St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-14

nOrSeS, Sald La Maltfe. lneSe are
mighty big bones"
Before we go back. fellers. we want
to decide exactly what we're goin' to
do,n said Abe Hale. "Benson, Rogers
and Dawson better stand at the head Of
the main staircase on the third floor,
and Smith and Thompson at the back
stars, all five ready to throw down onto
the second floor. lie Maitre and | will
stand on the fire escape ready to heave
our bones through the window. Byers.
you sneak down to the power house and
turn off the electric light When the
light goes out We'll all begin to pelt."
what are Dalton, Harris and me
goin' to do?' asked Blackburn.
You're goin' to run home and go to
bed before we start. We don't want
you three little fellers along. Slide
now.'
And the three small boys did start,
but they did not go beyond clump OF
bushes near by, and when the others
had passed they emerged and returned
to tile place of bones.
"My gracious" suddenly said Black
burn to his companions. whats thlS?"
The little fellow was digging and Dry-
ing at a huge white object which was
partly covered by driftWOOd and sand,
dllu ny QlllG VI pulling
ly extricated great skull.
"What kind of horse had skull like
that? It's big enough to be an ele-
plants SKULL" said Dalton.
81 tell you what" exclaimed Harris,
we'll carry that skull along and stay
down OH the first floor with it, and when
the bones are thrown we'll watch to see
if Campbell runs out. and il he does
We'll cut in and lay this skull on his
bed, and when he sees it he will be
scared to death.''
Nine o'clock and no sound had dis
turbed the peace that reigned III the
barracks.
Instructor Campbell sat in his rooms,
three letters lying on the table before
HIN. He had read them many times
before this: now he was bordering upon
their contents.
One was from the superintendent OF
the academy. telling him that his salary
of $500 a year would be reduced to $3.50
for the next school session. Another
was from the president of the university
where he had graduated the year be
fore, offering him a fellowship in geol
ogy, with salary of 800 a year.
The third was miSerably WOrded
epistle, informing him that the boys
=
hide tore OFF, if he dared to stay at the
academy another year.
Glad enough would he have been to
accept the university fellowship in ge-
oIogy. His life at the academy was de-
cidedlY unpleasant. 1t seemed TO him
as if all the iucOrrigible boys III the
Southwest were enrolled in that mill
tary school.
He was certain that the fellowship
would lead to all instructorship. and the
instructorship to professorsnip. But
he had promised to assist his old father
OH mortgage which would fall due the
next year, and the salary OF 500 would
not enable him to do this
IT he only had SUN OF money to tide
him over one year at the university, he
would tine next year be earning a larger
salary and one sufficient for his needs.
Two or three hundred dollars would
open to him the life of great possible
tiles; but he could not get it, and he felt
himself condemned to the same old
drudgery at the academy.
All at once the light went out over
his head, and a storm Of missiles
smashed through the window. He heard
the crash of other missiles in the pas
sageway without.
He stepped out of range of the win
dow and waited. He knew that to rush
into the passage would be to run the
risk OF being struck, and also utterly
useless as far as any hope of catching
the miScreantS was concerned. The
throwing could not last beyond two or
three volleys.
After that his duty would be to in
spect the rooms Of suspicious characters
in search of unexpended ammunition.
When the throwing ceased he opened
his door and started out, forgetting the
hail was dark. He returned to light a
lamp, and was feeling for match, when
he heard tlp-toeing steps creak along the
hall, pause before his doorway, then
enter. -
He quickly struck match, and the
light fell on the startled faces of Harris,
Dalton and Blackburn, just as they had
dropped on his bed some strange white
object.
Approaching the bed. the teacher
started in surprise. "Wen," said he,
"whdt in the name of glory is this? If
Pm not digger Indian, it's the skull of
mastodon. Boys, where did you get
this? Hello. here is some more of him."
and Campbell picked up some of the
bones that had been thrown through the
window.
The story of the horse burial place
was related, and Campbell learned that
bones, not rocks, had been the missiles
hurled about the barracks.
gu make a proposition to you fell
lows" he said pleasantly, after a mo-
ments thought.
''If you will 60 around the barracks
and pick up all the bones ard bring
them in here, and then go with me and
show ne where you foand them, so that
| can get the rest, l'll promise not to
report you"
The three young imps gladly accepted
the offer, and in twenty minutes In
Structor Campbell had in his room con-
siderable part Of the skeleton of a
mastodon.
Wen go after the other bones in the
morning." he said, kindly. "You may
go now, boys"
The wondering lads filed out, and the
instructor came very near executing a
war dance as the door closed on their
heels.
"rhat skeleton is worth thousand
dollars if it is worth cent, and Pll ac-
cept the fellowship in geology"
SO, though Abe Hale's bone party did
bring about Instructor Campbelfs de-
parture from the Gascoigne Military
academy, it was not precisely in the
fashion A be Hale had intended.