Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-06-10
A BURGLARS YARN.

dllcI CdCh N6IId uuSy WILL pau
my first visit" he said shortly anc
pumped himself down into his chair
before the fire.
"Ohp
"Aye; took off many on us.
"And your"
'Me. Oh, he We're vera guild friend
to me, We're Yaller Jack. Aye, I've
nowt but kind words for him. "
Never before had heard the praises
Of yellow fever sung But Archie is
original if ne is anything at all.
sit were in this way:
AS usual, were nearly always in
hot water with my obstinate temper
and my willful ways.
''The cat and me was we'll acquainted,
likewise the dark cell, likewise cheens
and rings likewise bread and water.
Things was gettin to vera bad
pass when Jack come to my rescue.
"But it were vera hard for a man tc
keep out O. difficulties
"I'll tell you about Nat the stock.
man, fro Leicester, who were doin sew
Ell year for settin fire to his house. Him
and me was diggin the foundations Of a
cookhouse. Nat wers down j. the hole
and Iwere atop wheelin the muck away.
One day it were pipin hot, and Nat
were takin speel-o. Comes up war
der-an old slave driver he were--and
looks down at Nat. Now, then, get on
with your work, he sings out. Nat
looks up and never moves. Now, then,
stir, or I'll come down and make ye,
cries the warder.
But old Nat only laughs. Then in
goes Mr.. Warder, and Nat knocks him
down-silly --for meddlin-wi' his lang
handed shovel.
"And would ye believe me? don say
nothin about Nat-he was bit short i
his temper-but they gives me as days
bread and water for not interferin!
"'And you stood by, Sloss, and see
him do it, says the governor.
"'Do we think Tn fuil?' 1 cries,
to NEEDLE in other folks affairs? Not
me. I'll tell you what it is, sir. I've
more business O. my own nor I can man
age. They was man for mainland let
'em fight it out.
sBut it were no good argufyin.
Il only mentions it to show you what
sort Of place Bermooda was i my
time.
"Afore I'd done my 80 days comes
Yaller Jack. Ye should ha seen their
faoesl Takes warders and ALL Spares
none! There was fair panic. A man
were full O. life in the mornin and food
for the sharks by night time.
"But I didn't care for it. I cared for
nowt-i' those days. l don't know as
do now-excep' for what's afore me. !"
Imagine somber pause, full Of sig.
nificance
"Well, Jack gets worse an worse.
'"There was none lef' to tend the sick.
''The commander Of the hospital ship
comes ashore an calls for volunteers.
Halo, Archiep says l to myself.
Here's chance for change. Lots O.
grub and smook all day long. Ye may
as well die here as anywheers else.
Here goes. So holds up my hand and
cries, I'm one.
HE looks at me and begins to laff.
You're fat and lusty, Sloss, says he
You'll be the first to go. For Jack
were particular fond O. the lusty ones.
It were common talk how he like 'em. ;
"But didn't care-not me.
eye might be dead afore me, sir, ;
says !. He were hard nut, was Com
mander jackson. I'd had four dozen
from him once.
Well, Sloss, says he, I'll take We.
The devil will soon get his own. So
off / goes down to the boat---me, three
Others and him--and were soon aboard
the hospital ship.
Sure enough, my words come true.
That vera night Jack knocks at the
cabin door Of Commander jackson.
1T were fair awful, that ship. be-
gins to think I'd best ave been satisfied
wi bread an water ashore. But l
booked, and there was no gettin out O.
the job First he took ye in the legs,
then he mounted upward, then he
spread all over ye, till ye was all aches
and palms, Then come the black vomit. ;"
Even now Archie shuddered at the
thought of the awful scenes he took
part in-men raving, men cursing, men
mad, men tied down to their hunks, all
yellow. Above, the sun burning and
blistering; below, the odors Of the sick,
disinfectants, the oroaking death rattle
at their threats.
Such is yellow jack, according to
Archie.
He took Commander jackson vera
bad" he went on. "He were a hard
nut and had the name for tit were a
word and blow VII him. Many's the
time I shook my fis' i his old face all
yaller--oh, lie couldn't see me- think
in O. the four dozel I'd had Of him.
II were VERA temptin to take my re
vsnge ] could ha' killed him easy