THE STORYTELLER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 124, 16 May 1908, Page 3

THE STORYTELLER.

the moral man

<By RadcliUe Martin.) The commercial room at the Bull and Anchor was crowded; the majority of the occupants had drawn their chaira round the huge fire, and eat puffing at their pipes. 1 fa A desultory conversation was started travelling trom vivisection to moralitv.' •nd, »hen the hut subject was tion ' Ce ' nU) tte eonversa j

se ,7 rft * ,d with , »'" r aJity uiv«L * a lnoral m "i once.' The speaker was an American. 11,. glanced round the ring ot livelier* to see that all eyes *ere fixed 0 „ | linl , and then began: " Talkii' <rf morality reminds uie ut a monl man. It might have been ei"ht or ten years ,iaee—long before I twk to drumming for the l'acilk Ush Kegister—the brightest notion «ver place.l on the market, gentlemen, and a liberal percentage allowed to drummers who introduce their client* to me—well as I wa» »>a, i »„ at Seven Troughs utjr. It didto t amount to much of a

piaee-a hundred wood shacks an' a tinroof saloon bnt Seven Troughs Citv be .. bo °! ued in Sacramento K« the^ m P' re <-'«ty of the «ol» Kee .State. There'd be three or four hundred in the fity-the toughest crowd 4 fe *' c " inl ", an' some hig;,toaeu American eitizeng. T k "»'l of easy at Seven Irough*. Jlost days someone got «hot, and «e weren't sufficiently settled to ■ave* sheriff, much less Judge Lynch.

Placer-miaiug it all was. You'd locate yourself in a dried-up river bed an' »»«h the sand for alluvial gold. .Sometimes itd pan out well. Then vou'd go *> Jake Sellers, who kept the store and aaloon. lie d sell you bail rye whisky for a pinch of goid-dust a nip, and "«ur at half-an-ouncc of gold-dust a •■•k, and bacon so that a rasher "d cost you about as much as a pig would in Chicago. And if things panned out wrong—well, old Jake d give er.-di-Only he never let a feller get roarin', i %htin' drunk on credit, .lake always •aid he must make some difference be- !

fwetn cash and ereoit customer.-. " Uell, one evening, when we was all in the saloon, there comes the soun 1 Of waggon wheels. We all knew il warn't the mail, which only eauie everv other day. Cept for the mail and JaklSellers' waggon, which brought truck from Yuba City, there warn't much traffic at Seven Troughs. "Thia wa» a strange waggon, an' by the Hide of the driver sat a little mail m store clothes and a plug hat. He looked kind of steered at the crowd which earoe out of Sellers' saloon, an it warn't strange, for it war no Sundayschool. Some of the boys pulled out their ghootere and set to trying to frighten the waggon mule,. The little . man in the phig hat stood up iu the waggon and said serious-like: I

"Friends, I thank you for this kind reception. A# agent for the I'nion Bank of California I can only say it U very gratifying to me. Can anyone direct me to * good hotel or tell me where I can locate temporary!' " There was a roar of laughter when lie asked for a hotel. I took pity on the poor little ctkg an' showed him Old Man Hedges' shanty. Old Man Hedges having stopped a bullet intended for another party, his shanty was vacant. The little man shook me liy the hand and said that I wan tbe true l'rienj of the stranger, and would get rewarded in another world, if not in this. " Then he set to .work with his driver and they toted a lot of truck from the waggon—a safe, a big pair of scales, ani a sign. Before the little man did anything else he fixed up his sign. This was the reading on it: • Inion Bank of California (Seven Troughs City Branch). Xel»on V. Tripp, agent. Cold bought.' "That made a sort of a sensation iu camp. Most of us kind ol surmised that Jake Kellers' way of swopping truck for gold-dust came a bit profitable tu nim. But when you pay in dust you don't niind if prices is a bit loftv.' It comes different when you plank down dollars on a counter. It seemed to me that I'd see what price .Nelson V. Tripp offered for dust before 1 traded any more away to Jake Sellers.

"So neit evening X dropped into the new bank with wnat I'd washed out for that day.

" Little Bank Agent Tripp put on his glawes, tested the dust, and weighed it in his scales.

•"Two ounces,' he says, 'at twenty dollars the ounce—that's forty dollars. ** 'Bully for you.' 1 nays, ' product them greenbacks.' "He stared at me through his big opectacles. " 'Now, my good friend, Be says, • I owe you a debt of obligation. Let me try to repay it. II you take all this money, where'll it go! In whisky-

drinking, poker-playing, and all such evil practices. Let me beseech you to be-

come a depositor here. Youll save your money, get good interest on it, and •bore all not be tempted to profligacy.' " How, I'd come in intending to have 4 bust with all the dollars 1 got from Kelson V. Trip at poker that evening. Bat the little man had a sort of win-

ning tongue. When 1 left that bank I'd two dollars in my pocket and a deposit of thirty-eight dollars to my name. "I was his first customer. 'Red Bill' was his second.

"Now, 'Red Bill,' thinking that the new bank-agent was green goods, bad faked his dust with iron pyrites. The littl« man was on to it like a shot. Jie tested it with acid, and then let out to BUI about his immoral conduct.

""Diu )'e make a deposit. BillT* i " a cent,' said Bill. 'I don't hold •with people hankin" good money. But -the denied little cusg twisted me into fniHng the ioilars to my wife in Sacramento through hie bank. The shock u? gettln' that moneyll about kill her.' "Soon people round that the best prioe for gold was to be had at the Union Baiut. Most of the hilars Tripp •paid out stuck there, for directly he got known he wouldn't buy gold from anyone vfa> hadn't a deposit at the bonk. "Soon Jake Sellers found hie saloon trade dropping off. The lnnk-agent wa» persuading everyone to save their money. Fellers, when a bit frioky in the saloon, would brag as to which had most in the bank, and I've known it «ome to bullets before the swank had finished. Not only was Jake selling less, but his profits on that dropped. He •couldn't charge more'n half-a-dollar without risking his life. Now, if he'd taken the price in dust, he could have charged what he liked. " So, after thinking matters over, old

Jake Sellers did a silly thing. He got desperate and started in to drink his own whisky. At the end of a day's good drunk he was jest ramping wild, and said that he allowed he'd take his shooter and settle the miserable come to ruin Seven Everybody turned out after v to see the fun and part to see fair play. "Well, Jake rampaged aud shouted outalde the bank:

"dome out, yer miserable cum, an' jjet plugged like » man.' "Next minute Nelson V. "Irij j> -'.e ■- (H'd to live door. ~Ah, what a lamentable -peei.i I <, says, shaking his head solemn. *"Cp with yer handr,' shout- -I.tk--. "Quick as lightning the little man slid a revolver from his »ide pmkc;. Before .lake even twigged his game. hj» fired, and the «Hooter flew out of .lake -

hand. "The little man was on it like a flash and grabbed it. "'Dear me, Mr. Sellers,' he «,ays, I | beg your pardon. T only meant to remove the revolver from your band, anil I've l>rok«n your trigger finger. You most excuse me. I'm new to this Lu-i B tsj. I shall improve with practice." «"Xwar a derned good shot,' says Red "'".Take vSellers looked at the little man anil then looked at his broken finger. His mouth opened and shut, but he couldn t say anything. - 'Let me tie that np,' cried Nelson V.

Tripn, ' if it i"ivt bandaged you'll have trouble with it. Mr. Sellers. Conic right in and let me see what I can do.' "Before .lake know quite where he was he was inside the bank and the bank-agent, were tying up his finger aIf he were a doctor. "When he'd finished he says to Mr. Sellers ; , , , , ""Now to tnisitii*s—,what ban >o„ called to see me about? Won't it save 1 you trouble to bank here stead of sendil vour dust to Yuba Oitr and run nine' the ri-k of being held up on the tr «Yon niiivn't believe it. but -Take Selm ;« The verv next a»y he

■bank and beeame a , f „ r "PeoDle talked in Seven 1 rnuali* lor - I .aid it was j-t luck .nd other, lut it «a, a derned fine shot. T» ° h „-l,n „M it were jest luck tried a >»- ' or «. later to oreak mto the ..r-k. Uttle Mr. Tripp heard them as tner

started to force the iloor. lie slips out . of the window at. the I'.uk and conies ! chasing rouud the -li.uk. The men 1 started to run, but lir. Tripp marked em both in the leg. j Next morning, wlieu people aske.l j Air. Iripp ii hed got up at night iu ' shoot jackass rabl.it>. lie says holeinn: • " "There's two men in llu, city wiili j bullets in their calves, and, what's! i worse, guilty coiihcieuces. \ou can get j a bullet out of a calf, but you can't get the -in out oi a conscience." Let this be I a warnin' to those men. Next time hiv ' duty may compel me to shoot at their ! heads, not their calves.' j "Saudy Jack, who u,<<■ walking lame that da>, savs:

j " Iliat.- right, .Mr. Tripp, the man [ who nirhes you 11 caIII all he gets.' '•After tliis N'eUon V. Tripp was left to do his business in peace. l'eoplwere proud to deposit with him. If ever a stranger eauie to Seven Troughs l V"c'. wu , rilt Particular often, ] lc was always taken round to see our straightshooting bank-agent. Xel .- < '" v - '■'"PP was ahvavs sort of specially friendly with me. He'd j .'" e ldea f abo,lt opening a church ? ghs ' and ti,lk ot »'i*lonary work amongst the Chink,-.,.,t it Chmk s had souls like you and me L/hVx? P o9 ' l ' oll in that citv—the ■ict that Nelson V. 'J'npp was friendly | with me, and 1 was quite proud tli.it j ? little cu« 3 got so confidential. I . " day when hi* mail had ! ;est come in, I see the bauK-agcut read- I lug a letter with a sad, *nii iook on ill. * iatv. i

! hat's the trouble? 1 1 savs. '••lhi, j, a wickeu. wicked world.' he s. with a big high. „i" NWlat i l " 1rt " ul '"' tolm <lot ' s >t» wiek.dness take now, Mr. Tripp l ;l , ks curious-like. " -

I have just been warned from SacWhs Cif,. V™"' 1 ""'""K to S—troughs utj to-morrow. Thi fr-.ul tas . b " I 1 running sham banks in the """J"? «m«s. -Vot knowing Uult " am ocated here, he is making for .Seven ? and proposes to set no a branch Irank of the Inion Hanking' Company of California. Then he'll rub j hard working miners of their <-n----|in;. and skedaddle with d„s'.- I In, l'°"r I(,r " 1 sl " )l 'toJ. 'it'll be a ' MMla.v for N.ve„ Trough,. We've m , V ci : l-ad a iyitcliing vet.' -/vn h- 1 " 0 t" 1 !? 11 1 "' ! ' 1 "P nai "'- . 111 have , 10 ne of it. Sir, this man may be a sinner, but he I 'Vi , 7 C "" P" n ' s hnient.' » hat do you propose to do with the skunk, then?' 1 asked. " 'Thv letter tells me that a warrant tins been applied for, and that in a day or two the sheriff will J* on fraU( tr.uk. I propose to keep the fraud her.' ' tr > t« reform him. If he displays true pewtenee, then he may be allowed to go. If he doesn t—then lie must wait tor ius puxushment.' And what if the crowd here start punishing him ? ? I "The little man'.- eyes flashed. protect the sinner from 1 the att&ekii of wicked uien/ I went away to the saloon to spread the news. Jake Sellers listened and , waved hi* hat. !

"To-morrer's the Fourth of July,' he s - Jest the day for a lynching.' ""Tripp's -sot against it—wants to reform him,' 1 savs

"•Jxi'-sw-the fraud* eomiii" t.imorrer,' he says, " well, he'll have to get a lilt on my naggon—there ain't no other way 01 gettin' to Seven Trou»li* •Now, if we go out and meet the wa«»on at the Fork, we can tar and feather the cuss, and then bring him along for -Nelson \. Tripp to reform afterwards. When it's done he can't raise no objections.'

Kverylxxiv shouted at once. It was je-t the sort of thing that suited the boy-. They Wanted the fun. yet no one wanted to ero«- the bank -agent. So it Was agreed that next ilav towards -midown everyone should slide out of the camp to meet Sellers' waggon. '"Next evening there wasn't a human being left in camp Vept Nelson V. Tripp, who wa- reading a good hook liefore lii-< bank door, anil a few I iiinks- it yo.i call thinks human-, and Slack law Pete, "Hlin had delirium tremens bail.

"Aliuit three mile outside the camp the crowd gathered, waiting for the waggon. When she come in sight, .lake Seller*-, being the owner, came forward to do the talking. There was a haughty looking fellow sitting by the driver.

"'Are you troni the I'uion Bank of California ?' asks .lake. " I am. - iy K the. haughty cn-s. "Then Ked Bill, Ireing ><>rt of huinorou-. put a bullet through hi- hat. In liJilt-a-iuintite the crowd had the fraud off the waggon. They'd have lym-Ticd hint instant if they hadn't lunl tiie fear ot N'l Uon V. Tripp on them.

** 'No violence.' sliouts old -lake, 'let's j<'si tar and feather him and take him to Mr. Tripp to be reformed.' "We had tar, but being a primitive surt of ramp we didn't run to feathers. So we tarred the fraud all over and roiled liim in a sand-heap. Then we straddleu him oil a rail and proeeshed liaik to Seven Troughs City. " Well, we stopped Is'fore the .Seven Troughs Bank, and Jake Seller* hollers out:

•"Mr. Tripp, there's a friend of yours here who needs reformin'.' " There came no answer.

"Jake pokes his lieacl in the doorway, and his faee turned as white as the whisky Hush 'ud let it. " 'Why.' lie shouts. ' he's not here, and the safe's open and empty.'

"Jest for a moment or two .we thought that some toughs had rushd tile bank-agent and grabbed the dollars, but then someone saw a note in the safe. "Sellers took it up and read it out:— Fellow Citizens of Seven Troughs City,—During the few days I have lived amongst you, 1 have noticed with pain your lack of care in money matters. To teach you caution and economy 1 judged it best to elope with the shekels. The new bank-agent, who is the genuine article, will explain to you I hat the greenbacks I paid out are fakes. I hope you gave my succewor a warm reception. I saw a tar-bucket going. Considering that the onlv bank I ever ran before was ft faro-bank, 1 think I have made a success of the business. Farewell!— Nelson V. Trim."

••'then we found out from a Chink that directly we had all left camp the brink-agent had taken Jake Seller*' saddle-horse—the only one left in Seven Troughs—and quit by the trail to lx>s Angeles. "That was the niorale-t man [ ever n-et. gentlemen. Now. if a moral mail owes me ten cents. I want him chained up to me."