The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1883-09-29
THE BAD BOZ.
Prom PEcKs Sru.

boy with the ague. thought you
couldn't get out Of bed, you haven't
been around for nearly a week"
20, the ngue's played out. l
guess they run out Of quinine in
this town wlileI was sick. Anyhow,
they fired nearly a barrel of it
down my neck" replied the boy
helping himself to an apple.
II heard your father was arrest
ed last Saturday. WHAT'S the trou-
blel" asked the groccrynan as he
closed II Jew gate at Tie end of the
ounter he had made TO keep the
oy away from the sugar bin.
well, he did come e being
run in, sure, and | guess he would
if it hadn't been for me. You see
ma has been sick ever since she
went into the deacon's cellar to
draw cider and met with a skunk,
so she told pa if he would get q
couple of good fat hens, she would
try and make a pot-pie for Sunday,
as she felt her health failing, and if
her appetite didn't improve she
would go hence, whatever that
means So that evening pa started
out after hens. He was too late to
get dressed ones, SO he got two
live ones from the market and
started home. Me and my chum
were layin' tor him, and when he
got about half way home it common
ced to rain and he started on a
run SO as to not get wet. We
followed and met a policeman and
told him that we saw a man steal
two hens, and pointed pa out as
the man. The policeman started
after him and yelled at him to
halt, but pa did not hear him,
Pretty soon pa saw some one was
chasing him, and thought it was a
robber, SO he ran all the harder.
Then the policeman pulled out his
revolver and fired to scare pa, just
as one of tho hens got her wings
loose and Hoped it in pas eye. Pa
dropped with a groan and said: Pm
shot. Tell my wife died happy
Then q crowd got around him and
was going to hang the policeman,
but he swore the shot came from
across the street, for he saw two
men run, and said he didn't carry
a revolver, anyway, and the crowd
might search him. But | saw him
throw it over in ayard and me and
my chum got it next morning.
When pa found he wasn't dead,
he called for a stretcher to be ar
ricd home to die with his family.
While some of the crowd went for
= st~rctcler, the rest began to exam
inc him to find where the bullet
went in, and when they couldn't
find it, he got up offered to lick
any mar that said lie wasn't shot.
just then, another policeman came
in and said he recognized pa as
Chicago Bill a notorious safe
robber, and that q reward was
offered for him. Pa said he was an
honest man and agreed to 60 back
10 market with the chickens and
be identified. They found only
one of the chickens, but the market
man kne : pa and fixed it, and then
the policeman began to beg pas
pardon and gave pa five dollars to
keep still about it. When pa got
home he told how he had helped
to catch a safe-blower and when
he got his share of the reward she
should have a new seal-skin
sacque."
Your father'll kill you some
day. But what about the fuss at
the deacon's night before Iast!'
asked the groceryman, as he picked
the hy-specks off from a lot of ma
pie sugar he was putting away tor
new maple sugar next spring.
II heard the whole church was
mad at each other over a grab-bag,
and the presiding elder had all he
could do to quiet things down"
That don't amount to much,'
replied the boy. There's always
something turns up when socials
first start in. You see, ma was
appointed a committee to fix up a
grabbing. Ne and my chum were
digging bait that morning to &c
fishing, when pa came out and said,
'Hennery, | believe you put ny
that chicken job on me, and don't
bell eve anything but hard work
will reform you. l want you &c
spade up the ground under the
currant bushes l asked himifhe
wanted a hump-backed, disfgured
boy, made SO by hard work. Pa
said he would risk the hump, and
told me to pitch in, and then went