The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-03-17
TUERAT'SOMNFA
iF He HAD KEPT his HEAD He
WOULDN'T HAVE GEE2 KILLED.

sim fa AhIiitbIc. l3tI tLft small 10y
Would Have :.l..rd Lots rr run.
The boy SIT On tie Zig box. kicking Is
heels asains. til si5ts. l. vas j apst
ttunpv hey. with an abundance q
f~recllles held over fln,n summer, Tn
box was an ordinary l3c#ifs aoA. j
stood on the sidewalk in front Of tic
Walton luiliiue in Franklin street. ncsr
where the StE;h avenue elevated rupl
crosses. Unarrneath the lmx i long.
lean, gray he1ehisherea raj had taken ult
temporary quarters.
The rat WAS in bad luCh IN the first
place Il sneai;y looking dog. dToopy as IL
tail. a mon@rel of the kind termed val
Ter" was launging about. nosing in the
gutter and yearning for al opportunity
to display the deviltry comnlon To his
kind. Behind the rat refuge in "A door
way IA pretty young worna was talking
to a much infatuated George" An eld-
erly and important looking parsonage.
wearing gold mounted eyeglasses and
carrying a gold headed cane, had just
made an imposing descent from the ele-
vatea station and was promenading lei
surely toward the box. A cart horse at
tached to a truck stood in front of a sa-
loon rear by waiting for the driver to
come ont. All was calm ard peaceful.
Then the rat came on the scene.
The first to see him was the boy. He
jumped off the box. and the rat started
out toward the station with the boy in
hot chase. Thi, aroused the dog. who.
with a howl of anticipated sport. joined
in the pursuit The fugitive made
straight for the elderly parsonage. The
boy was a fairly good second and the
dog a close third. The parsonage. be.
coming aware that something was com.
ing his way. glanced over the top of the
gold mounted eyeglasses.
Hi. there yelled the boy. Hes
comm your way. Head i'm off. Swatb-
er i'm one with tn stick"
The old gentleman ~,swathered." He
missed the rat and hit the boy on the
shins. The boy gave a slrill whoop. lay
down on the walk and wept.
Did it hurt you::" inquired the owner
of the cane.
That made the boy SO angry that he
stopped crying.
OAb y u AK III Ito"lta III III
eous wrath. did it hurt me! You OF
gold headed snooper. How'd Won like il
eff | dubbed yer bloomin Oh shins with a
Vaughn spoke: What'd you say eff a ia,
headed cove Hi. Here he comes back.
Grab i'm! Turn i'm back! Hit i'm
when he goes by"
The rat had doubled OH his track and
was flying up the street again with the
dog several PAGES behind. In between
the feet Of the parsonage lodged the rat.
The dog cssayed to follow by the sans
route and got tangled up with the feet.
Down came the parsonage, his gold
headed cane flying in one direction and
his gold trimmed spectacles in another.
Then and there he offered a few remarks
that wrung from the boy an admirinS
tribute. Gosh" said he. you can cuss,'
In the meantime the rat was OF kis
way up the street. and the pretty young
woman who with her George had
emerged from the doorway, was walking
down the street engaged in conversation
"Yes. he was just as nice about it as
he could be: said it wasn't any trouble
at all. He said Oh! O-w-w-w-w!
George. E-e-e-e-e-e-e! It's a rat, Help!
It's coming this way. E-e-e-e-e-e! Help
me up on this box. Yes. I'm all right
now. but Oh. George. do you suppose
he can climb up here? E-e-e-e-e-e! Don't
let him climb up here Oh l shall Odd
die.'
George let out a terrific kick that
landed in the stomach of the pursuing
dog. By way OF retaliation the dog
took off part of one leg from Georges
trousers. and fed across the street howl
ing ~dislnally until it came to the cart
horse. Apparently connecting that ami
ma with his misfortunes. the dog nib
bled at its hind leg. The horse snorted
and ran down the street with the track
Gathering after. The rat, instead Of tax.
ing this chance of escape, rushed fran
eically across the street and back again,
with the boy, who had come up. followed
By the parsonage. hot on the trail. The
parsonage was regarding with undis-
guised admiration the pretty girl, who,
with garments gathered and held up
lightly in one hand, was standing on
tiptoe on the box viewing the chase.
George was looking at hts trousers.
The owner of the truck came out OF
the saloon in time to see his property
rafting down the street. As he started
after it, leaving a trail of profanity be-
hind him, a gaunt cat sauntered out of
the saloon. Before the teamster had |
caught his horse the cat had pounced on
the rat and put an end to him. Then the
dog avenged his woes by catching her
by the back Of the neck and shaking the
life out Of her. The boy hit the dog
with a brick on general principles. Then
he returned to the parsonage, the box, |
George. and the pretty young woman.
The latter was saying:
.sOh, dear! | was SO scared. l hope
J. Oh, George, did l hold my dress up
20 very high? Please say l didn't. That
horrid old man with the eyeglasses"
why, of course you didn't" said
GoorOo Dromnflv Tho Oir1 IoScoDdoN