The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-12-02

Naseby in the small of the back ussif IA
felt life oozing out of him.
In delirium of delight the other
officers insisted that Naseby didn't
know how to ride anything more vio>
lent than Greek fishing skiff on the
Sacramento river, and they insisted on
showing him how the thing should be
done. Grissette, coming from Fort
Robinson, obtained the great favor Of
the next mount, and as the remaining
two soldier men yelled encouragement
and directions at him Naseby under his
breath begged Crary to keep still about
the horrible truth of the horrible beast.
s'It is an honor" he said, ito be
thrown and butchered up by a vicious
horse, but to be battered up and down
like pebble in a child's rattle by q
thunderous, clumsy beast that wouldn't
run away if dynamite was exploded
under it is to be guilty of conduct UNI
becoming an officer and gentleman.
Oh, of all the torturing things of this
life, that load of equine lumber is the
worst. Hi, Grissette:" aloud, don't give
him too much head or he'll get away
and you'll find yourself Mazeppaing
over into the Wind river country"
Lieut.. Grissette laughed scornfully,
and dug his spurs into the beasts
flank. They disappeared out to east
ward. "I'll bet eight dollars his hip
bones are up under his ears in quar-
Ter of an hour" Naseby groaned in con-
fidential tones to Crary. The latter re-
fused to take the bet. The other two
military men set themselves about
making their companions comfortable.
cheerfully promising Nascby that his
broken leg should be reset in three
hours. and his ribs, fractured by the
spirited horse when it stood upon him,
should be dug out and trimmed prompt
ly. ut is all the fortunes of war, old
boy" said Henderson, of Douglas.
'"Think what fame it will be for you
to go lolling around the post with a
pack of broken bones, received while
On duty at the front. / envy you.
Only you must let me give you some
lessons in Workmanship before you try
any more of these unknown and fiery
mountain beasts. They are wild as
lightning streaks."
Naseby and Crary thought of the
rumbling, slow, stupid old crate of
bones which they had ridden, and
"Hello!" yelled Henderson. There's
Grissctte. Wounded, tool"
There is no need to tell of the lie of
Grissette. 1t was simply irreproach-
able, and Naseby and Crazy. looking at
each other, were ashamed of the paltry
and weak tales they had told. And
when an hour later they picked up
Henderson and Benswick mounted and
cheerily rode away, Henderson scared
in the mountain clouds of fiction to de-
scribe the wicked spirit of the horse,
while every man of them excepting the
untried Benswick knew the animal had
simply hobbled along just out of view
of the stage. And Benswick! It is
distressing to guess what his thoughts
must have been. He realized perfectly
well that the four others had lied about
their fearful experiences and had mere
ly been shaken and rocked into human
pulp, and yet he swore positively that
the mount had stood upon it's head and
had turned three somersaults in the
air before picking him up in it's teeth
and shaking him like corn-popper.
II can ride lively horses, but this one
is too lively he said sadly, and hinied
about a dislocated collarbone, a caved-
in skull and broken arm.
They all agreed that it would be suicide
for anyone to try to master that ami
NAL, so they all squeezed into the stage
and left it to follow if it should choose.
Did tell you that, although there were
comfortable seats, every man of them
seemed to prefer resting on his knees?
They were proud men, those four
officers, and although each knew the
other was vilely lying yet they all per-
sistently told and retold of their hurts,
and when they got to the main body it
was odd to see how every one of them
insisted that some other fellow was the
worst sufferer and ought to go first to
the surgeon, and how finally, in Spartan
fortitude, they all decided to bear their
injuries without medical assistance.
This is the first time the history of
the case has been recited, but when next
anyone remarks in your hearing that
no soldier or officer was injured in the
course of the Jackson's Hole campaign,
you tell him he is mistaken.
War is indeed terrible thing.-Chi-
cago Record.
Humbugs Among Animals.
One who has deeply studied the
habits of animals has discovered that
Al