The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-02
CAMP LICKsKILLET. IS

There may have been an on'rfer houn'
than Ole Bluey. 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 on
feelin' world, because he didn't have
the sense that any self-respectin fish
worm ought to have; an what was
worse his pore master. which the same
was me, had to suffer for his ignOr
ance.
Long Bill Burke an me was campin'
out on the Moharvey Desert several
years ago. We'd hit up ag'in tough
luck at Randsburg, and was dom the
long hike down to Kramer to investi-
gate some little excitements we'd heard
about in that vicinity.
Now crOssin' the desert aint 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 going
to be necessary, an we'd have pulled
through all right, but about half way
across to Kramer the jackass snagged
sg-in a yucca spine an went dead
lame. So we had to crawl along, as it
We're; an on the evenin of the day I'm
hgurin' on tellin' about, we went into
camp with nOthin to eat but a hunk o.
bacon an pot O. coffee. That gone we
hadn't a crumb ner a drop of water
and Kramer was nigh onto days
travel ahead of US.
This yere is tough luck. Billy says
I.
you've named it all right" says Bill.
But Wen just boil that pot O. coffee
and pour it in our canteen SOS to have
it to drink on the march tomorrow.
Wen fry the bacon, too; an by ecOno-
Min right down to the limit, I
deems we pulls through tomorrow
some little hungry an thirsty but all
there"
So after we stakes out the burro an
gets him started to gnawin' grease
wood, we gets out the bacon and
slices it 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 hunting
chunks of petrifed yucca to cook it
by. Woods scarce in them wastes,
and you has to hunt mighty assiduOus
before you finds enough to cook pot
of coffee.
Were returnin' to camp plumb
tired out, when Bill remarks to me
that he could eat a bulldog stuffed
with carpet lacks.
"And I'm that thirsty" said
"that I could drink soa psuds 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
BlUey sat With q happy smile on his
face, and waggin his tail a heap furi-
GUS as he welcomed US back to camp
with our armloads of wood which we
there wasn't any bacon LETT
low I've heard considerable pro-
family in my time. from first to last.
but the article Long Bill Burke dfshed
up for this yere special occasion shore
excels anything I've ever listened to
before. 1 keeps silent and hears him
plumb through to the end: and when
he stops and wipes his fevered brow
I hasn't anything to add.
ole Bluey listens with a look of
doubt on his face; and he searches
first one face an then the other to
see what it's about. He don't seem
to get line on it at all; but after a
while 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 company.
But we builds the fire-for the
evenin's are chilly on the desert-and
then we discusses Ole Bluey's future
a heap grave and serious
of course we Stays him." says Long
Bill
~Shore!" says I, for I was hungry,
ana 1 was yearnin' for revenge. But,
Bill" says I, "tney's nothin to eat be
sween yere an Kramer; so let's let the
Iurn coyote live till we get good and