Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1892-03-11

thc edT-spilluuR yen drowned the
brnzen notes Of the band and then died
away. The crowd was too anxious 10
see Sheridan 90 waste any more time
in splitting its lungs into iibers
The carriage was within twenty five
feet Of me when was startled by
hearing a strangely familiar voice on
my right cry out:
"Phill oh, Philw
turned and recognized 'Old Blink. "
A little more haggard and bent, a
/ little longer and grayer locked, with
his great cleaning eyes shining like
| twin stars, the mascot of Del Norte
stood leaning forward in the crowd,
among which he lowered like an aged
giant, waving his Icing, gaunt arms
wildly at the passing carriage There
] was a hungry appeal in the voice that
bordered upon supplicaton and caused
/ hundreds of eyes TO turn from the
carriage and its distinguished occupant
| to the strange-looking speaker.
"Phil! oh, phill"
Gen sheridan heard the cry this
| time, and, looking quickly around, be-
gan 10 scan the massed faces as IL
6ththAiiAE AbA 1RlAAt bhts
"Phil! Phil! It's me; it's Binkl" and
again the arms OF the old tramp went
into the air like the sails of a wind
mill lie had caught sheridan's eye.
And then the Denver populace wit
messed something it did not under
stand, and about which IL talked for
weeks 1t saw Gen. Sheridan stop the
carriage, leap quickly 10 the street,
force his way through the crowd, place
his arms around the neck of our un-
kempt old tramp and kiss him fair in
the face Then he led the miserable
looking tramp TO the crTiage. placed
him beside himself and the parade
was resumed. Every body who wit
messed the scene accepted as an ex-
planation the statement that IL was
one of Sher;lan's old soldiers, but /,
who had listened to and laughed to
scorn "Old Buh's' story NJ the camp
fire in the Sirrias san Juan, knew bet
ter. knew that Binchley was the
man who had given Sheridan TO his
tory George and Phi met again.
What passed between them must be
written 10y other pens than mine.
know only what know.
Several days afterwarl | again met
"Old Blink" Sheridan and his staff
had returned 70 Chicago. Blink wore a
new suit Of clothes but looked as II he
was just recovering from a protracted
debauch In answer to my look of
surprise and inquiry he explained;
"No. | wouldn't go back east with
him. He gave me stake and I've
blowed most of il in already. ! amt
fit to associate with Phil any more no
how, and amt going to disgrace hin.
He wanted me to go home with him,
but | couldn't live there Pm off for
the Mines tomorrow. Phirs all right
and old Bink's' all right, and SO
what's the diff erence?"
He turned his eyes in wistful way
toward purple bank of clouds resting
on the far-off peaks of the Rockies,
and noticed that he had aged rapidly
since had known him in the San Juan
region. 10 further questions he gaze
evasive answers, and we parted.
never saw "Old Blink" again.
year aad a half ago was again in
Colorado after an absence of fourteen
years. ] had been engaged in invesSi-
eating the stability of a large dam be-
ing erected on the headquarters of Cher
ry creek, about thirty miles south of
Denver, near the summit of the divide,
and was returning To Castle Rock sta
tion late IN the evening accompanied
by citizen of the lattar place. Our
route lay over the high hog back OF
divide between Cherry and Willow
creeks, and our ponies mude slow prog
ress. We had reached the top Of the
descent leading down mile or more
to the little mountain village. The
sun was just setting behind Grays
peak to the south, and forty miles dis.
tant Pixies peak stood lonely in its
grandeur, thrusting an icy finger far
upward into the regions of eternal
frost Directly opposite the outer
slopes of the Musquito range lay con-
cealed In mist and shadow, while .
thousand feet below ran the waters Of
Willow creek. To the right Of our
trail and directly overhanging the mar
row valley Castle rock rose, naked and
grim, like a giant anvil, five hundred
feet in the air. II overlooked the foot
NUS Apl ihAltn hiOulAAAi anu haAA HNNA
its name to the railroad hamlet nestled
at its base. The grandeur of tho scene
had made us both silent for u time, bus
Just as we rounded an escarpment Of
the huge rock my guide and companion
broke the spell;
"Do you see that grave over there
Just under the rock?'
"Yes; what of it2" | was in no mood
for talking.
"Queer duck planted over there.
Buried by the town as paupeN
Tramped into Castle Rock one day last
summer and just took down and died
Queer old duck. Whisky and morphine
did him up"
Lots of fellows 90 that way. Moth
ing queer about that" ! replied.
"Yes; but he was no fool, and some
times he'd talk like scholar And
then he'd keep insistin that he had
rich chummies. Guess he was weak in
his upper story Morphine had clean
ct his brains up ! set up with him
one night jst before he passed In his
chips, and he all at onct set up in bed
and hollers OUT Phil oh, Phill' 50
pitiful like that | felt sorry for the old
tramp. 'Spect IL was some brother or
pard or something. lie died next day.
and we found fotygraph Of mill
tary-lOokin' chap in his pocket II was
SO greasy and dirty we couldn't tell
who IL was"
ibid the tramp give his nameP" lex
citedly inquired.
'He said II was old Blink and that's
all. Did you know him?"
"Yes," replied, as ! dismounted
from my pony and stood beside the un-
marked grave. THE man whose body
lies here made Gen Sheridan. ."--ronA
H. Cannon, In Washington Star.
In Utica brewery the iron nozzle
OF hose used in steaming out barrels
was accidentally dropped into a keg
and the keg was filed with beer Some
time afterwafd customer reported
that he had received one key OF iron