Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-07-02
= CAMP LICKSKILLET. :
NIGHTS WOE ON THE DESERT
.RY LOWELL oTUs REESE.

There might have been an onrier
Annn' than Ole Blue, but would have
to have proof before believin' it. That
Ogly blue animal ought never been al
lowed to be horn into this yere onfeelin'
Hu0rld because he didn't have the sense
tsnat any self-respeetin' fishworm ought
Sac have; an what was worse, his pore
lkaster, which the same was me. had to
suffer for his ignorance.
Long Bill Burke an me was campin' out
.Dn the Moharyey desert several years
ago We'd hit up ag'in tough luck at
Randsburg. and vas doin the long hike
down to Kramer to investigate some lit
sic excitements we d heard about in that
vicinity.
Now crossin the desert amt no picnic
excursion You have to fgger 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 abCdt how much
water an provisions was goin' to be nee
vessary, an we'd have pulled through all
right, but about half way across to
Kramer the jackass snagged ag'in
yucca spine and went dead lame. SO we
had to crawl along as 1t were; an on
Yshe evenin' Of the day I'm figurln' on
teIIin about we went into camp WIZ
nothin' TO eat but hunk o bacon an
pot o. coffee. That gone we hadn't
a-rumb ner drop of water-and Kramer
was night onto days travel ahead Of
u1s.
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 ii in our canteen SOS to haveit
10 drink on the march tomorrow. Wen
fry the bacon. too; an by economizin'
right down to the limit deems we pull
4hrough to-morrow-some little hungry
AN thirsty, but all there
So after we stakes out the burro an
gets him started to gnawing crossword,
ave 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
~n cook 1t 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 bulldog stuffed with car
pet lacks.
and I'm that thirsty" says /, that
q could drink soapsuds an never bat an
eye"
Just then we comes into camp an looks
around for our bacon. They amt none
10 be seen, an there Ole Blue sat with
n happy smile on his face. and Vaughn
his tail heap furious as he welcomed
ms back to camp with our armloads OF
wood which we was to cook our bacon
with--an' there wasn't any bacon left
4 low I've heard considerable pro-
family in my time. from first to last but
the article Long Bill Burke dishes up for
this we're special occasion shore excels
anything I've ever listened to before.
4 keeps silent and hears him plumb
through to the end; and when he stops
and wipes his fevered brow, hasn't any,
thing to add
Ole Blue listens with look of doubt
face an then the other to see what it's
about He don't seem to get line on it
al all; but after awhile he sort o gets
a notion that we're feelin' onfriendly to
him about somethin', and he scoots out
in the dark to keep the burro COM
pany.
Then we spreads out our blankets
and tries to go to bed. But that awful
gnawin' simply won't let us. We're
shore hungry and no mistake
goes over to the pack after awhile
and starts rummagin' in an aimles sort
vsof a way, hopin' to pick out dried prune
ahat'd sort of escaped us, when suddenly
z runs onto a pint of corn meal which
we'd tied up in the heel Of the little meal
bag and forgot utteri
"Bin!" 7 yells. we're saved"
For amoment thinks Bill shore means
TO go loco. But after awhile he tears out
into the dark after some more wood,
picks up the canteen and runs over to
Zorackish little sink hole. an after work
AN good while manages to get few
ssirops of the greenish water, It'd make
IA SORT of a tlapjaek, anyway. even
S1hUugh it was too alkali to drink. Then
u goes back TO the fire and meets Long
Bin Just comm in with another load
sof wood
We both stops simultaneous. and
bursts into long. loud and heartfelt cuss-
tn which wells up from the bottom of
our souls and flows like water
Fer there was that dod-durned jack
ass busy chawin' the string that'd been
or the little meal bag! The coffee pot
was upset! The meal bag was gonel
We takes stick of wood apiece. and
chases the burro away out into the
bYesh. But the faithful beast don't go
away none. Neither does Ole Blue.
And ali night they take turns a-howlin'
SzheiT woes and a-tellin' their wrongs
80 the silent stars, while me an Long
bill Burke digs up some greasewood
roots and astonishes our pore sufferin'