Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-03-22

- i xr-- .@I!Ese.a
81 NEVER COULD TILL STORY TO ORDER. y
trouble, EFFORT double They say 1t over ani
over Let's tell Stories
Suppose we do ted limited number
said McArdle, ''and draw lots for the envi
able opportunity
81 never could tell story to ORDER" sale
Holmes.
McArdle had already taken out his note
book; he cut slips into his hat.
''Put the shadow of subject on those
fatal papers," urged Gurley, $50 the vic
tins may have straw to cling tor
''Good," said McArdle, sharpening his
pencil ''Subjects are in order"
"Injunsv' spoke up Nose.
1.-THE thought of bein' scalped is wakenin'
to Mose," remarked Adam.
''Give us something pathetic-with tears
in it," proposed Tom Holmes, with COM
Portable smile.
''Indians-Tears," voted McArdle lone
more will do''
Something about the North, then," said
Gurley, tipping his head to look up at the
dark sky. ANY other point of the compass
would do as well, but the ichens on the
north side of this tree spoke first
"Very WELL" said McArdle, and he arose
and carried around his hat for the drawing
''The Indians have me- confessed Gurley.
Sand I've drawn the North" said Phoebe.
"But who has drawn tears!" inquired Nc
Ardle, looking carefully around.
''This fellow will draw blisters,'' ex-
claimed Adam. dragging his brothers shoe
from the Goals. He'd burn himself to
ashes, and set smokin two or three days
before he found it out, if l didn't look after
him.
J Nose struck out at his brother with fist
which revealed the third penciled slip
''Come, Noses" said Gurley; ''let's have
the mellowing story first
/ ''Oh, git out" mutsered Nose, in discom-
fort
''Some short and simple tale,'' added
Holmes; ''only let it be calculated to touch
the heart
''Oh, git out" repeated Nose, twisting I'M
easily.
eff you have tears prepare to shed them
now," quoted McArdle.
'Oh, blame it, git out,'' growled Nose,
| looking helplessly on all sides of him.
"If you can't do nothing else cry little,''
! suggested Adam, secure in having drawn a
blank
"Here, Nose, give me your hat for for
feit," said Phoebe White You'll redeem
it some way. They shan't drive you to tears
while / am by. 1t is Mr.. Gurley's turn"
Nose gladly gave up his hat. and curling
his shaggy head nearer the fire, prepared
for unlimited baslling.
This is sudden" said Gurley. ''But give
me your attention and will endeayor to fol-
low the war-path."
Adam or his sister kept skimming the
thick strip, and the sound of the skinner
on the sides, or the stirrer on the bottom, of
the kettle was Gurley's accompaniment.
"Only few miles from the place where
we now sit,' said he, "thcro is, as you all
know, mound so ancient that the aborigi-
mes of this country could give no account of
it. Trees Of centuries growth spring from
it, and it is believed to be the work of an ex-
tinct race''
"He's stealing bodily from pioneer pa
pers," sighed Tom Holmes. ''Mose, bring
US pitcher of fresh sugar-water. We all
love that mound 1t has been written about
and photographed, but we like to rest our
selves from it occasionally We couldn't
keep house without that mound, but when
you attempt to give it to us for an Indian
story, Jack, you are taking mean advant-
age of local weakness
"Only few miles from the place where
we now Sit" repeated Gurley, with deaf
expression of countenance, 'there is a
mound so ancient that the aborigines of this
country could give no account of it. Trees
Of centuries growth spring from it, and it is
believed to be the work of an extinct race
That ought to give me fair start unless the
judges persist in ringing me back"
The Gurleys were always horsey,"
commented Tom. "But could stand turf
talk better than can quotations from old
pioneer papers,"
"Not many years ago the speaker was a
youth who had a Familiar, and this Famil-
lar, instead Of being such a mentor as his
age ought to have made him, acted rather
as q tempter."
''Tempt mulsh Gurley!" murmured
Tom Holmes.
Mexican relics and Aztec tradition inter-
ested us greatly, and we laid up heaps of
knowledge: only, one of us became positive
that this old mound was merely burial
place of the native Indi ms, and the other
became eq;;lly positive that it was of more
ancient origin.
"After long quarreling we decided to dig
until we found proofs to satisfy US. But as
the law protected that mound from curious
investigation, we decided to say nothing
about our intentions, but to go quietly there
in the night with pick and spade, and avoid
disturbing people.
at was fall, and hardly leaf remained
on the signing trees Rugged my coat col
Lar up to my ears, not because l was cold
but because the weirdness Of the woods and
season drove one in on himself We found
the spot previously agreed upon, and both Of
US fell to work, digging straight downward.
Our sllde-lantern was shut up and set at hand
to flash on our discoveries. Before long we
stood to our waists in the hole, and then to
our armpits. The Familiar, being corpulent
and lazy, now climbed out and said he would
hold up the lantern"
"This story is a contemplate poor per-
formance." continued Tom Holmes.
ut grows better as it gets on" promised
Gurley. THE lazy, fat Familiar. l said,
opened the lantern slide and fatigued him
self throwing light into the hole while I
threw dirt out And presently the metal
struck something which rang in response.
The Familiar squatted in excitement and
Kissed directions over my painting head,
threatening me with his lantern because
did not upheave the whole find at once
The spade scooped great head over: and
1t continued turning slowly as if by it's own
will The top of a helmet, on which I had
been clinking, remained intact, but the lower
part broke away and an under jaw fell from
its ancient repose, shedding teeth on the
spade with the rattle of over-ripe peas.
1--WE were wrapped in the emotions of the
discoverer. I stopped down and took hold
of the helmet, and I can still feel its pe-
culiar metallic thrill. The skull was pi-
gantic. We turned it in the lantern light
The ashen front head had delicacy Of text
ure which was almost inf a MT like
"But you amt tellin' about In'juns," COM