The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-15


on the dead line The bunch connects with
the pay of line at least once in four million
times know this, because If l haven I
had four million lunches. then I never had
four minutes sleep.
THE fall wind-up at Latonla IN % fonnu
me gropiug for cover I'd been trying To
do the trick from the ground on oanNoi
that looked IA Il il had been run over 10y
three hook and ladder trucks. nut | haoh
be,n able to play them back far enough
81 hadn't bankered to run shoe lace into
n Shoe and LEATHER Bank. but I'd had
wiAtful hope Of making one 81 the winter
tracks il 80 be "a how they'd run Tor me
$1githoul swerving. But they wouidn l.
When the wind jamuer mounted the
stand and punched Taps out OF ms hugie
after the final race on the last day OF the
meeting. wasn't there with the price OF
maritime bag of salted peanuts. Worse
than that. there was a paddock on tine OUT
side of my chamber door IN the Clnclnhati
lodging house. and didn't know the pad
lock combination
Il was walking out Of the gate. with my
eyes glued to the ground for dropped money
that everybody had forgottento drop when
a follow knew, who'd been doing the pest
he could around the track. slid up oehihd
me and gave me the back wnliop
s'Rahed. hey? he said to me.
Il told him that if turkeys we're ten cents
apiece wouldn't be able to slap Jay bra
on the wrist.
Fixed for the shelter thing and the
eats till you get right again2 the Kindly
duck asked me.
I'm a bum told him. Time lock
l. 20.
on my room door. meal ticket punched 10
the margin. everything in down to the three
bucks got on tho suit case. I'm all Tghu'
only | won't do
"'rhat poor devil had the pal idea all right
and I'm never going TO overlook him when
the minute comes, as it may again, when
bell need little boost into line.
Well. he said, I'm not there with any
thing strong, but I've got the Lease on
.,hack the size Of a pup-tent over beyond
,&ovington. and I've made "A cache OF smoked
provisions there. You're welcome to cut In
there and go as far as you like
Il crossed over 10 Covington with him
on the bridge trolley. and, about mule
from the town and half mile from the
trolley track was the good fellows plant
1T was little, two-room squatter's
cabin that he had found deserted and had
fixed M for its cheapness and its oonven-
fence to the Covington poolrooms in the
winter During good streak. he stocked
the wickieup with hams and sides OF bacon
and barrels of spuds and sugar and coffee
and such like and there we're two single
bunk, in the bedroom.
1T was camping out. but 1t was pretty
soft for me and q iuryrig right the way
I was fixed Just then. We got busy with
the pans and skllets as soon as wa got m
and in twenty minutes there was an eat
layout smoking on the pine table that looked
like an the bonhons 10 me. for ! hadn
been connecting with any too many Car
gantuan gorgss for several weeks.
we weren't there with whole scad
between us. and we didn't expect anybody
10 slide along and slip us something, either.
But We we're under cover for the minute,
and the Covington rooms weren't far away
and we each had the charts all saved up
and pasted for two years back
-On the next morning, after nights
sleep that made me think OF an old, white
washed garret room with "a slanting roof
and ~ q pigeons a-cooing out in the cotes--
that I'd known a good many years before
I'd ever heard Of a racetrack / dug up,
dressed while my pal was still asleep, and
struck ont through the tall grass Ter
walk in the whey air OF the fall morning.
taking the setter pup, that was part of
the plant. along with me.
-1he mutt and | hadn't got hundred
wards from the shack before the dog rounded
something up in the tall grass and began
to bark mis- head OIL
Il walked over TO where the setter pup
was being so busy, and there was young
owl sitting In little furrow in the grass,
blinking aolemnly at the dog. The dog
kept up hot barking, but he didn't nudge
auy closer than q yard to the owl. doped
chances on grabbing a young white owl
he knew what be was doing and that 1t
wasn't any butt-in of mine.
$50 | left the dog barking al the owl
thai looked TO be sort of helpless and dopy
in the strong sunlight, and scrambled back
10 tie shack. whore found my pal up and
hustling the breakfast
Il told him that the mutt had coraled
come kind Of a bird, and the business light
got into his lamps right away
We'll he's white, if that's good enough,
aud he', there with pair, of topaz orbs
the SIZE OF mors-a gates l said.
We'll wen ride hard on him and gather
him IN, said my pal I've heard OF boiled
owl. but that was in connection with fellows
that had their souses with en- and don't
believe that owl meat goes for a friCassee
But w II nail him. any way, on the chance
that he'll fetch something.
He grabbed a sheet of one Of the hunks,
and picked up soap box out OF a corner
OF the kitchen. and we started after the
owl. The dog still had the owl hedged
no in the grass
NV pal threw the sheet over the owl
md ri, ked him up in 1t and tossed him
info the soap box ] was carrying. Then
We skiddooed for the shack, and ] pulled
the owl ont Of the sheet and nailed him
m in the box, leaving "a couple Of boards
or 81 the sides so that the too-hoo could
have air.
- think / see a fi'muth,' said nv pal
when We got down 10 breakfast Well
iust yank that bird over the bridge right
after breakfast and send him along for
what he'l bring
An hour latter We were in Cincinnati.
taking turns in carrying the box. My
pal led the way direct 10 railroad hotel
and ginmill aPross the way from a Gin
cinnati station. Tho hotel was called the
Owl Hotel
we went into the cafe Of the hotel and
made theepiel tothe proprietor. knocked
the ia on the box and showed him the hand
some young white owl. while my pal tried
10 get by with the yarn that the owl had
escaped from circus that had showed in
Cincinnati a while before. and belonged TO
n species so rare that fourteen human lives
had been sacrificed in rounding up the
one we row had with us.
the proprietor OF the Owl Hotel thought