Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-06-18
JIMMY's RESCUE.

tdptnlu hHneIn WIS nara r1ln WITH n
soft spot That soft spot was his friend
ship for little Jimmy Gregg and dated from
tho winter when the child was lost in the
Nevada sagcbrush.
According TO tho point Of view tho cap
tain WINS the best man or the worst who
ever bossed railroad construction camp
Ask tho leading contractors and they
would tell you that he was an Al man,
who could get moro work out Of his gang
than any foreman on the line.
In December the camp contained about
40 men and teams, / woman and 2
children. The inventory Is not complete
without including an old rawboncd horse
q sort Of camp follower, who subsisted on
the lcayings of the work mules. He was
owned by Gregg, the boarding master,
who with his vito ministerod beef, bncon,
beans, potatoes bread and coffee thrice n
day TO tho 40 hungry men.
~ wonder" said the captain one day as
he was discipliuing this paohydcrn for
sneakirg into the feed corral 'why God
Almighty ever made a horse when mule
Is so much better every way. Now, a horse
will break down II no doesn't have the best
OF feed, or go lnmo just when you want to
rush the work, But you can rely on
mules Hard work and hard fare exactly
suit them. They'll pun q scrapor all day
and be fresh enough at night TO kick o
driver with chance to roll over couple
of times when they quit work, and plenty
of water to drink, they viii never wear
out. l never saw q man that ever saw u
mule die"
At this time camp was ten miles from
water, upon dry plain carrying no vege-
tation but sparse sagebrush and grcnse-
wood. Water WAS hauled In tank wagons,
and tho old horse, not getting all be need
cd in camp, had learned to follow tho
teams to the spring.
Ono morning, after the gang had break
tasted and gone to work on tho grade, and
the tank wagons could be dimly seen
through their own dust on tho road to the
spring, GreRg's little 3-year old son came
out of the mess tent and crossed over TO
the corral, where he ofton 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 tho road aft
or the water wagons. The child held on
tightly, at first laughing, thcn crying, I'M
I'll ho had been carried several miles when
be fell of and wandered away from the
road through the brush.
Jimmy WAS not missed until the men
came In from the grade for dinner. Then
there was IL hurried and unavniling search
through the camp. After dinner Mahem
hid OF ten teams and sent the drivers out
to make n general search. BY midaftcr-
noon they returned and reported failure.
Meanwhile Mrs. Gregg. who said she was
perfectly suro Jimmy would not leave
camp, had been through every tent and
,lp.l. I,.1 tt,ut
como man for joke had hidden the boy.
Mahem now took tho whole force of 40
men and Joined In tho quest. Under his
direction the camp was circled twice at q
distance of one mile, nnd every yard of the
way carefully examined for footprints.
None were found, and Mahem said TO his
men: snow 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
10 find him, for he could not get outside
without making tracks"
This search also was, Of course, fruit
less Some men came to camp ut night
fnll, others kept moving about the plain
oil night, hoping to hear tho child cry.
AT daybrcab the captain was in the sad
de mounted on his fnvorite mule. He
still believed the boy must be inside the
circle, If that had been properly mnde. To
clear up that doubt he meant TO make the
entire round alone and outside OF the line
made by the men. To reach tho starting
point he rode out up the road toward the
spring, his eyes on tho ground, his mind
on tho problem of how Jimmy could get
out Of camp and leave no trail.
"By God, I've got It'll" said he suddenly,
jnbbing both spurs into the mule, which
responded with gallant attempt to pitch
him into cactus bed. "That boy rode
out on water wagon. His mother IS of
wrong in thinking he was in the tent
when tho wagons pulled out. He must
shave hung on to tho tail of tho last wagon
and lay low for fear tho driver would Sc,
him and send him back. After awhile he
got sleepy and fell OF and shall flnd hi,
tracks somewhere in this road Dnmna
toni Why couldn't think of that yester
dayP'
The captain confidently urged his mul,
along as fast as % scrapcr mule could b.
made TO travel. And his confidence WIN
justified by soon picking up the boys trai
at the point where he fell from the horse.
Abandoning now his mule, Mhhem OF
foot followed tho tortuous trail as rapid!
as ho could locate It. At times this wa
quick work. Again, on hard ground 1
was slow AID difficult tnsk. Townrt
noon he entirely lost 1t on rocky hill
WAS near night when he at last found tn
boy curled up beside a bush.
Jimmy was very much nlive, but to-
cold to walk or talk Mahem wrapped hin
In some of his own clothing aud put
fow drops of whisky In his mouth. whslS
straight was too strong beverage for tn
child, and no checked. "Mi'k, mi'ki" h
cried family.
Mahom had brought no food with him
and had nothing to offer him but whisky
"Mfk," said Jimmy again.
"All right" said Mahem, drawing
clasp knife, You shall have milk, " and h
tapped vein In his own arm, caught tn
food in the cap OF his whisky AnslS, adde
little Bourbon, and gave the starvin
child IL liberal draft, Jimmy was muc
strengthened by this potion, and by mid
night was safely home again and trans
ferred from Mahefn's TO his mothor's arm.
The boy was able next day 10 tell some
thing about his adventure, but the captai
then and always disputed the boys stor
that he went out OF camp ON tho back {
old Barney.
"a horse is low down enough 10 do
trick like that" said he "l3ut bors
didn't do it this time, tell you, l kno'
he went out ON u wagon, and l found tn
spot where he fell OF. " And that settled il
"What does Jimmy mean by milk