Evening star., 1896-02-29

half a dozen or more catching onto those
fine hats the Sioux will spend six months
I hadn't any idea what was going to happen
in the looking for 1t. AS we got close to
one shack we thought we heard sounds in
side. but as we listened fer some time and
heard nothing we thought that the place
didn't have any tenant. Rur we couldn't
take chances then. My pardner he looked
after the window, and went to the front
door, which was the back door and the side
door also.
I walked on my toes and had my carbine
cooked so as to be ready for whatever
might show up. Then I cautiously pushed
the door open with my foot, and as 1 did so
called upon everybody in hearing distance
10 surrender. My carbine commanded the
whoie of the enc room, and was beginning
to feel safe. when there was rush and a
roar that paralyzed me. and the next thing I
remembered was a bullet whistling close to
my left ear as laid on the fiat of my back,
where 1 had been knocked by the collision
For minute l was sure had been shot and
l was feeling kind O. grieved that the troop
should lose so good a man. Then moved
my arms and legs and wriggled around un-
til felt as If 1 might be strong enough to
make camp and live out the remainder of
the day; so made the effort and got on my
feet. When that had been done 1 looked
about me for the band Of hostiles that had
assaulted me, but never an Indian was IN
sight, only big red cow. with the longest
horns 1 ever saw. She was the enemy and
when found that out was so mad that 1
recovered at once. And the shot that was
hred! Twas from my own carbine, which,
being at the full-cock. went off when the
COW bowled me over. My pardner? Oh, he
rode away as hard as he could when he
heard the shot; but he came back bold
enough when he saw the COW. He ought
TO nave had charges put against him for
cowardice in the face of the enemy, but the
charges wouldn't rave amounted to any,
lhing when 1t was known that the enemy
was only a cow. Besides. didn't care to stir
the thing up any. AS long as my pardner
didn't say anything 1 was willing to keep
my mouth shut"
If we had had phonograph along we
might perhaps, have preserved the peals of
laughter that broke forth when the COW
made her appearance in the thrilling mar
rative. Watkins and Huston-two F troop
privates-simply turned themselves loose
and even the sedate chef Isaiah Johnson,
permitted succession of oleaginous and
contagious chuckles to escape him. From
laughing at Lewis story we got to laughing
at the laughing, and the paroxysms were
body-racking and long continued. They
ceased at last, though, and for awhile there
was silence.
How the Snorer Snored.
But not for long. Slowly, smoothly, AMI
with unmistakably artistic effects, there
was developed the Photographic opportunity
of lifetime; in fact, many phonograph
has gone into permanent retirement without
ever having encountered anything half so
worthy of preservation and reproduction
as was that snore. No mere amateur eff
fort, but the finished product of one skilled
in the production of nasal melody of the
sort that was doubtless referred to by Bry-
ant when he wrote:
''The night shall be filled with music"
1t was a symphony, an oratorio a reci-
tative. a ballad, war song, a prayer; the
great organ, a monster chorus and q gi-
gantic orchestra Joined their forces occa-
sionally in the fortissimo passages; the
flute. the harp, the violin and an angelic voice
occasionally produced the solo effects Every
measure told it's story 50 that even the dull
est ear could recognize the descriptive
powers of the operator as scene succeeded
scene.
The sleeper snored.
Down its rugged bed in the depths of the
canon rushed the mighty torrent, laden
with ice cakes that crashed into each other
and tore from the thawing banks huge
masses of auriferously rich soil. Gradually
the stream Widened as the open valley was
reached. The ice melted in the sunshine,
the waters became crystalline; from the
pool bright-speckled trout leaped beneath
the green-leaved willows that overhung
Again the sleeper snored.
Growing defiance at the hornets whose
nest he had inadvertently disturbed big
cinnamon bear climbed the rocky hillside
Occasionally his tremendous weight would
set in motion a stone that water had round
ed thousands of years before Columbus
caused Spain so much trouble by discover
ing Cuba, and the stone would go rattlins
to the inclines foot, jack-rabbit wonder
fngly watching its progress. On the hill
top half a dozen deer browsed peacefully
under the personal supervision of a sage
hen perched on the upper branch Of a scrag-
gy cedar.
Once more the sleeper snored.
Mingled with the crash of carnine e-fire and
the screams of the Hotchkiss guns We're the
yels of Indians. the shouts of a maddaned
soldiery. the cries of wounded men, the means |
of the departing. From the INDIAN village |
great sheets of fame swept across the |
little stretch of prairie while beyond the |
creek could be heard the pattering of q |
thousand pony-hoofs as a dozen troopers
cut out the red mans herd, and thus COM
PEELED him to fight on foot without much
hope of escape.
Once again that snore.
With Prncticed Skill.
Along a mountain trail string of
freighters' wagons rumbled and bumped |
Some of the axles needed grease. but there |
was evidently none to spare, for they kept
on needing it, Once In while the rattling
of harness would suddenly increase. and
then the rude harsh voices of teamsters |
would sound on the summer air like unto |
the voices Of men given to excessive pro- |
family. The Suppliant tones of one Nor |
mon asking another to lend him a bite of |