Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-06-16
DOC, THE MASCOT"

The pine logs blaze1 and cracked, the
tree tops sighed in the winter wind and
the dove oooed its good night song. Around
the log fire sat a half dozen hunters,
crunching with very evident satisfaction
the roasted ducks. Six Of us boys from the
Louisiana and Texas border had got hold
of a camping outfit and n man to look aft
er the plumber.
Thus tricked out we had left the paternai
roof, bound to our Louisiana lakes for a
W weeks duck hunt. 1t was our man
Of all work, our Mascot, in whom | was
particularly interested | was one Of the
champers. Doc, the Mascot, was a good
workman, one of the best l ever saw.
White? Yes, white as any of US, And as
for his manners and lingo, they left us on
the shady side of the fence.
We could never get Doc to touch a gun.
l was certain he was IA good shot. l found
that out one day when we We're out hunt
ing. One of the boys, Allison by name,
sprang into the lake to get a bird he had
vowed to catch. AS he was leaning over
for the duck an alligator bobbed up be-
hind him, prepared to take a bite out of
his leg. Doc was the only one who wit
messed the alligator's arrival Oh the scene.
With no seconds hesitation he snatched
my rifle and hardly raising it to his
shoulder shot the alligator within three
inches of our friends leg.
We congratulated Doo-said it was a
better shot than any n of the crowd
could have made-but he passed it off
coolly, claiming it as an accident. We
grew to like the quiet fellow, but even on
our last day We did not know any more
about him. He was simply Doc.
We had been lying around the campfire
telling hunters yarns, each trying to out.
lie the other Il did not mean that for a
pun), when the ducks were handed around.
After we had got to our cigars remarked
"Say, Doc, try your hand. The fellows
are coming Munchausen. Can't you give
us a decent lie, IL that we can kinder
believer"
Doc was staring at the fire. He was al,
ways looking into the fire with those gray,
calm eyes of his. The breezy Indignation
at my words Gained Oh his unexpected re
ply:
~ cannot tell you a lie, but I'll try the
other" A minutes silence and then:
perhaps some of you have heard OF
Charley Devine, the young fellow who
lived on the border of Louisiana and Texas
and was reported a good shot?'
Allison answered: "Why, yes. I've
heard my cousin speak Of him-a royal
good fellow, plenty of vim, plenty of go,
the best shot in the country and a friend
| worth having. l believe he was mixed up
some way with my cousins death. l was
at college and never heard the straight Of
the story"
A moments pause and Doc continued:
II knew Devinc. He was a good sort
of fellow, and you're right about his be-
ing a crack shot, more's the pity. As for
friendship, do you boys understand the
meaning of the term? A mutual love for
a girl is a test which very few friendships
can stand. To wiring the hand which has
taken from life its chief incentive with
warm friendly grasp requires a strength
| of character of which few men are capable,
Charley Devine was one Of the few. This
friend Of his was your cousin, Mr.. Allison.
"Both boys were fond of sport, and both
belonged to a gun club Of which Charley
was the crack shot. One season the turkey
hunting had been especially fine. Devine
had made an appointment with his friend
Sexton to go early one morning on a
hunt. But when the latter stopped for
Devine he refused to go, pleading illness
as an excuse for laziness.
"Sexton, not willing to lose the days
hunt, set out alone for the woods. Half
an hour later Devine, unable to get to
sleep, flung on his clothes, took his rifle
and started in search Of Sexton. For an
hour or more Charley tramped around the
woods to no purpose. His game bag was
empty, nor had he even seen a bird. Clear
" out of humor, Devine was about to
tramp home when at some distance he
heard a turkey s cry. He answered it with
his cat call. You boys know how the
thing is done, Well, he kept up this game
for awhile, the turkey calling him and he
returning the call. They were creeping
toward each other, the man and his game.
Devine grew tired, and, after seeing some
dark object move the bushes, lifted his rifle
and fired. Almost instantaneously with
his shot another report and a human cry
rang out on the morning ARA sound OF
crashing twigs and a low groan not ten
feet from Devine. He dropped his gun and
sprang forward. Before him stretched on
the ground lay Sexton. Instantly on the
sound of the two reports the boys had
realized what had happened. They had
been calling to one another. Devine lifted
his friends head in his arms and tried to
stanch the blood. The sun was begin
ming to spread It's first rosy light under the
branches of the gum and oak. Sexton
smiled family and whispered: 1T was the
wrong turkey, was it not? I'm glad you
shot first. There, Chad, old fellow, don't
do that, laying hiss hand on the others
bowed head. 1T doesn't hurt so awfully
muoh.' Then he tainted.
"Two hours later Devine's friend was
dead. That's all, I believe"
Doc had told his story simply; no note
of change in the even mOnOtOny OF his
voice.
Yet for all that the silence was intense.
Nor did any one speak Immediately. Each
one was working out the problem for him
self and seemed half prepared for what
followed. Then Allison asked as he threw
a chip on the blazing pine, What became
Of Devine?"
"Devine9 Oh, l believe he went to thu
bad" Another silence.
"How do you know this Of Devines"
questioned. Doc rose from his sitting pos
ture, stretching his hands to the fire
Then as he walked off to the woods he an
swered: I'll ought to know. I'm Char
lev Devine. New Orleans Picayune.
Origin Of the Cake Walk.
Tho cake walk proper had it's origin
among the French negroes of Louisiana
more than a century ago, says an ex
change. There is little doubt that 1t is al
offshoot Of some Of the old French countr.
a,,ooe t. roSoy,hIoa eovoral of them n