POKE RECEIVES A CUR'OSITY AND TELLS A YARN. 255 



Potter turned to Mike, and while filling his pipe said — 



"Yer didn't hear tell of that horse-showman when you was 

 up to Pensecolee, did yer ? " 



" Naary," said Mike. 



" His name was D. Villars, ef he didn't lie about it. A thin, 

 black-eyed, razor-nosed cuss. I want to get track of that fellar." 



"What fur?" 



" Wall, he cum it over the boys up there a leetle too strong. 

 He had a sort of show, and advertised that a horse of his would go 

 around the ring on the run while a dog was all the time a-sittin' on 

 his tail. Wall, we all liked horses some, and dogs too, and we all 

 calkelated we 'd go in fur that show. We pinted up our half dollars, 

 and said we 'd see him. The grocery was empty that night, and so 

 ware Gorzalz cock-pit. Jim Lane was thar, and Dusty Jake, one- 

 eyed Bill from St. Mark's, and Captain Spinks and his gaal Lize — 

 Lize that used to be maid on the Nancy Belle when she busted — 

 and a pile of fellars from the coast. 



" That chap raked in a jack-pot o' money that night. Wall, he 

 had a sheepshead-lookin' roan mare with a wicked eye, and a thin 

 tail. When she showed up, we all said that dog can't sit up on 

 that air tail, nohow ! The dog cum in too, and this Villars man 

 raked in the chips from the till into his pocket, and then com- 

 menced to ride around the ring. He rode, and he rode, and he 

 rode, till Jake Billins yelled out for the dog to get up. ' Gentlemin, 

 gentlemin,' said the showman, a-smilin' as a monkey, — ' gentlemin, 

 I beg you will not disturb the ladies.' 



« < We've got enough horse now, show us the dog a-sittin' on his 

 tail,' called out Jake. 



" ' Gentlemin,' said the showman, ' I always fulfil my promises ; 

 I 'm a man of my word ; you have seen my horse go round the 

 ring on a run, and now look there and you see the dog a-sittin' on 

 his tail.' Sure enough the dog was a-sittin' in the middle of the 

 ring on his own stumpy little tail. There was a yell. ' Gentlemin, 

 gentlemin ! ' sez the showman, ' respect the ladies.' He couldn't 

 say more, fur jist then Hell broke loose. The crowd piled over 

 into that ring like a drove of buffalo bulls. Sticks flew, pistols 

 blazed, and the showman on his horse cut out of the back fly of 



