, 1897-03-20
THE RESCUE OF JIMMY.
A Story OF a Hard Man W.th a Soft
Spot.

According 10 the point OF view, the
captain was the best mar or the worst
whoever bossed a 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
mis- gang than any foreman on the line.
Lave it 20 the men who did the work,
and yCu would learn hat he was the
meanest and most abusive old hustler
who ever gave a man his time for lay
ing down his shovel to light Il pipe.
There were ugly stories told about his
practice o. eye-gouging in a fight. and
his reputation was sufficient to keep his
camp The quietest OF them all.
In December the camp contained about
forty men and teams. one woman. and
TWO children. The inventory is not
complete without including one old raw
boned horse, a sort OF camp follower
who subsisted 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 a day to the 40
hungry men.
II wonder" said the captain one day.
as he was disciplining this p~achyderm
for sneaking into the feed-corral, why
GCi Almighty ever made Il horse when
a mule is so much better every way.
Now a horse will break down il he don't
have the best Of feed, or go lame Just
when you want to rush the work. But
you can rely OF a mule. Hard work and
hard fare exactly suits them. They'll
pail a scraper all day and be fresh
enough at night to kick a driver. With
a chance to roll owe a couple of times
when they quit work, and plenty OF wa
Ter 10 drink, they will never wear out.
| never saw a man that ever saw a mule
die"
Al this time camp was 10 miles from
water, upon a dry plain carrying no
vegetation but sparse sagebrush and
greasewood. Water was hauled in
tank-wagons, and the old horse, not get
ling all he needed in camp, had learned
10 follow the teams to the spring.
One morning, after the gang had
breakfasted 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 g.
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 managers, and the
child presently climbed upon its back
as it stood rubbing against a wagon.
The horse paid no iced to his little rid
er, and soon ambled off up the road aft
er the Water-wagOns. The child held
on tightly, at first laughing, then cry
ing, until he had been carried several
miles, when he fell off and wandered
away from ther road through the brush.
Jimmy was lot missed until the men
Icame in from the grade for dinner
Then there was a hurried and ~unavail-
ing search through the camp. After
dinner Mahem laid off 10 teams and
sent The drivers out to make a general
search. BY mid-afternoon they return
ed and reported failure. Meanwhile
Mrs. Gregg, who said she was perfectly
sure Jimmy would not leave camp, had
Deen through every tent and overhaulad
every bed-roll. believing that some man
FOR a 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 dis
lance OF one mile. and every yard of the
way carefully examined for footprints,
None We're found, and Mahem said TO
his men: Nov YOU work is cut OH
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 no get outside without making
tracks"
This search also was OF course fruit
less. Some men came to camp al night
rail-, others kept moving about the plain
all night, hoping to hear the child cry,
Al davbreak the captain was in the
saddle. mOunte on his f~avorite mule.
He still believed the boy must be inside
the circle if that had been properly
made; 10 clear up that doubt, he meant
I o mG!e the entire round alone and out
side Of che line made by the men. To
reach the starting point. he rode out IN
the road toward the spring, his eyes on
the ground, his mind on the problem Of
how Jimmie could get out of camp and
leave no trail.
by God, I've got it, said he sudden
ly, Jabbing both spurs into the mule
which responded with a gallant attempt
10 pitch him into a cactus-bed. THAT
BOY rode out on a water-wagon. His
mother is off wrong in thinking he was
in the tent when the wagons pulled out.
He have hung OF to the tail OF the
last %wagon,and he lay low for fear the
driver would see him and send him back
After a while he got sleepy and fell of,
and shall find his tracks somewhere
In this road. Damnation, why couldn't
l think Of that yesterday"
The captain confidently urged his
mule along as last as a scraper-mule
could be made to travel. And his con-
idence was justified by soon picking up
The boys trail al the point where he fell
from the horse.