbancisco, Nov.B. Not long arro 1 had to wait at Wallula Junction for an east bound train a couple of hours. It was late at night, and having left Walla AValla without my dinner I was horrified to find that the lunch had departed that vesy day. The. counter was there, but alasl the cold boiled eggs and traditional sandwiches were nowhere visible. I saw in the dim light of a kerosene lamp an open door some hnndrod rods from the dark station, and over the door the legend was dimly discernible "Saloon." I clambered over railroad tracks and gravel banks to the place. There sat in one comer a group of rough looking men, smoking pipes black with long use aud playing Old Sledge. At another table a group of trackmen were feeding from a plate of cold cabbage cab-bage aud sardines. Two covered tables showed that cowboys occasionally punched the faded ivories around well worn billiard tables, while from the general typical frontier air of the place I saw that ft stranger there would do well to hold his tongue. A battle scarred old man ambled around beliind a dirty bar when I entered. 'I am hungry," I said, "aud called to get a bite of something to eat." "AVal," was the reply, "I reckon wo have .' well nigh everything you kin git auy-where. auy-where. - There's sardines, lobsters, salm-. salm-. on and oysters with crackers too." . I asked for sardines and crackers. The : old man called to on of tho card players, play-ers, "Bill has better eyes tbuu the old man," aud Bill was mustered in as impromptu im-promptu waiter. With a blunt pointed pocket knife Bill cut the top off a tin oan, and with his dirty hands scooped a saucer into a box of crackers, and with a pock marked plate he set the tempting tempt-ing bait before me. I ate and studied the assemblage before me. Hunger being be-ing satisfied, I paid over two bits for my meal. ' "What parts be you from?" asked the old man. "Immediately from California, remotely re-motely from Kentucky," I replied. "Bo ye from Raliforny and Kaintuck both too? Well, do telll If I ain't from both too! Yes, sir. In '50 me an' the old 'oman kira acrost tho plains to Kali-forny. Kali-forny. I was borned at Mayfield, Kain-tucky, Kain-tucky, seventy-nine, year ago comin' September, an' I married Lollitia in the LittleMi ammy.inOhio; an' wo trudged acrost the plains together." ( Then his keen gray eyes filled with tears, and his voice choked up as he said: "Forty-nine year we trod together, and then I lost her. Yes, sir; I lost her, She be doad nigh onto two yoar. . I kirn over here from Kaliforny to my son Jim. Thi3 is my son Jim's place. But it's no use; it's no ijae, sir. 1 can't stan' it much longer without Lellitia." To change the old man's thoughts to a less somber subject I remarked that ho must have seen rough days in his frontier fron-tier life, 't "Wal, now yere shoutin', stranger," lie responded. "I lay I have seen rough ' days;" and pulling open his vest he commanded com-manded that 1 feel his breast and ribs. I did as I was direoted, and thrust my j fingers into, various cavities in his firm muscles. . " "Them be bullet holes, sir. Four times have I bin shot, sir, four times; i but nary a bullet ever entered my back, I sir. No, sir; I faced the muzzle every time, aud took my pills like a gentleman, gentle-man, sir took 'em face to the foe." Four bullet holes the old man carries as proud marks of his bravery. What a story tho tale of his life would make! A story of camping on the overland trail, sleeping with his rifle in his hands, surrounded by wild beasts aud menaced men-aced by hostile red men, through frontier fron-tier mining camp adventures and barroom bar-room broils, down to his fourscore tally on the mile post of time as a hardy pioneer. pio-neer. ; . When I shook his hard old hand to bid him good-by he held my hand a full minute and delivered himself thusly. "Gentlemen, here is a man after my own 6tyle. He is from old Kaintuck, wher they never turn tail nor show the feather. feath-er. Thar's whar I khn from myself, and I kuowed he .war a gentleman the very : ''" . .. i |
