The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1888-04-06

ner, while there were minor cuts and
bruises nearly all over his body. At
the sound of shot, little Jim rushed
from the shack to see Josh, with
smoking pistol in his hand, crawling
away from the still-quivering body of
the dead colt, halt covered with blood
from the cuts of the barbed wire.
Hit was mercy to shoot him.,
Sam said, as supported as we'll as pos
sible by the boy, he made his painful
way to the cabin. Then little Jim
had two invalids on his hands, Sam
managed to drag his ague-enfeebled
form about the room and assist in the
rude dressing of Josh's wounds.
A week, two weeks passed, and still
Josh was unable to do more than to
hobble about the room on a pair of
rude crutches constructed by little Jim.
Three weeks saw him still unable to
leave the house, and the month was
drawing to a close before he could
limp as far as the little hay-thatched
stable.
The work of the two claims fell
heavily upon little Jim, but he strug-
gled along manfully with it. Josh's
stock was driven over to Sans claim,
and the other homestead deserted for
the time being. Some of the furnit-
ure was brought over and the unin-
habited shack looked forlorn, indeed.
Just after Josh had successfully ac-
complished his first trip to the stable,
and after rubbing the noses of the
horses and giving the heifers a "nub-
bling" apiece, had returned to the
house, there came noise at the d DOR
and Hank Bird, unbidden, strobe in.
'tRid over yere to put you on yer
guard" he roared, as loudly as if his
hearers had been several rods instead
of scarce dozen feet away. Gov
ment land office has got word
that right smart O claims
out this away is only bein'
held stead O lived on. Inspector
has ben maxim his rounds fer the last
two days, an to-day he'll be mighty
li'ble to hit your claim, Josh. /
knowed how you was fixed, an lowed
I'd give you warnin'. SOS you could
put somebody on TO the claim to hold
hit. If the inspector found that claim
vacant, stock gone, an part O. the
furniture missin', 'twould take heap
O. argyin' to make him believe you
want jist holdin hit stead o livin'
on hit. -
d" That's fact, reckon" Josh an
swered, as Hank paused for breath.
"But I'm in dickens of fix. What
kin 1 do? Who kin 1 put ON the
CLAMP Jim could 60, but he has to be
yere to tend to things, AM
"rd go fer yc," interrupted Hank,
/" but I'm needed at home. Inspector
might ask some questions bout the
time tuck the whole layout an
moved over into the next county, low
in to let this claim slide, an then came
back an tuck hit up again. If he asst
the woman or Children any questions
they might let hit out, an that would
be goodbye claim But I'll come over
towards night long enough to feed the
stock. an I'll dropin agin in the morn
in. Wall, so long!'
Little Jim had disappeared, but as
Hank Bird left the door the boy rode
up to it, mounted on Sans pony. A
few moments later, he was on the way
to Josh's claim. The pony galloped
briskly along. and the air of the late
autumn day was bracingly cool. Just
as he came in sight of the claim shack
around the slope of the mound, a
moving figure, just coming over the
rise to the northwest attracted his
attention. Although considerable
distance away, the boy was certain
that the figure was not that of one of
the neighboring squatters. His man
ner of walking, and some popularity
of the cut or color of his garments
told that 1t was the inspector, Lit
tie Jim was sure, but what was the
meaning of his walking over the
prairie so far from town? Jim con-
cluded that he must have left his con-
veyance at Hawley's claim, couple
of miles or so beyond the rise, and
was proceeding on foot. perhaps, Tor
exercise.
The pedestrian was somewhat near
er the destination of both than was
little Jim, but a brisk gallop on the
part of the pony would alter matters
and land the boy there many minutes
before the arrival of the other, who
was approaching almost at right an
giles to Jim's course. Then. as little
Jim puckered up his lips to chirp to
the pony, he glanced ahead. At least
a dozen rabbits were in sight, and he
wondered what led them all to 60
scudding away toward the southeast,
where the timber fringed the creek.
Scarce rod before him jack-rabbit
passed, hurrying with prodigious leaps
toward the distant timber. A buzzard,
that but five minutes before had been
lazily circling high above the mound,
was rapidly sailing away toward the
destination of the rabbits. A cloud
appeared to the northwest, and even
as little Jim looked it could be seen
moving upward Five minutes before
it looked a few feet long; now it was
half as long as the mound. Not a
sound came from it. but the cloud
seemed moving up with the speed of a
racer.
1t was plain that the footman did
not know of its existence, for he con-
tinued to stroll onward with his face
to the claim and his back to the cloud.
| Then little jim saw movement of
some small object on the top of the
rise. 1t advanced, AMI, clearly out
| lined against the black Of !iaa clouds