The army mule and other war sketches . all of it. Nye replied with great composure : In view of thegreat size of the hall, said he, I was about to con-gratulate the audience upon the foresight of the man-agers in securing a speaker for each end. The house howled with delight and the applausebeat back upon the obstreperous interrupter with suchforce that it drove him from the hall. After this epi-sode Nye was always a great favorite in that city andwas recalled there many times. Mr. Nye was a fatalist—not a complaining one, buta fatalist no less, and with considerable occasion. Hewas pursued by
The army mule and other war sketches . all of it. Nye replied with great composure : In view of thegreat size of the hall, said he, I was about to con-gratulate the audience upon the foresight of the man-agers in securing a speaker for each end. The house howled with delight and the applausebeat back upon the obstreperous interrupter with suchforce that it drove him from the hall. After this epi-sode Nye was always a great favorite in that city andwas recalled there many times. Mr. Nye was a fatalist—not a complaining one, buta fatalist no less, and with considerable occasion. Hewas pursued by a spirit of the perverse. Unexpected,trying things were always happening that seemed es-pecially in line to test his patience. Indeed, I wassometimes jealous of him, for these things seemed to 265 RILEYS STORIES OF BILL NYE occur with greater force and persistence to him thanto me. I had frequently remarked upon the persistent re-currence of the number thirteen with me during oneof our trips in the South, but this was one supersti-. A CLOSE SHAVE. tion at which Nje scoffed. He told me that at thenext hotel we struck if I objected to being incarcer-ated in No. 13 he would risk it once. And not longafter I found myself registered for that fatal number ;wherepon I promptly informed Mr. Nye that I shouldhold him to his promise. I remember I had a handfulof mail I was very anxious to see, but I would not 266 RILEYS STORIES OF BILL NYE open it until I had got another room. Nye declaredhe wanted to first size up the room he had been as-signed to, and went on down the hall with the land-lord. He soon returned with the remark that he couldnot lose much and walked into the thirteen room andset his grip down, returning to where I waited in thehall outside. He had not more than got out of thedoor when the heavy transom fell with a crash. Hewas convinced that that transom had been waiting forhim for years. Mr. Nye was an invalid, but again, as it wouldseem, it was the perversity of fate
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