Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-05-28
UNLUCKY THIRTEEN.

Bulldog Carney had been at 1t
again. It was horses this time, and
when horses follow man off without
rhyme or reason there is often shoot
ing from one side or the other.
And the owner of the horses that
had gone of with Bulldog Carney
lay in the hospital in Fort Mcleod
with g. plug Of lead in his lung. He
was g "rustler" himself, and the
general opinion was that Carney had
only stolen from thief.
Bat the plug of lead--that was o
different matter. A man has got to
be pretty tough before the shooting
of him counts for nothing.
So Sergeant Hetherington and
Constable Williams were sent out
with three days. rstiong to look Car
ney up in one direction, while q
couple of other constables took the
trail in another.
Much riding and the viewing OF
much open plsin were the results of
the FIRST days campaign.
On the second day they rode
again, but the plain was not quite so
open. There were several lakes and
various other interruptions of the
vista.
whats the sense of this2" said
Hetheringtou to the other constable.
"You might as we'll look fora needle
in a haystack or prayer book in
bar racks as look for Carney in this
God forsaken hole. Wen never get
sight of him."
So they eamped where they we're,
beside small lake, and smoked the
pipe of peace, and ate their rations
and cursed the government that had
cut their pay down to so cents a
day, howbeit the sergeant was get
ting more than that now since his
promotion. But that was regulation
form, the routine, and so they
smoked long and swore hard and de-
nounced the service anyway as being
no good to man, for it made him.
lazy and unified him for anything
else, and it was wild goose chase
and Carney was q hundred miles
away, and they were pair of fools,
as great as the man who had sent
them out.
And with the gray regulation
blankets pulled over their heads and
their feet warm against the blaze
of the smoldering campfire they
slept-slept the prairie sleep, which
is long and deep and strong and as
unlike the other as strong growing
bush is unlike a dollhouse plant;
slept among the wild roses and great
yellow marguerites and the little
wondering sunfiowers; slept on the
dry, crisp grass, that was as gentle
spring Mattress,
And as they slept man came and
looked at them and pulled at his
blond mustaehe little, refectiyely,
and then stepped back into the night
again, and all was still, only the
munching and occasional stamp of
a horses hoof over on one side,
where the horses were picketed, and
the little, sneezing blow of the noses
of the feeding animals as they cleared
the dust out of their nostrils.
aThere were ducks flying over all
last night said the sergeant as he
pulled on his long boots. "They'r re
nesting here in these lakes, and I'm
going to have look for acme eggs"
Soon voice came up from the
reeds and cattails growing in the
edge of the lake to the constable as
he busted himself at the morning
Ere:
'Come down here, Williams.
They're slathers of eggs here"
The ducks there were as other
ducks. They pulled down the lance.
like blades of grass and plated them
into nests just out in the water a
piece. That was Dame Natures in
surance scheme, but she had mt reck-
oned with the sergeant and his
merry constable. The long boots
and tbs gray cocks and the brown
Trousers wers OF in a jiFy, and with
ahirts tucked Up under their arms
the two warriors we're soon filing
th@.F helae'a Will dusk eggs
I've got ne nat full,p said the
sergeant, land here's nest WITH ls
eggs in it. Wha.al def