Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-02-20
THE ADVENTURE OF THE RIO aLl FORD

THE ADVENTURE OF THE RIO G|Ll FORD
By WILLIAM MURRAY aRAYD0H.
fCopyright, isse. 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
q shanty Of the rudest construction.
and the postmaster was a 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 were safe In
his keeping. and he was not TO be bull
lied or wheedled.
Quin and Carruthers were well 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
ican sombreros, with buckskin 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, few boxes OF
rattlesnakes and several specimens Of
that hideous and poisonous AriEonian
reptile known as the Gila monster. But
now their work was nearly finished.
and they hoped ere many days 10 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. boysi Here's one for Jake
Thompson. Stop your rowing Amt
you got no respect fur the government
Then, by jingo. III teach you somel
Your turn next. Cactus Jiml Where's
Red Rube, Matthew Quinf Here you
are. tendcrfootl"
Quin swallowed the a6ront and took
the letter that was thrust at him. He
opened it as he and Carruthers walked
slowly down the street toward their 80
called hotel. and there was tinge OF
disappointment In HE voice as he read
the contents aloud to his companion:
New York. March 81. 80.
NJ Dear Quin-Barnum's big msnagerts. at
Bridgeport, Conn. was burned out Q couple Of
DAYS ago. lie lost many Of his snimals and ]
have sold him the greater part Of my stock In
hand But bis csmsls are all gone. and he needs
q lot for his spring tour. which IL about 10 com
mcncs. A none were TO be had In New York.
wired 10 HamrAeh. and he cabied back that he
couldn't ship me any for . month sir werka
Then ] thought Of something. fean ago fhs
United States government introduced herd oi
camels into Arizona ior the use Of the army. and
after . fsir trial they were pronounced failure
and turned sdrift. ! have made inquiries. and
learn that the cameis 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 set dozen OF
% at oncc' II ought TO be easy for you, with
the aid Of cowboys and iassoes- Barnum Offers q
spiendid price. Answer by wire. Youn faith
fully. CsupLHieh.
"what do you think Of that," Quin
asked.
"A beastly nuisance. ! say" was
Carruthers' comment "I'm tired Of
this dried out country. It's worse than
.be Sahara. II he had only let rs know
soonerl"
"Yes. it's q 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 il was almost impossible 70
approach them. Now and then one is
shot, but not often. / was interested in
Tue I1utteI, 1oi i hcNct hcdAu Va oAAh
liar case before.
"And what will you do about itr'
"Obey orders, my dear fellow, Quin
replied. "This is stroke Of business
not to be neglected.
If 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 discreetiy 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 con-
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.
whe~e two dave snfsirNd tn hire tan