The army mule and other war sketches . by him, however, for they neverfound any trace of levity in his countenance. As hewould say, he did his laughing elsewhere. * One day in midwinter the train stopped at a waystation in the West, and he had five minutes to Nyes roving eye had discovered that the plush-leather pillows of the sofa in the smoking compartmentof the car we were riding in were unattached. Withouta word he picked up the leather cylinders and placedone under each arm, with the tassels to the front. Hewas an invalid in looks as well as in strength, andwhen he appeared upon
The army mule and other war sketches . by him, however, for they neverfound any trace of levity in his countenance. As hewould say, he did his laughing elsewhere. * One day in midwinter the train stopped at a waystation in the West, and he had five minutes to Nyes roving eye had discovered that the plush-leather pillows of the sofa in the smoking compartmentof the car we were riding in were unattached. Withouta word he picked up the leather cylinders and placedone under each arm, with the tassels to the front. Hewas an invalid in looks as well as in strength, andwhen he appeared upon the platform thus equipped theastounded natives watched him with silent, sympatheticcuriosity as he strode up and down, apparently seizing 260 RILEYS STORIES OF BILL NYE the opportunity for a little much-needed exercise. Therest of us had to hide to keep from exploding, but hewas utterly oblivious to the stares and comments untilhe returned to the car. No explanation was vouchsafed,and the primitive inhabitants of that town are proba-. EXERCISING AT THE RAILWAY STA-TION. bly still wondering what horrible malady compelledthat invalid to wear those outlandish cushions. A favorite amusement with him was the reading ofimaginary signs at the stations when we were travel-ing. When the train would stop and that hush wouldcome over the car, with half the people wondering 261 RILEYS STORIES OF BILL NYE who their fellow-passengers were and the other halfviewing the little grocery on the one side, or the sta-tion, restaurant or bill-board on the other, Mr. Njewould break forth and begin to read the bill-boardaloud : Soda water, crackers—highest prices paid forhides and tallow—also ice cream, golden syrup andfeathers. The passengers across the aisle would perktheir ears, then rise and come, craning their necks, tofind the words he was reading from the bill-board, orfinally some old fellow would come up to the seat anddeclare that he could not find where it said that. In aquiet way this
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