The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-01-22
The Sergean:ts
- sHard Lick,

.,,,,sor" Carney had been at It again.
~, horses this time; and when horses
,65w a man OF Without rhyme or rea-
''' ' there IS often shooting from ono
~. or the other
rd ,he owner OF tho horses that had
r,rs MI with "Dulldog" Carney lay In
-, Fr, hospital at Fort Mcleod with plug
,,,,d IN his lung. lie was q hustler"
~rsel, and the general opinion was
,p,, carney had only stolen from q thief.
Mr. the Mug OF lead-that was n differ.
nT ',, NJ. a man has got 10 be pretty
"a, ,"rh before the shooting OF him counts
ios e. sergeant Hethetngton and Con-
~. Williams were sent out, with three
t 80 rntIors, to Look Carney up In one
S...,ion. while n couple OF other con-
'I.tss to5k the trail In another.
s'S T,cb riding and the viewing OF much
,:"n Main we're the result OF the first
days campaign r,aa r,,, H.,
,ha main was not quite 81 open. There
wprc several lakes and various other In
,srruptlons OF the vista.
whats the sense Of thls?" said 4Ieth-
.tnrton TO the other constable. You
,nirbt as well look for needle In hay
s.,rk or a prayer-book in barracks as
lax for Carney In this God-forsaken
soIs We'll never get sight OF him."
So they campcd where they were, be-
,ljn A small lake. and smoked the pipe OF
,.orr. and ate their ratlons, and cursed
,be government that had cut their pay
lawn TO fifty cents day, howbelt the
sergeant was getting more than that now
stnce his promotion. But that was rrgu-
,,,Ion form-;hc routine; and so they
smoked long and sTore hard, and de-
,nurced the service any way as being no
FOOD 10 a man, for 1t made him lazy and
united him for anything else. And It
w,s wild goose chase, and Carney was
a hundred miles away. and they were n
paIr OF fools. as great US the man who
had sent them out.
And with the gray regulation blankets
pu,led over their heads. and their feet
warm against the blaze OF the smolder-
irr campfire, they slept-slept the prai-
re sleep, which Is long and deep and
strong and as unlike the other as a
strong.growtnE bush Is unlike a hot
house plant. Slept among the wild roses.
and great yellow marguerites, and the
little wondering sunilower+slept on the
, dry, crisp grass that was as a gentle
spring mattress. ". =
And as they slept man came and,
looked at them, and pulled at his blonde
mustachc little. ref!ectively, and then
,.,pped back into the night again. and
all was still; only the munchlng and &C.
casional stamp OF a horses hoot over
10 one side, where the horses were pick
e,ed, and the little sneezing blow.of the
nose OF the feeding animals as they
c,sared the dust out Of their nostrils.
There were ducks flying over all last
night" said the sergeant as he pulled
en- his long boots. They're nesting here
In these lakes. and I'm going to have a
loix for some eggs"
Soon. a voice came up from the reeds
end eat-tails growing In the edge OF the
Like to the constable, as he busted him
sili CT the morning fire: 4 =
Come down here. Williams. They're
slrhers Of eggs here"
The ducks th:;: were as other ducks:
tfey pulled down the lance-like blades OF
sass, and plated them into nests just
cut in the water plece-thar was Dame
Natures insurance scheme; but she
hCd't reckoned with the sergeant and
tie merry constable. The long boots and
the gray socks and the brown trousers
were of In jlffy, and with shirts tuck
ed up under their arms the two warriors
were soon filing their helmets with duck
esgs.
I've got my hat full" said the. SER
saart, IAN here's nest with thirteen
eggs In It. W'hatIl do?" 81.
Better leave 1t alone" said the con-
Stable. "Thirteen's an unlucky num-
: ber." N
But I want the eggs" pleaded the
sergeant ITS unlucky 10 go on timed
beef when You can get fresh eggs; be-
sides, NE luck couldn't change for the
worse. any way" he added. as he thought
OF what the exile life In that lone land
meant. f-
well, then" said the constable. "It
you don't mind the bad luck, wrap them
IN your shirt, and I will hold your cha
peau." and he waded over tn the other
end and held the helmet. :
I'm quar-lookin' bird now" said
the sergeant, as he peeled the gray, fan
mel shirt over his head, like stripping
an otter, and proceeded to transfer the
eggs from the watery nest 10 the i'm
promptu bag. 'e'es
mss my guess, or you'll run up
aSin hard luck this trip. I wouldn't
touch nest with thirteen eggs In 1t with
ter-foot POLE" said the constable, as
they made their way out through tine
seruo growth on the edseo the lakes.
Har!ng bath. gentlemen" asked a
caeery voice from the wilderness, as
tncH emerged into the open.
II was the man who had looked upon
Sleeping. = -
ne sergeant was so astnnished that
taa corner OF his shirt slipped from his
haad and the thirteen eggs rolled Into .
batter at his feet. a. 4
And II was no wonder that he was as
policemen. ss3i 17,t :,
Inc three V-shaped stripes on the
staht arm nf one OF them-the speaker
showed that he was a sergeant. Some
Hs huout the clothes struck him as
ne'ns strangely familiar. He could al
inost swear 10 a spot or two on the front
" ne tiGht-AttIng brown Jacket.
a. sorry to trouble you gentlemen" said
tae same CHEEKY Voice, az the owner Of Ii
.oyta With the butt of big regulation re-
NoiYer at his side: but my partner here
ma myself took notion we'd like 10
LON tne force; SO we just slipped into
your clothes I'LL we'd zee how we'd look,
"na as the two suits will hardly 80
n'ouna the -FOUR ofus, suppose you stack
Campfire" 49, -
As ne spoke he ahscnt-mindedly drew
, ,S.m the big revolver and rubbed his
anIno refectively over the hammer,
s s waited torythem TO make their TOLL
III iourc uD TO larks this morning"
Fdlu Inc Ii.