Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-02-24
WHAT DIME NOVELS DID.
CIGARETTES FORM A BAD
COMBINATION.
Quintette of Annapolis Lads Would
Wade In Gore of Those
Who VOTED Not
ProweSs

Hot on the trail of the bloody Sioux,
quick to the rescue of the maiden in
distress and bound for the haunts of
the bad men of the west. where train
robbing and the looting of banks is
the principal occupation of the inhab-
itants. five walking arsenals, five new
recruits TO the life of the desperate,
started for the far west yesterday.
Fired with the ambition to emulate
the examples of the bad man who kill
ed a man every morning before he
could enjoy their breakfast and who
performed deeds of daring which put
to blush the best efforts of buocaneer
of the Spanish main, the lads started
out. They were afflicted with the
acute germ of cigaretteitis and dime
novelitis. which is generally very SER
ious and makes its victims perform all
sorts of funny stunts.
Ii was only by the merest chance.
the fact that Shank's mare went lame
and the yearning for home and mother
and the good things provided for sup
per that saved many bad Indian from
biting the dust at the hands of the
Liberty Boys of 70 - With their
knives unwhetted in human gore. with
the loaded shells rusting in their
trousers revolvers and their binding
ropes unmarked by the feel of cutting
flesh, the brave but defeated quintette
came home again, back TO the haunts
of civilized man and the redeeming
grace of strap oil properly applied.
The noble band was composed of
Waters Chaney, Charles Tucker, Allen
Martin, Earl Strange and Rudolph
Ditto. For many months they have
read with avidity the many deeds of
daring performed in the years gone.
The yellow backed novels, filled to
the brim with tales of blood and sud
den endings filed their sleeping mo-
ments and made them toss and turn at
night as they dreamed of the stealthy
approach of a painted Indian and yell
ed in fearful fright as the descending
tomahawk cut the air.
The novels did their work and did
it well. Aided and abetted by ciga-
rettes, which the lads disposed of in
daily growing numbers, they were
soon in the acute stage of the disease.
At last the five Joined forces. Instead
of being 1.-THE Lone Avenger, the
Mysterious Outlaw" or a hundred
other names which suggested them
selves to their individual minds, they
decided TO start out together.
Sworn to secrecy by an oath which
carried with it the blasting of all
hope to one who would renig, they
separated for the night. That was on
Wednesday. Yesterday they attended
school as had been their daily custom.
where, behind their opened books they
were enabled to read in undisturbed
peace the tales that made the blood
run cold.
At noon they gathered together be-
hind the shelter of convenient fence
and perfected the plans which had
been maturing in their minds for
some time. Then they left for their
cache, where had been secreted all of
the accoutrements and supplies, which
should belong to every well regulated
robber band.
Rope there was in plenty, to tie up
their victims. Revolvers, dirks and
tomahawks had been secured in abund-
ance profusiun for the deeds which
were to be performed They knew, as
we'll as any little boy who reads his
geography, that all roads lead to Wash
ington and they decided to go to
Washington, from which point they
the west.
Down back alleys. through side
streets aud over fences they went till
the old line railroad was reached.
Stretching away in front of them were
the shining rails that seemed to them
to lead straight to the bad lands, where
game was plenty and waiting to be
Dagged. Bravely they started out,
nj. HI fo RI 10 n
recounting with great gusto the deeds
they would perform when once they
were free from the ethics of polite So
ciety which frowned down any such
undertaking as that on which they
were engaged.
Ever toward the setting sun they
travelled and must have gone at least a
million miles when their footsteps
Jagged, their stomachs started a game
of tag with their back bones and they
would have sworn they had had moth
ing to eat since some day last month.
At last the sun had set, the shades OF
night drew on and the stiffness and
sombreness of the country struck ter
ror to their hearts. The telegraph
wires that humEed in the breeze over
their heads we're saying: IRAN away
from home, Ran away from home. -
Each and every brush, every stump
and log that loomed up tall and ghost
ly in the darkening light concealed a
savage ready to spring out upon them
and put them to the torture.
Did dog but cross their path or
q bit of ice fall from some overhang-
ing tree they jumped a dozen feet in
the air, their hair stood on end and
goose flesh covered their tender cuticle
into q blacksmith's file. Home al
those moments appealed TO them o.
1.-THE dearest place on earth. By that
time they had nearly reached Water
bury, so tired, so hungry and SO foot
sore that they were ready 70 droE
from exhaustion. All the starch was
taken out Of their ambition TO become
western desperadoes and they thought
longingly Of nome. Although pro-
vided IN plenty with weapons Of
otfense and defense they had failed C
secure sufficient Of the filling for ach.
ing voids and the money with which
to buy that filling. and q long walk
seemed the only alternative.
Then one Of the lads discovered that
he was the p0ssess0r Of S3.75. Right
then and there the avengers were dis.
banded. They sat down beside the
track and held communion. one with
the other. AT last the council Of peace
came to an end and they hurried C
the station at Waterbury. jusg in time
to catch the train that would bear
than. hounauard They raachod horn