Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 March 1879 — Giving Them Bluff. [ARTICLE]

Giving Them Bluff.

A soggy big' fellow, with a voice as big as a mother’s love, attended by a pop gun sort of a young man. appeared in a Michigan avenue saloon yesterday, and soon started a small riot. The big one refused to pay for what ho drank, and there was talk of bouncing him, when the little fellow took the bar-keeper aside, and explained: “ You see, my big friend here is only giving you bluff. He is got two or three of the worst teeth in his head you ever saw, and they’ve ached night and day . for six weeks. The dentist won’t pull them short of two dollars, and that’s too much. My friend is therefore going around in hopes to getup a tight and have somebody hit him on the jaw and knock those teeth out and save him the two dollars.” The bar-tender saw the point and was satisfied, and the big man was allowed to go out without settling. The same game was worked in another place, and then the pair entered a cigar store. Here the big fellow wanted to ehew everything up, and he could 'hardly keep still while the little onerxplained the tooth-ache business to the cigar man. “If I hit him on the jaw he makes two dollars by the operation, doeahe?” asked the dealer. “Yes, and then he’ll demand damages of you, beside. That’s his game, j ou see.’’ “ Yes, I see,” slowly replied the -dealer, “ but there’s nothing stingy about me. I’d as soon eave him two dollars as not, and if I damage his jaw I'm willing to pay what he asks. Look out, now, rm going for him!” The big fellow was knocked down in no time, and the little one didn't stay to see any more. When the “late deceased” came to his senses, he was lying on %is back in the slush of the gutter, and three or four bootblacks were asking him if his toothache was “ alle gone.” “lam the tarantula of the West!” began the big man as he got up; but after feeling his jaw he started off muttering—“ but I'll save my breath till I git hold of the infant who put me up to this and then skipped!”— Detroit Fne Press. •