The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-06-19

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A Fc:t Cs;attssc::c.c Ecg ;,is:
Would i.uG:t Only Cats :GG
Men.
BY JOS y ,:;:o,,s =, o. g. CAV.


west of ~. prn>. cct.nS. What for.
don't know. l never coh.i ind anything
more valuable r.sn limestone where h,
said be ls.l .oen
The Mexican had iurro packed with
mining tcc!s and camp nmiE;. and he car
fied an cid life. Jeff followed. JEFF was
nearly as large as the !,a:'ro. and he looked
10 be the less iarei!igcnt Of the two. HI
was half bull deg and half bloodhound
His master sunted to sell him. and asked
S for him: Int not getting il from me,
put him en- the bargain counter, marking
him down to 81. Tncn | took him. AL
most any liId Of a dog n:ight IL be worth
q dollar. thought. hmt after | had owned
JEFF whi:r had ahout concluded that
/ had paid ut least 80 cents too much for
him: but al last | found ont what he was
good for.
For morths after hought him. every
time / spoke to him he would get down
on his belly. fheh crawl up IL me. This
Mexican. or some one else WHO had owned
him, had beaten him until he was afraid
70 call ;,is lie his oNn.
never struck hin. /. hlow. and liter a
while he got over his fca' me: then
would walk up 10 me and ~ up On his
hind legs and try to lick my face.
Cats were the only thing ! ever knew
him to hunt of his own accord. When he
first came here we had select :ssort-
neGt of cats. helonging to the lau3dresses
at the post: but in two weeks after his
arrival JEFF had killed nearly all Of them.
j found cat by accident that he WAS a
good watch dog: not Il sound could be
made after night that he did not hear.
When we were in the field he and a
greyhound went with Us. and be always
stood post with the sentry on the outpost,
going on with the first relief and lying at
the senfrtS feet all night: the slight st
sound would cause him To get UP. looi; IA
the direction whence il came. and growl
The CORPORAL. With his relief, dare net
come near that post until the man Oh it
told him to: if he did. JEFF would grab
him.
/ had owned Jeff al.oHt . six mepths
when one night two general prisoners who
were serving a six-months' sentence in the
guards carbines with them. They had
left just before daylight. and it was not
known which way they had gone: there
were several roads here they could take.
or they need not follow any of them. But
the Officer Of the Day must find them. if
he could. and he had a mounted detail to
get ready. then sent for me and wanted
I'd know if my dog could find that trail?
called Jeff, who was hanging around
the kitchen waiting for his breakfast to he
thrown out to him: the greyhound could
20 In after it; Jeff had TO stay outside;
he and the cook were at outs. Then. 60
Ing to the guaTdhouse. / asked If these
men had left any clothes that they had
been wearing. / was given a pair of old
wooden stockings. Taking them ard JEFF,
We went outside the post on the side
these men would most likely have gone.
the mounted men and Officer of the Day
following US.
Jeff finally struck these mems trail.
then giving yelp started off
"Keep close after him. now. Sergeant
the Officer of the Day said. "Those men
have carbine with them; / don't want
that dog shot"
Another idea seemed to strike him now.
and as the mounted party was about to
start. he said, "Wait." Then TO me. you
Fave one of those men dismount, take his
these men,"
I dismounted a man out OF my own
Troop, took his horse, carbine and pistol,
then, rs JEFF was half a mile away, put
out after hin, on the gallop, while the
Sergeant and his men followed as.
Jeff led us straight across the grass on
the prairie for eight miles The main
read WIS hot quarter of mile away.
bnt these men were not fools; they knew
that If they took the road their tracks
would be seen. 20 they kept on the grass.
ut last JEFF turned squareIy to the left,
then led Us to the road at the very spot
the men had gone into It; their tracks
csuld be seen here In the dust. Two
Eiles farther the road crossed creek;
here JEFF turned down along the near bank
OF the creek, and after going hundred
yards, stopred few yards short of
ciump Of bushes and began to bark
A shot was fred from the bushes,
whether at me or JEFF could not tell; 1t
Old not hit either Of US. I pulled nv
pistol out, but did not fire. I wanted to
take the mon without shooting II posi-
bic. need only wait until the detail
came up; the msn would then surrender.
But 1 did not intend 70 SIT here and be
made target Of: another shot fred out
Of those busbes would get shot in re-
turn. One Of the men ran out now, hold
lag mp his hands. "Come in" told him. |
TELL your partner 10 come We have
dozen men behind here"
81 am afraid OF the cog" he said.
called JET, who had been standing IN
Front Of me, growing. and he come In;
thsn the man came down, and BY this
TINE the Sergeant and bis party had come
up. The man with the carbine now sur
rendered, and the war was over
These two men were very tired now;
they could not walk back. they said.
"Ob, yes you can" the Sergeant told |
Them. u had 70 start after you without |
~ breakfast. You VIII get back In time |
Tor me 70 eat supper II have to drag
Jen back at the end Of larist"
The men appealed N me now. ] was |
o Sergeant, and senior to Ssrg't Nor |
rs, but was only in charge ef a dog just !
u an not in charge here" sergt Nor
rs is; you fellows dig out. now. or be
Will help you along" I told them.
"Well, Sergeant ] said. JEFF and 7 will
Etsrt for home now. We want TO get in
before dinner. / had to leave half my
breakfast: JeE left all hts. / detailed |
him while he was waiting for It: and |
starting now at q trot, JEFF and ] got |
back home Just at dinner time.
Some Of the men had been hunting that |
morning. and hsd brought In the meat of |
buffalo COW. We often shot them with. |
In two miles Of the post.
] cut off about 10 pounds OF meat for
JEFF; then went TO dinner, and after I had |
eaten went back 10 see how Jeff was get
ting along. Every scrap Of that meat
was gnnc, and so was JEFF hunted him
np and found him fast asleep On q pile of
hay in the stable yard he slept there
rntil stable call. at o'clock, and only got
up then because the hay was pulled from
under him.
The prisoners, when they were brought
back, were pct In irons to serve ont their
eentence. that being the only extra pun
hhment they received
Def had no more deseTters 10 hunt; the