The Dolores star., 1903-10-23

granite, ornamented it with an iroI
railing. erected n sign called "Crysta
Spring" which faced toward John.
pasture, and-the water kept right on
gurgiing.
And while this was taking place Tom
Lamkin, whose land Joined ours, stood
leaning over his own fence, smoking
his pipe. and watching US, and saying
nothing.
At last the same idea occurred 70
John that had occurred to me He
went few rods above my spring. on
his own side of the fence. Of course
and dug into the ground exactly as
I had done; and when he had finished
you can use me for Cancelled postage
stamp If the water in my spring didn't
refuse to ''gurgle."
He had cut of the main channel in
precisely the same manner as had
done, and Ind stolen the whole of that
spring back.
well-or-or-this may seem funny
to some; but l could never quite real
ize Just where the fun came in.
In the first place, didn't steal Johns
spring-not Intentionally was
case Of pure accident. But John-why
what John done was an exemplifica-
tion Of spite on the face Of it
And told him sol
What did John say? Why-the-
the old cripple! BE said if l would
toss that iron paling and cut granite
| over the fence to put around his own
spring he would give me 20 cents for it.
Think of that!
Inenlted me right TO my face. Said
1: You old hayseedl II had you
over in this pasture | would mop you
III over 1t if ii killed every spear of
grass there was in it,"
And he replied. just as sneeringly
as he knew how: "Tompkins, I'm a
it with On iron kiver; but when you
feel so inclined you kin come over,
an though you can't get at the water
you have my full permission to hear it
gurgle"
To which | went w-r-r-r-r-r-rh! And
when man goes w-r-r-r-r-r-rh he's 80
mad he can't use the Anglo-Saxon Ian
yuage,
watched John wall that spring up,
attach his new iron cover, and
w-r-r-r-r-r-rh'd all the way through it.
And all the while Tom Lamkin
stood leaning over his own fence.
smoking his pipe. and watching us,
and saying
Finally, after Johns work was all
completed, IT occurred to me that
possibly might strike that same vein
OF water again
So went little above Johns
spring, Just as he had zone above
mine, md began to dig; and ] hadn' t
dug long before the water began to
"gush" ar "gure - with the iamc
impetuosity as ever; and 1 soon
knew by the expression on Johns
face, who had been watching me.
and his own spring at the same
time, that / had stolen the whole
of that blooming spring back again.
It did seem strange how the chan
mel of that water wound serpentine-
ly back and forth under the soil of
Johns pasture and mine. and both
Of us living in total ignorance of
of that fact.
Well, / transferred the iron paling
and cut granite from my first spring
and arranged them as artistically
as I knew how around the second.
John watched the proceedings. bonn
harding me with numerous ex-
pletives while the work was pro-
crossing. and of course ! let him
lombard. finished the whole thing
up grand, planted my Crystal
Spring" sign SO its front faced to-
ward Johns pasture, then snapped
my fingers at John and told him to
whistle.
"And Tom Lamkin stood leaning
over his own fence, smoking his
pipe, and watching us, and saying
nothing.
Then John began to wake up and
show signs of activity. Hardly was
my work completed before he spat
on his two hands. grasped his spade
firmly by the handle. and, with the
same determination as before, start
cd in. to steal that spring back.
And he made his work count, too.
} Hang me If right up in the corner
!. OF the fence close to Tom Lamkin's
land and mine, that old cross-grained
Ishmaelite didn't strike water again;
and when he did and inspected my
, own spring, the water began to
gurgle less and less until finally It
died out and stopped altogether.
knew il WAS then or never with
, me, so, grasping my spade.,I darted
INTO my own corner of the fence