Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-26
OUR GREAT CAMEL DRIVE.
How We Thirsty Beasts Shilling Gallon
By LOUIS BRoOME-

reins, gave them smart jerk ana sag gel
up" They got up, foot by foot and yard
by yard, and unfolded themselves in Sec
tions till ] trembled for the safety OF the
pole. Clifton's small fox terrier then lost
his head and rushed in and out of the
fathoms Of legs, taking samples of each as
he passed Tommy tried TO kick the dog,
but of course got one long, skinny leg over
the pole instead, which made the other
camel do pas de quatre" on his own ac
count. Clifton got out quickly over rhe
back He said he wanted to catch his dog
and also added he was married man with
a family to support.
l, thinking it would be unsportsmanlike TO
let go the reins at the first set out, sat still,
praying that none of the huge feet that We're
flying around would come my way. The dog
was caught, however, and We got things
quiet Nothing would satisfy us then but 10
get our photographs taken sitting in this
queer turnout So the man came with the
camera and got the machine fixed up in
readiness, but the cames thought otherwise.
Tommy discovered that his left ear wanted
scratching and he used his right hind foot
to do IL with. The near side camel. thinking
his services were not required any more,
promptly lay down to have a chew al his
never-faiIing cud and had 10 be poked up.
On arising he would not stand straight, so
we asked a bystander to shove him into his
place alongside the pole,
The bystander, who was evidently a
horsey man, went up TO the brute bold
as brass-elapped him on the flank and
said, Git over" The camel measuring his
distance got him just about the level Of his
watch chain with his eyer-ready hind foot
and 'the subsequent proceedings interested
him no more"
We had gone but a little way on our
journey when the eamels showed signs Of
thirst They evidently wanted a drink, So
as the edge Of the dam was greasy and re-
membering Kipling's camel who split his
self in two" in like circumstances, ! made
them lie down and got a bucket, Onto this
! tied the reins and so baled up the water,
We adopted numerous devices TO detract the
attention Of one while the other drank, for
they would both insist on drinking together
The result was disastrous, with water q
shilling a gallon
Well, those camels drank and drank. II
was sinful to hear good money gurglng
down those two long necks. Clifton, who
has a strain Of Scotch blood in him, was
most distressed. But he got used 10 il after
wards. The tableau came when they got
up after having drank their fill. We had in
our innocence omitted TO slack away the
giiths, The result was that each camel had
shape like an hour glass, or rather, If you
can imagine one Of those ctildrens bal
+. looms with a string tied round the middle
OF il. We were horror struck aud had a
long wresue with straps and buckles. II
was not until we had Stacked away nearly
two feet Of girth that they resumed their
normal shape.
Tommy's mate dia not come 10 us with
any name, bur on a yery short acquaintance
We unanimously christened him Satan. -
What's in name'-a lot thought We.
We reached Meuzes-lhen consisting Of a
few small canvas houses and i've or six grag
shanties. ] had ridden Satan by himself
into the town and tied him up 10 the stump
OF q tree IN the middle Of the road and left
him there. Il seems that while l was away