The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-12-29
IAE ADVENTURE OF The RIO G|LA FORD
By WILLIAM MURRAY GRAYDoN.

By WILLIAM MURRAY GRAYDON.
copyright, 1899, by William Murray Graydon.l
The eastern mail had come in, and
the postoffice at Moldave City, A. T.,
was besieged by the usual motley and
noisy crowd which that interesting
event always assembled. The office was
a shanty of the rudest construction,
and the postmaster was gentleman
with cast of features that would have
caused his instant arrest on suspicion
in any ultra civilized community. But
he was less black than he looked. The
interests of Uncle Sam We're safe in
his keeping, and he was not to be bull
lied or wheedled.
Quin and Carruthers We're we'll in
side and near the counter, out of reach
of the dry and burning rays of the sun.
They differed little from those around
them In their flannel shirts and Mex
lean sombreros, with buckslin trousers
and spurred boots, with revolver butts
peeping ostentatiously from their belts,
they might have passed for true west
ern types Karl Hamrach's agent and
his assistant had been for some time
more than was agreeable to them-in
this most scorched and arid state of the
Union. They had shipped to the east
some mountain lions, a few boxes of
rattlesnakes and several specimens of
that hideous and poisonous Armenian
reptile known as the Gila monster. But
now their work was nearly finished,
and they hoped ere many days to sniff
the salt air of New York harbor. In
fact, they were expecting instructions
to that effect
AS the postmaster sorted the letters
and papers he kept vigorously replying
to the demands of the crowd, interject-
ing his conversation with oaths that
came thickly from jaws distended with
tobacco.
"Shut up, boysl Here's one for Jake
Thompson. Stop your rowing! Amt
you got no respect fur the government?
Then, by lingo. I'll teach you some!
Your turn next, Cactus Jim! Where's
Red Rube? Matthew Quin? Here yon
are, tenderfoot!'
Quin swallowed the affront and took
the letter that was thrust at him He
opened it as he and Carruthers walked
slowly down the street toward their SO
called hotel, and there was a tinge of
disappointment in his voice as he read
the contents aloud to his companions:
New York, March 81, 1s9-.
Ny Dear Quin-Barnums big menagerie, at
CODp rpo5 o,,&o oof
days ago. He lost many of his animals, and l
have sold him the greater part of my stock in
hand. But his cames are all gone, and he needs
lot for his spring tour, which is about to com.
mence. AS none were to be had in New York.
wired to Hamrach, and he cabled back that he
couldn't ship me any for month or six weeks
Then l thought of something. Years ago the
United States government introduced herd of
camels into Arizona for the of the army, and
after a fair trial they were pronounced failure
and turned adrift l have made inquiries, and
learn that the camels are still wandering about
the state, rather reduced in numbers and that
any person who takes the trouble to capture
them may have them Can you get dozen or
SO at once? 1t ought to be easy for you, with
the aid of cowboys and lassoes. Barnum offers a
splendid price. Answer by WIRE Yours faith
fully, CHuDLE1eH.
"What do you think of that2" Quin
asked.
GA beastly nuisance, I say" was
Carruthers' comment "I'm tired of
this dried out country. It's worse than
the Sahara. If he had only let us know
soonerl"
eyes, it's a pity. A fortnight ago
we were down in the neighborhood of
the Rio Gila near where the camels
were recently seen. You remember we
heard lot about them. That rancher
told us they were wild and intractable
and that it was almost impossible to
approach them. Now and then one is
shot, but not often. was interested in
the matter, for never heard of sim
liar case before.
"And what will you do about it?''
"Obey orders, my dear fellow" Quin
replied. '"This is stroke Of business
not to be neglected.
elf you put it in that way, there's
no more to be said. - Carruthers assent
ed regretfully. ''But, mark my words,
We'll wish ourselves jolly well out of
it,"
Quin discreety avoided further argu-
ment. He admitted to himself that the
task would likely be difficult one, but
this only made him the more deter
mined to carry it through. When he
returned to the hotel, he smoked a cou-
pie of pipes of strong tobacco and then
wired to Chudleigh as follows:
''Hold offer open; will do my best. -
Twelve hours later Moldave City was
two short in its population. Quin and
Carruthers were travelling south on
horseback over the baked country
They passed through Prescott and went
on to the rugged little town of Ell Paz,
where two days sufficed to hire ten
cowboys, rough but honest men, who
were amazingly expert with the lasso
and as handy with the revolver. More
over, they had all seen the wandering
government camels at one time or an
other.
From El Paz the party went south,
taking supplies and other stuff in a
mule wagon. They crossed the Rio Gila
and encamped five miles beyond it by
shrunken water course in the brown
sandy desert. For two days they ex-