A WESTERN statesman, in one of his tours in the Far West, stopped all
night at a house, where he was put in the same room with a number of
strangers. He was very much annoyed by the snoring of two persons. The
black boy of the hotel entered the room, when our narrator said to him:
"Ben, I will give you five dollars if you will kill that man next to me
who snores so dreadfully."
"Can't kill him for five dollars, but if massa will advance on the
price, I'll try what I can do."
By this time the stranger had ceased his nasal fury. The other was now
to be quieted. So stepping to him he woke him, and said:
"My friend, [he knew who he was,] you're talking in your sleep, and
exposing all the secrets of the Brandon Bank, [he was a director,] you
had better be careful."
He was careful, for he did not go to sleep that night.