The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1905-01-27
The Professors Gun
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by Franklin Welles Calkins.
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/ | accompanied a small military
expedition, under Lieut.. Isaac Murphy,
which went from the Rio Grande west
ward to establish 4 new post in Art
zona. Several "tenderfoots," bent up.
on prospect and discovery, were al
lowed to travel with the command over
route beset with danger from attack
by hostile Comanchea and Apaches,
and, although the lieutenant did not
admit it, think he was not altogether
displeased by the addition to his fight.
Eng power of the half-doZen we'll
armed, well-mountcd and well-pro-
visiOned civilians.
But at Socorro we were Joined by an
Individual. O. fresh arrival from the
north, VINO attached himself to the
expedition without so much as by
your leave. gentlemen" A tall, I'M
calmly. cadaverous and solemn person
he was, his age guessable at anywhere
between 80 and so. He was cross
eyed and SO near-sighted that he wore
ci,mbrous, large bowed spectacles to
correct his vision. He had the thin
cheeks and hacking cough of a con-
sumptiye. Moreover, he had no rid
Ing animal, and the two burros he had
been able to buy in Socorro, to which
point his goods had been sent, were
SO heavily laden with his trappings
that they looked detected.
See here. Mr.. Man." said Lieut.
Murphy. as We broke camp, you can't
travel with this outfit. You're phys
i>a';y unfit for the trip and my two
wagons are loaded to the limit
No trouble to you, I trust, sir
h-ili-n;," said the stranger. who had
already been dubbed the Professor. !"
mo real disability, sir-h-m-m; just
a touch of bronchorrhoea-h-m
= find$ths dry atmosphere great help
sir" He spoke in a calm, decisive
tone, but coughed at every other SEN
tence. '1'll come on in your rear, sir;
can't ride in saddle on account of gas
tritis-h-m- m-just a touch, sir!''
Good gracious!" muttered Murphy
"Bronchitis, gastrltis, cross-eyes, false
teeth and afoot! Well, SIR he added,
In a louder tone. for the man was ap-
parently somewhat deaf, Il suppose
We must leave a trail behind u.s.
The tall stranger bowed gravely and
went on with packing his burros. a
task which he accomplished with sur
prising neatness and speed When we
moved away from Socorro he fell in
respectfully behind our six-mule
freight-wagons, came on lat an un-
wearied swing for the 24-mile stretch
which brought US to our first water
hole and coolly camped within our
picket lines.
We'll lose him tomorrow" said
Murphy to his mess "Cacti!" and he
chuckled contentedly.
Our trail the next day led over high
mesa carpeted with pricllly pear, a
mating of thorns so dense that the
passing of holf-dozen ''freighters'
could have offered no protection to
feet less we1l-shod than those of a
mule. Yet the professor plodded IN
dauntedly across this stretch, and
much to our establishment, came into
camp at night without limping.
Our surprise gave place to degree
OF respect when We noted that the
~ oASoSoA "OAS NOCGCu SuOcS uuGC
with chamois-skin. He certainly had
proved himself an experienced tray
eler-and now his cheeks were showing
sunburn and his cough seemed less
incessant.
TO the ruder jokers of the command
the professor afforded unlimited
amusement. His ungainly figure and
lantern jaws, his "butter-milk eye
and Standardization eye-gear,'
his air of intent gravity when pack
ing, unpacking, or when cooking his
meals, his big gun case, which meas
ured the length of a burro and
whacked its patient bearer, now AND
then, upon the jaw, his carefully
guarded and never-opened packs. his
general oylishness-all furnished Nc
end of fun to the cavalrymen.