The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-06-28
,~CAMP L1CKSKILLET."
NIGHTS WOE ON THE DESERT
BY LOWELL oTUs REESE.

houn' than Ole Blue, but I would have
to have proof before believin' it That
ugly blue animal ought never been al
lowed to be born into this yere onfeelin'
world, because he didn't have the sense
that any self-respectin' fishworm ought
to have; an what was worse. his pore
master. which the same was me. had to
suffer for his ignorance.
Long Bill Burkean' me was campin' out
on the Moharvey desert several years
ago. We'd hit up ag'in tough luck at
and was doin' the long hike
down to Kramer TO investigate some lit |
tie excitements we'd heard about in that |
vicinity.
Now crossin' the desert amt no picnic |
excursion. You have to figger mighty |
close or you'll decorate the desert with
a choice assortment of bones which once
belonged to yourself. Me an Long Bill
Burke had calculated about how much
water an provisions was goin' to be nee
essary, an we'd have pulled through all
right; but about half way across to
Kramer the jackass snagged ag'in a
yucca spine and went dead lame. So we
had to crawl along. as 1t were; an on
the evenin' Of the day I'm figurin' on
tellin' about, we went into camp with
nothin' to eat but hunk o bacon an
pot o. coffee. That gone we hadn't a
crumb ner a drop of water-and Kramer
was night onto days travel ahead OF
us.
T. This yere is tough luck. Bill" saysI.
you've named 1t all right, says Bill.
But we'll just boil that pot o coffee
and pour It in our canteen SOS to haveit
to drink on the march tomorrow. Well
fry the bacon, too; an by economizin'
right down to the limit. deems we pull
through to-morrow-some little hungry
an thirsty. but all there"
So after we stakes out the burro an
gets him started to gnawing greesewood,
we gets out the bacon an slices 1t up
ready for the pan. puts the coffee in the
pot. and empties in the last drop OF our
precious water. Then we goes rompin'
around huntin' chunks Of petrified pucca
to cook it by. Woods scarce in them
wastes, and you has to hunt mighty as
siduous before you finds enough to cook
a pot Of coffee.
We're returnin' to camp plumb tired
out, when Bill remarks to me that he
could eat a bulldog stuffed with car
pet tacks.
"And I'm that thirsty" says I, that
I could drink soapsuds an never bat an
eye"
Just then we comes into camp an looks
around for our bacon They amt none
to be seen, an there Ole Blue sat with
a happy smile on his face, and waggin'
his tail a heap furious as he welcomed
us back to camp with our armloads OF
wood which we was to cook our bacon
with-an' there wasn't any bacon left!
I low I've heard considerable pro-
family In my time, from first to last, but
the article Long Bill Burke dishes up for
this yere special occasion shore excelf
anything I've ever listened to before
I keeps silent and hears him plumt
through to the end; and when he stops
and wipes his fevered brow. hasn't any.
thing to add. r-F4
Ole Blue listens with a look Of doub
on his face; and he searches first ons
face an then the other to see what it.
about He don't seem to get a line on Il
at all; but after awhile he sort o. get
notion that we're feelin' onfriendly II
him about somethin'. and he scoots ou
in the dark to keep the burro com
pany.
Then we spreads out our blanket
; and tries to go to bed. But that awfu
gnawin' simply won't let US. We'r
shore hungry and no mistake.
I goes over to the pack after awhil
and starts rummagin' in an aimles sor
OF a way. hopin' to pick out dried prun
that'd sort of escaped us, when suddenl.
/ runs onto a pint Of corn meal whicl
we'd tied up in the heel Of the little mea
bag and forgot utter,
"Billl" I yells. we're savedl"
For ramoment / thinks Bill shore mean
, to go loco But after awhile he tears ou
into the dark after some more wood.
: picks up the canteen and runs over to
! brackish little sink hole, an after work
IN a good while manages to get a fe,
drops of the greenish water. It'd max
q sort of a fiapjack, anyway, eve
though 1t was too alkali to drink. The
goes back to the fire and meets Lon
q Bill Just comm in with another loa
i. of wood.
3 We both stops simultaneous, an
;, bursts into long. loud and heartfelt cuss
: In which wells up from the bottom G
our souls and flows like water
Fer there was that dod-durned jacl
ass busy chawin' the string that'd bee
: on the little meal bag, The coffee DC
was upset! The meal bag was gone,
!. !. We takes a stick Of wood apiece, an
: chases the burro away out into th
bresh. But the faithful beast don't &
away none. Neither does Ole Blu
And all night they take turns a-howlil
their woes and a-tellin' their wrong
to the silent stars. while me an Lon
v Bill Burke digs up some greasewoo
l. roots and astonishes our pore sufferil
n stomachs with the same, roasted to
II nasty, sizzlin', black wad
Along about midnight, Just when II
thinkin' maybe I'll get asleep after al
Long Bill raises up sudden an paws ,
u my blankets to wake me up.
a SAM" he says. 81 names 1t Cam
J, Lickskillet!
= They amt no answer. Away out
: the desert pore Ole Blue is fightin' wit
:. coyote. The jackass is wanderi
around the camp with tears In his ey,
an an occasional skreaky sigh
An that's how Camp Lickskillet g,
its name.-San Francisco Argonaut
r. VIII Ask for $2o, 900 Indemnity.