Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1891 — Making a Bluff. [ARTICLE]

Making a Bluff.

New York Sun. At about noon, as I was journeying on horseback through North Dakota, I came to a farm house which

looked yery dilapidated, but whict might furnish a comfortable dinner, nevertheless. It seemed at first tc be deserted, buj after a while a bareheaded, coatless man answered my knocks and asked what was wanted. When-I told him he replied: ‘"Stranger, I’m sorry, but I can’t accommodate you. My wife is down with the chills. ” -. “Too bad.”

“And my oldest gal has got the jumping toothache. Just Jumped her clean over a chair.” “That’s hard lines." “And the other gal has been in bed three weeks with a thorn in her foot.” “I’m sorry/ “And I’ve got my every-other-day ager shake on or I- would cook something for you myself.” “Things seems to be going hard with you,” I suggested. “You’ve hit it stranger” he said, as he sat down on the doorstep and indulged in a long shiver. “The land ain’t what I thought it was.” “No?” “And I’ve had three crops fail on me.” _ “And some of us have been sick every day since we came into the State. Bam burned up last month.” “Did, eh?” “And some one run off my horses and wagon last week.” “I declare!” “And I’m dead broke and nothing in the house to eat except corn meal. “Well, well! Weren’t you discouraged?” “Tetotally.” “And why don’t you pull up stakes and leave?’!... “That’s it, stranger, why don’t I? I know I orter, and the old woman says I orter, but Tm/bangm’ on for a bluff.” “How’s that?”

“Eastern man got a mortgage for SBOO on this outfit, which aint worth S6OO, and I’m hangin’ on to bluff him into giving me SSO to vacate and travel. I’ve writ him if he won’t do it we ll all die in the house and haunt the ranch forever more, but he’s slow in making up his mind. Ever see a feller shake worse than I do stranger? It’s seven miles to the next house, and the old woman is hollering for water, and that jumping gal is jumping with another spell of toothache. Excuse haste, stranger, and keep straight on and you’ll fetch up at Brown’s”