Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-16
HORSES ON A LARK.
Released by the Fire Alarm They
Take a Run Over the Prairie.
From tie Deneer Tribune.

From TIE DenCer Tribune.
Confusion ranged supreme at police
headquarters on Thursday at midnight.
Tom and Charlie, the gray patrol horses,
haG run away. 1t is just possible that
| they designed their outing as a joke on
Driver Griffin, whose night it was to be
on duty; but another and more popular
theory runs to the effect that Charlie, the
new gray horse purchased a snort time
since to take the place of poor old Billy,
who was disabled, is OF a slightly vicious
turn, and had slyly induced sober old
| Tom, who had not been out of service for
| four years, to Join him in kind of go-as
| you-please picnic, which was to extend
over an uncertain area of prairie not
specified by Charlie in the plans laid
down for the expedition.
| 1t will be readily seen that Tom was
posed for the old dog Tray variety OF char
acter in this little drama, and that Char
lie, with the madness of youth coursing
through his veins, was cast for the part of
| the tempter, and lost no time in leading
poor old Tom astray. Certain it is that
at midnight on Thursday, when eVery-
thing was silent as the grave, Tom and
Charlie were standing in their stalls at
either side OF the patrol wagon, winking
and blinking in simulated drowsIness.
when an officer happening in, and think
| ing the air III the stable very impure
opened the small door in which a man
has to stoop in order to effect an exit. In
another moment there was signal
! turned In from an alarm box, the horses
| began to stamp and paw, and Officer Grit
| fin, the driver, leaped into his seat on the
wagon and asked quickly through
the tube where the patrol was wanted.
In another instant he had received his
instructions, settled down into the seat
ana picked up the lines, when, LOT there
was not a horse in sight. Here was a
state of thin4s. What could have hap.
penedS Where was sober old Tom?
Where was brisk young Charlie? Surely
they mad not made their escape at that
small door, where the aperture was not
more than large enough TO admit child
with anything like ease.
All these thoughts flashed through the
drivers mind at once, ana Tor the first in
| slant he was thoroughly nonpluss ed
Then he saw the humor Of the thing aud
began to laugh. He saw that the shrewd
Denver police force had been outwitted
Dv two horses, and his mirth made his
| stable ring with merriment. But there
was no time 10 be lost. Other horses must
be mad for the patrol wagon, and Tom
and Charlie must be sought Immediately.
Then Officers snyder, Holland, Griffin,
DIhuNs murray anu AleAs Nclanb
mounted horses and went out on
hunt for the missing animals, laughing
over their own discontinue, and
thinking they would certainly over
take the runaways at a short dis
lance from the city hall. But the
officers recKoned without their hosts. or
perhaps without an intimate knowledge
of Charities ability in the line OF running
away. They hardly got track of the fec
lug animals, and having rode hard until
daybreak returned 10 headquarters and
sent out another force OF men. ltappeafs
that several officers who were standing
near the alarm box where the signal had
been turned in, mad observed Tom and
Charlie in their mad flight, but had been
quite unable TO stay their fieeting steps,
or even 10 arrest their speed for an in
slant. The fact was plain. Tom and
Charlie were out on lark. The irk-
someness OF office had grown too much
! for them They longed TO cool their heels