The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-01-01
hin appeared the flock browsing on the


soliloquized, land I'll bet I'm the only
in America ever owned a
herd of sheep"
Winter came and passed, and the
only Irishman prospered BY roofing
in cut with brush he had eommodious
sheds, and cross sections of poles di-
vided the broad ditch into as many
corrals as he chose. The sheep were
fat and carried heavy fleeces.
Whalen had for help two boys who
had wandered there and asked for
work. He had proposed 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" a contingency which
they could not abide. So Whalen Of
fered to take the two at the price of
one, 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 see my friend Martin"
he told the boys. Nov tend to bust
ness and don't let any get away" And
the boys gave their word that not one
should escape.
During Whalen's absence in the city
he went out of the sheep business evan
more abruptly than he went into 1t the
previous autumn. The instruction 70
the boys was fulfilled to the letter.
not one got away.
1t happened on a hot day in June,
when, contrary to usual custom, the
boys brought the flock to camp and
the shade of sheds at noontime. It
never rains in that arid region, but
sometimes pours. This was one Of
those times. Charged with ice and
water, great black cloud came DRIFT
ing down the wind and emptied out It's
load upon the camp, and the hillside
above it. The canal, curving around
its base, formed an eavetrough for the
whole mountain, and poured several
thousand inches of water into WhAl-
ems improvised sheep sheds. The
flood very soon subsidized, but when the
cloud had passed and the sun again
shone forth. there were no living
sheep. Not many minutes are requisad
to drown rat in a hole.
Meanwhile, the boys, greatly frigat-
ened by the sudden storm, and with 10
thought for the safety of the locz,
were in the shack. The hail pounde1,
and the wind shook it. Water covered
the floor.
Pray, Billy" said the one on the
barrel.
mo; you do it," he answered from
the tabletop.
The shack had no window and, with
the door closed. it was pretty dark in
there. When Whalen reached hcne
about two hours later, the floor WIS
still wet, and the boys were yet rooHt-
ing on table and barrel, but outside, IN
the bright sunlight, the ground ap-
peared already almost dry. A solitJTy
goat stood upon the shed roof; he lad
been among the sheep in the pen.
you can't keep a good man dorm
any more than you can a goat" was
Bricks comment on the catastrophe.
While Whalen was working the bu!'s
double time at pulling the wool from
dead sheep, he had the happy thought
of stocking his ranch with bees. HAy-
ing money enough from the proceeds
of his wool sales to buy a hundsGd
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 herd themselves. Ard
they are like mules in one thing
you are liable to get hurt if you TOOL
with EN-"
This wave of prosperity broke Jap
as soon as former ones had done, for
he had imported a bad case of fgNl
brood, and within a year the hundred
swarms had petered out. When we
went down there last summer in the
interest of a new company which had
taken up the work of completing tHe
| canal, Whalen gathered the bones out
of the old shed in the hut 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 disch
for days wages. Somewhat grizzled
now, and not so brickred of hair and
whisker as formerly, he is happy as
ever, and sanguine that he will double
his money.
Here's hoping" that he may.-Ar,
| gonaut.