The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1906-06-08

we started north on the biggest fool
expedition that ever was. but pa was
as earnest and excited as Peary plan.
ming a north pole expedition. and as
busy as a boy killing snakes After
the cowboys and the scientists had
tried 20 get pa 20 make his will before
he went, and got the addresses who're
pa wanted our remains sent 10 in
case OF our being found dried up on
the prairie, and our bones polished
by wolves, we were on the move, and
pa was so happy you would think he
had already found a live dinosaurs,
and had him in a cage
For four days we rode along up
and down foothills, and divides. and
small mountains, and all tho time pa
was telling the boys how. after we
had located our dlnosauruses, we
would 90 back east and organize an
expedition with derricks and cages as
big as a house. and come back and
drive the animals In. And when we
got them with the show people we
would run trains hundreds Of miles
TO see the rarest animals any show
ever exhibited TO a discriminating pub
lie. and We could charge five dollars
for tickets. and people would mob
each other TO get up TO the ticket
wagon. Then the boys would wink
at each other, and tap their foreheads
with their fingers. and look at pa az
though they expected he would break
out violently insane any minute.
Finally we got up on a high ridge.
and o beautiful. fertile valley was un-
folded TO our view, and Bill. the cow
boy who had had his herd Of steers
eaten by the dinosaurus, said that
was the place, and he began to shiveI
like he had the ague He said he
wouldn't 90 any farther without an
other hundred dollars, and pa asked
the other cowboys II they were afraid.
too. and they said they we're little
scared. but for another hundred dol
lars they would forget it. forget their
families, and go down into the death
valley.
Pa paid them the money. and we
went down into the valley, and rode
along. expecting TO jump a flock OF
dinosauruses any minute, but the val
ley was as still as death. and pa said
TO Bill "Why don't you bring on
your dinosauruses," and Bill said be
guessed bg the time We got up 10 the
far end OF the valley we would see
something that would make us stand
without hitching.
We went on towards where the val
ley came to a point where there
seemed TO be a hole in the side OF
the mountain. when all Of a sudden
four or five gun shots were heard, and
four Of our horses dropped dead IN
their tracks. and about a dozen men
come out OF the hole in the wall and
told us TO hold up our hands, and
when We did so they took our guns
away and told US TO come in out OF
the wet
We went into a cave and found that
we had been captured by Currys gans
of train robbers, who made their head
quarters in the hole In the wall. The
leader searched pa and took all his
money. and told us TO make ourselves
at home. Pa protested, and said he
was an old Snowman who had come
to the valley looking for the supposed
to-be-exsinct dinosaurs, to capture
one for the show. and the leader OF
the gang said he was the only dl
nosaurus there was. but he hadn't
been captured Then the leader
slapped our cowboys on the shoulders
and told them they had done a good
lob to bring into camp such rich
old codger as pa was. and then we
found that the cowboys belonged &c
Curry's gang. and had roped pa liz
in order TO get a ransom.
The leader asked pa about how
much he thought his friends at the
east could raise TO get him out, and
when pa found he was In the hands
of bandits, and that the dinosaurs
mine was salted, and he had been
made a fool Of. he said to me. Hen
merry. now. honest, between man and
man. wouldn't this skin you?"
began 10 cry and said: PA,
both of us are skun. How are we
going to get out of this?" and pa said
ssWafrh me"