New-York tribune., 1897-08-29

Winter came and passed, and the only Irish
man prospered BY roofing in a cut with brush
he had commodious shells and cross-sections OF
poles divided the broad ditch into as many cor
ried heavy neeces.
Whalen had for help two boys who had wan
dered there and asked for work. He had pro-
posed to hire one OF them. but the boys protested
that they had never been separated and that If
they got jobs at different ranches the other
one wouldn't know where the other one was.
contingency which they could not abide So
Whalen offered to take the two at the price or
ore, and on that basis they shared with him the
shack herded the flock. and cooked the grub.
They soon knew as much, or as little. about
sheep as Brick himself: and the proprietor found
opportunity to break the mOnotony Of camp life
by occasional trips to the railroad and once TO
San Francisco.
I'm going to my friend Martini he told
the boys. Now tend to business and don't let
any get away" And the boys gave their word
that not should escape.
During Whaen's absence in the city nc went
out of the sheep business even more abruptly
than he went into it the previous autumn. The
instruction to the boys was fulfilled to the letter
not any got away.
1t happened on a hot day in June whom. con-
trary to usual custom. the boys brought the
flock to camp and the shade of sheds at noon
time It never rains in that arid region. tut
sometimes pours. This was one Of those times.
Charged with ice and water. a great black cloud
came drifting down the wind and emptad cut
Its load upon the camp and the hillside al owe
1t. The canal curving around its base formed
an eavetrough for the whole mountain. ard
poured several thousand inches Of water into
Whalen's improvised sheep sheds. The lood very
soon subsided but when the cloud had passed
and the sun again shone forth. there were no
living sheep. Not many minutes are required 10
drown rat in a hole.
Meanwhile. the boys. greatly frightened by
tho sudden storm and with no thought for the
safety Of the flock were in the shack. The hail
pounded and the wind shook it. Water covered
the floor.
pray Billy" said the one on the 'arre
No. van do bp frOr no n -
The shack had no window and. with the door
closod it was pretty dark in there When
Whalen reached home about two nOu"s later, the
floor still wet and the boys We're yet iooSt-
ing table and barrel. but outside, in tho
bright sunlight. the ground appeared already al
most dry. \ solitary goat stood upon the shed
roof: he had been among the sheep in ihe zen.
you can't keep a good man down any more
than you can A goat was Bricks comment on
the catastrophe
While Whalen working the boys double
time at pulling the wool from the lead sheep.
he had the happy thought Of stocking his ranch
with bees. Having money enough from the pro-
ceeds Of his wool sales to buy hundred stands
he promptly carried the thought into effect.
Again he sat down in the door Of his shack
to double his money"
This is better than sheep" said he "for they
herds themselves And they like mules in
one thng-you are liable to get hurt II you fool
with EN-"
This wave Of prosperity broke up
former had done. for he had mpo ted bad
case Of foul brood. and within year the hun dred
swarms had petered out When we went down
there last summer III the interest OF new
company which had taken up the work OF com
pleting the canal. Whalen gathered the ones out
Of the old shed in the cut and hauled them to
the railroad where he sold them for fertilizer.
realizing enough TO buy two more mules. With
his four mule team he is at work in the ditch
for days wages. Somewhat grZzled Iow and
not brckred Of hair and whisker formerly.
he is happy as ever and sanguine that he will
double his money
Here's hoping" that he may.-(Argonaut