Twenty Years of Hus'lingJohnston, J. P. (James Perry)
General
Twenty Years of Hus'ling
Johnston, J. P. (James Perry)
Business; Johnston, J. P. (James Perry), 1852-
The Doctor began to hop up and down, swearing like a trooper, swinging
his cane and looking at me, and cried out at the very top of his voice:
"Tell the man where we're going, you idiotic fool! You're to blame, and
you ought to have your infernal neck broken. Why don't you tell the man?
Tell him--tell him, you idiot! Great ----! if that train leaves us,
I'll----"
The threat was interrupted by the baggage-man putting his head through
the window and saying:
"There's an Insane Asylum being built at Pontiac. Perhaps that's
where--"
"That's the place--that's where we want to go. Check 'er, check 'er,
check 'er quick!" the Doctor yelled. Then turning to me said:
"There! you infernal fool, now I hope you feel satisfied," and in a low
tone said:
"Look at this crowd of people you have attracted here."
"Well, what's the difference? They'll think I am taking you to the
Insane Asylum, so that lets us out."
"The devil they will! They'll think it's you that's crazy. Didn't I tell
them you were a fool?"
The trunk was put on none too soon, and the Doctor continued to abuse me
to his heart's content during nearly the whole distance.
I was too much pleased to do anything but laugh; and what made it more
ridiculous to me, was that the Doctor could see nothing funny about it,
and never cracked a smile. He kept harping on the undignified position
it had placed him in. I remained quiet, and let him cuss, till at last
he quieted down. A few moments later the conductor passed through the
car, and the Doctor, looking up over his spectacles, said:
"Conductor, aren't we almost to Pocahantas?"
"Almost where?"
"I mean--I mean, well dang it! never mind, never mind," he stammered.
At this, he jumped to his feet, starting for the front car, turned and
looked at me, and while shaking his cane, yelled as he passed out:
"Laugh! you infernal fool, laugh!" And the door slammed.
On arriving at Pontiac, just as the train was stopping I looked into the
front car and saw the Doctor rising from his seat. I opened the door,
and changing the tone of my voice, sang out, "POCAHONTAS!" and dodged
back into the car and took my seat.
The Doctor came out onto the platform, and looking in, saw me sitting
there, apparently asleep.
He opened the door and said:
"Come on, Johnston; we are at Poca--come on--come on, you dang fool;
don't you know where we are?"
I jumped to my feet and went out sleepily, rubbing my eyes, and told him
I was glad he woke me up.
"Yes, I should think you would be; but I was a fool that I didn't let
you stay there. The devil knows where you would have landed."
I suggested that I might have brought up at Pocahontas.
"Great Heavens! don't mention that name to me again."
After registering at the hotel and settling in a room we began
discussing our prospects. But in a few minutes the Doctor said:
"Johnston, we have simply raised the devil."
"How so?"
"Why, do you know, the whole dang Railroad company have got to calling
this town Pocahontas!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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