Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-05-21

| Crockett would say, eff the mate to
that dead dog didn't take charge of
it's companions remains and drag
them down into that hole out of my
reach. This, as / afterwards learned,
was n particular trait of theirs, but to
me, feeling as l did at that moment,
1t was only another case of .'myste-
rious disappearance"
Well, l had started in to secure
prairie dog and l intended TO do it.
The barrel '.raoket' had played out.
So had everything else. At last, af-
ter my patience was nearly exhaust
ed, l was struck with an idea. so
seldom am l struck with ideas 81 at
this one surprised me. Nevertheless,
the idea was struck with, was an un-
usually brilliant one. Along in the
afternoon, after every strategy had
resorted to was an ignominious fail
ure, discovered prairie dog some
sixty rods away that seemed unaware
of my presence. 1t was quietly feed
ing in the grass. noticed that, at
intervals, it would sit up, take in
general survey of the premises, after
which, feeling satisfied, it would quiz
city drop down and so to feeding
again. I counted the length of time
between those "sit ups" and they av-
eraged in almost every instance just
one minute and fifteen seconds. Now,
here was the idea. To work myself
toward it while the animal was feed
ing; then, while it sat up to inspect its
surroundings, to remain perfectly qui-
ct; when it commenced feeding again
to continue my journey. 1t was my
last resort, so I stretched myself at
full length upon the ground and start
ed in. When the dog would stop to
sit up, I would stop moving; then,
when it began to feed again, I would
forge ahead. In this manner, between
creeping, crawling and rolling [ work
ed myself right up into the affections
of that animal and shot it dead. And,
what seemed the most peculiar, [ Sc
cured it, too; but when the excite
ment was all over, and l began to
take a general survey of myself, l
must say that, without any exaggera-
ton of the facts, I was completely
thunderstruck. From head to foot [
was one solid mass of wild prairie
grass, cactus barbs, sand, and prickly
burrs from species of plant that
would put a New England burdock
l. Ii no,
prairie dog; but-Heavens! at what
sacrifice. For two long hours l
picked, scratched, dug, brushed,
shook and worked at my clothing be-
fore could make myself presentable
enough to associate with tramps. Fin
ally, thoroughly Disguised, I picked
up that dog and my implements of de-
struction and started for town.
The country through which was
passing was divided up and closed in
with barbed wire fences. AS many
of the fields had contained grain, and
as rabbits were very numerous as
we'll as destructive in that community,
the wires of those fences had been
fastened between stakes with cross
pieces of wire which ran down and
were connected with little stakes
driven firmly into the ground This
was to keep the wires from spreading
apart as we'll as to prevent the little
pests from entering the field. 1t was
impossible to climb through those
fences or to crawl under them; and
as most of them extended for miles
and miles across the prairies, about
the only alternative left was to climb
over the top. l had accomplished
this feat several times during the day
and without a single accident; there
fore, when approached one of them
| on nv return to Boulder, it was with
the same confidence in my ability to
climb it, and with the same simple
childlike faith reposed in the strength
of the wires as in all of the other cas-
es. Placing the dead dog and gun on
| the other side of the wires l prepared
to follow them. Just as Ixhad got
one half of me safely over, and was
preparing to launch the other half,
the wire on which I was standing
broke, and = well, if you think there
is any particular pleasure in unex-
pectedly letting your whole heft come
down astride a barbed wire fence,
just try it.
The republican convention for the
second congressional district VIII be
held at White River Junction, Tues
dav. June 10, the day before the state