THE REGENERATION OF EAGLE BAR. 



A. L. VERMILYA. 



As was certain to have happened sooner 

 or later, a copy of Recreation had arrived 

 at Eagle Bar, and stopped at the Gilded 

 Glory saloon, where, in the course of 

 events, everything that filtered into this 

 little mining camp at last brought up. 1 his 

 magazine, however, had come direct over 

 the 40 miles of stage road, and without 

 anv hesitation or side excursions, had jour- 

 neyed straight to the Glory, where, on the 

 evening in question, it was causing con- 

 siderable discussion and excitement 



Sandy Scones had discovered it at a 

 book-store in Tucson, and seeing therein 

 2 pictures which reminded him forcib y of 

 the banks and braes of bonny Scotland 

 had bought it for about 6 prices. That 

 evening he had taken his prize over to the 

 Glory, and after dilating on the pictures, 

 which, he declared, did not after all quite 

 eaual the scenery of his beloved and had 

 handed the magazine over to Bill Kush- 

 commonly known as Coyote Bill, or tne 

 Covote— to read to the crowd. 

 ~ It lacked but 2 weeks till Christmas, and 

 the bovs had met to discuss ways and 

 means for celebrating the day in a fitting 

 manner. Books or papers were rarely seen 

 at Eagle Bar; and when the Coyote, who 

 for some imaginary reason was looked up 

 to as the scholar par excellence of the 

 camp, seated himself beside a faro table 

 and began to read, he gathered about him 

 a most attentive audience. The 2 kerosene 

 lamps, with their tin shades, cast a yellow, 

 sickly glare over the room, while the si- 

 lence was unbroken save for the voice of 

 the reader or the occasional shuffling of 

 feet as some listener changed his position. 



The Coyote read 2 stories which were 

 roundly applauded by the crowd. He read 

 sundry articles on various topics which the 

 miners discussed with varying opinions. 

 The arguments of the tenderfeet were, 

 however, too much for these devotees of 

 the 6-shooter, and excited their wildest 

 mirth and derision. 



"I tell you, boys," said Nosey Blake, 

 who was an important personage in the 

 camp by virtue of his ownership of the 

 Gilded Glory, "that 'ere .30-caliber busi- 

 ness which Coyote has been readin' us 

 about makes me some sick;" and to ward 

 off further indisposition he took a deep 

 draught from one of the bottles before him. 

 "I say most decided that anything short of 

 a .44 is a d n humbug. But them fel- 

 lers what uses such triflin' we'pons as rifles 

 and shot guns probably don't know no bet- 

 ter. Jumpin' Texas! what sort of stuff 

 would they write if they should get hold of 

 a real 6-shooter?" 



The Coyote read on with but slight in- 

 terruptions from his audience, who smoked 

 and listened. At last he appeared to run 

 against a snag. His brow clouded, though 

 he still read on, but silently, while the 

 crowd anxiously waited for him to resume 

 his reading in an audible tone. At last 

 he raised his clenched fist, and, bringing it 

 down on the table with a crash, said: 



"Wal, I'm dished regardless! Boys, be 

 we livin' in free Ameriky, or in — in — Egypt 

 or some other oppressed land? Looky 

 here!" and he proceeded to read to his au- 

 dience how a certain lawless shooter had 

 been heavily fined for killing a robin, and 

 how the editor of the publication from 

 which he was reading gloried in the fact, 

 and boldly declared that the offender's 

 punishment had been much too light. 



"What!" exclaimed Nosey, "all that jest 

 for one little, measly little bird not as big 

 as my fist? Now I call that gettin' down 

 pretty fine! Where is this here literary 

 product got up, and who does it?" 



The Coyote, who was rather proud of 

 his elocutionary powers, scowled at this in- 

 terruption, but scanned the cover intently 

 a moment, and then gruffly answered the 

 questions. 



He again proceeded in a tone of great 

 disgust to read the editor's objection to 

 side-hunts and other illegitimate methods 

 of taking game; how it was proposed to 

 limit the bag of game or catch of fish, 

 and sundry other points; to all of which 

 objections were made in the strongest 

 terms. 



It might seem that the excitement and 

 indignation of the miners was out of all 

 proportion to the provocation, and so, in- 

 deed, it was. It must be remembered, 

 however, that in isolated regions like Ea- 

 gle Bar, where interest is self-centered and 

 where no means are at hand for communi- 

 cation with the outside world or for broad- 

 ening the mind, men become extremely 

 jealous of what they term their "rights," 

 and are quick to resent anything which it 

 seems to them has a tendency to abridge 

 these privileges, no matter if they are 

 detrimental to the rights of others. So 

 it was there, and these rude men probably 

 believed at the time they were moved by 

 the same spirit that actuated those stub- 

 born sticklers for rights who participated 

 in the Boston Tea Party of long ago. 



At last the Coyote laid down the maga- 

 zine, and in a determined voice said, 



"Boys, this here is a matter which calls 

 for our attention some prompt; an' I'm 

 glad this disgustin' specimen of print has 

 happened where we could see it. We don't 



103 



