“Well,” said the landlord, “you see I keep the other to collect with.”
Having but a few “short bits” in his pocket our Comstocker, after getting his dinner, concluded to shoulder his carpet-bag and jog along. Speaking of short bits: A “hoodlum” went into a cigar store in Virginia City one day, and after getting a “bit” cigar, laid a dime on the counter and picked up a twenty-five cent piece which he saw lying there, saying as he walked off: “Just the change!”
The astonished shop-keeper gazed at the lone bit, then at his box of cigars, and then in the direction taken by the young sharper. At last he said: “Vell, now, how dat vas? Dat vas make der right schange, sure; but it look to me like it vas make em de wrong vay somehow. Vell, de next time what dare comes a bargain like dese, I make der schange mineselfs. Ven effery fool what come to der store make schange, it soon schpiles der piziness!”
The saloon-keepers as well as the keepers of restaurants have some very amiable gentlemen to deal with occasionally, but more frequently such as are “on the beat.”
One evening a tall wild-looking fellow rushed into a first-class saloon apparently in a terrible state of excitement. Throwing his hat on the counter he said to the bar-keeper: “There’ll be the biggest row here in about a minute that ever you saw! Give me a drink quick!”
The bar-keeper set out the bottle, and while the fellow was helping himself, looked under the bar to see that his six-shooter was all right and his club handy.
Leaving his hat on the bar, the fellow ran to the door, looked out, then rushed back and said: “Yes; in less than half a minute there’ll be a devil of a time here! Give me another drink, quick!” And seizing the bottle he helped himself to another rousing horn. He then took up his hat and was coolly marching away, when the bar-keeper called after him: “See here you fellow there! What’s all this about a row? Do you know you haven’t paid me for those drinks!”
“There you go!” said the fellow.
“Well, and there you don’t go until you pay for your drinks. Come back here or I’ll give you a taste of my club!”
“There you go again! Didn’t I say there’d be a fearful row here in about a minute? I knew it; and there you go!”