The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-16
/ JIMMY's RESCUE. !

t.
Captain Mshsm wss bard man with =
soft SPOT mat SOFT spot was his friend
ship for iittls Jimmy Gregg and dated from
the winter when the ciild was lost In the
Nevada sssehrush.
According to the point Of view, the cap-
tain was tho best man or the worst who
ever bossed railroad construction camp.
Ask the leading contractors and they
would tell you that he was an Al man,
who could get more work out of his gang
than any foreman on the line.
In December the camp contained about
20 mon and teams, woman and .
children. The inventory 10 not complete
without including an old rawboned horse,
sort Of camp follower, who snbsisted on
the leavings OF the work mules. He was
owned by Gregg, the boarding master,
who with his wife ministered beef, bacon,
beans, potatoes, bread and coffee thrice q
day to the 40 hungry men.
II wonder" said the captain one day az
he was disciplining this paohyderm- for
sneaking into the feed corral, "why God
Almighty ever made horse when mule
is 50 much better every way. Now, horse
will break doyn II he doesn't have the best
of feed, or go lame Just when you want to
rush the work. But you can rely on
mules Hard work and hard fare exactly
suit them. They'll pull a scraI1r all day
and be fresh enough at night y kick a
driver. With chance to roll over couple
Of times when they quit work, and plenty
Of water to drink, they will never wear
out. ! never saw q man that ever SAW
mule die"
At this time camp was ten miles from
water, upon dry plain carrying no vege-
tation but sparse sagebrush and grease
wood. Water was hauled in tank wagons,
and the old horse, not getting all he need
ed in camp, had learned to follow the
teams to the spring.
One morning, after the gang had break
tasted and gone to work on the grade, and
the tank wagons could be dimly seen
through their own dust on the road to the
spring, Gregg's little 8-year-old son came
out Of the mess tent and crossed over to
the corral, where he often played. The old
horse was there, nosing through the man
gers, and the child presently climbed upon
its back as 1t stood rubbing against wag-
on. The horse paid no heed to his little
rider, and soon ambled off up the road aft
er the water wagons. The child held on
tightly, at first laughing, then crying, I'M
til he had been carried several miles, when
he fell off and wandered away from the
road through the brush.
Jimmy was not missed until the men
came in from the grade for dinner. Then
-toI
through the camp. After dinner Mahem
laid off ten teams and sent the drivers out
to make general search. BY midafter.
noon they returned and reported failure.
Meanwhile Mrs. Gregg, who said She was
perfectly sure Jimmy would not leave
camp, had been through every tent and
overhauled every bed roll, believing that
some man for joke had hidden the boy.
Mahem now took the whole force of 40
men and Joined in the quest. Under his
direction the camp was circled twice at a
distance Of one mile, and every yard of the
way carefully examined for footprints.
None were found, and Mahem said to his
men: "Now your work is cut out for you.
Before dark you've got to look under every
brush inside of this line and you're bound
to find him, for he could not get outside
without making tracks"
This search also was, Of course, fruit
less. Some men came to camp at night
fall others kept moving about the plain
all night, hoping to hear the child cry.
At daybreak the captain was In the sad
die, mounted on his favorite mule. He
still believed the boy must be inside the
circle, If that had been properly made To
clear up that doubt he meant to make the
entire round alone and outside Of the line
rilado by the men. To reach the starting
point he rode out up the road toward the
spring, his eyes on the ground, his mind
on the problem of how Jimmy could get
out of camp and leave no trail.
"By God, I've got it ~ said he suddenly,
jabbing both spurs into the mule, which
responded with gallant attempt to pitch
him into q cactus bed "That boy rode
out on water wagon. His mother is of
wrong in thinking he was in the tent
when the wagons pulled out He must
have hung on to the tail of the last wagon,
and lay low for fear the driver would see
him and send him back. After awhile he
got sleepy and fell off and shall find his
tracks somewhere in this road. Damna-
dayf"
The captain confidently urged his mule
along as fast as scraper mule could be
made to travel. And his confidence was
justified by soon picking up the boys trail
at the point where he fell from the horse.
Abandoning now his mule, Mahem on
foot followed the tortuous trail as rapidly
rs he could locate it. At times this was
quick work. Again, on hard ground it
was n slow and difficult task. Toward |
noon he entirely lost it on q rocky hill, |
and was delayed some hours. So that it |
was near night when he at last found the
boy curled up beside bush.
Jimmy was very much alive, but too |
,old to walk or talk. Mahem wrapped him |
In some Of his own clothing and put a
lew drops Of whisky in his mouth. Whisky |
straight was too strong beverage for the |
,hild, and he ohoked. "Mi'k, mi'k!" he |
,ried family.
Mahem had brought no food with him,
md had nothing to offer him but whisky.
MIX" said Jimmy again.
"All right" said Nlahem, drawing q
clasp knife. "You shall have milk, and he
,apped vein in his own arm, caught the
lood in the cap of his whisky flask, added
! little Bourbon, and gave the starving
,hild liberal draft. Jimmy was much
by this potion, and by mid
night was safely home again and trans
erred from Mahem's to his mother arms,
The boy was able next day to tell some.
hing about his adventure, but the captain
hen and always disputed the boys story
hat he went out Of camp on the back Of
I'D Barney.
"A horse is low down enough to do
rick like that" said he. but horse
lidn't do 1t this time. tell you, know
lie went out on wagon, and found the
pot where he fell off " And that settled It,
what does Jimmy mean by milk"
Isked Mrs. Gregg "He says that when
'ou found him you gave him milk"
HE meant whisky" said Mahcm short
y--ArQopaut