The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-19
Only in the Land of Dreams
LOLA SCOTT

Individually the Gang consisted of
the Captain, the Aid de Camp Tor. 10
use the Gangs less conventional pro-
nunciation. the aid the Kamp" and
one private; for the Captain had
thought it well to have a military sys-
tenn of organization. The Captain and
the Aid de Camp had each seen the
fullness of eleven summers. The Phi
Vate had experienced only nine.
The Gangs ultimate destination was
to be the Indian country, stronghold Of
SiX-ShOoter Sam. the most recklessly
daring, elusory bandit in the Territory
and tiIe Captains most adored Zero. to
whom the Captain intended Offering the
Gangs services and swearing fealty.
For, to state the situation simply but
thriliingly. the Gang was running
away" No more would they be daily
incarcerated in the abhoTcnt Institution
erected by Srown-ups for the torture Of
the young commonly called a school
house. No more would they bow in
calling submission To orders to do the
chores, reduce the woodpila, hoe the pc
tatOes, ct cetera, commanded by pater-
nal tyrants who seemed to think
cause they happened To be born faith
ers TO their kids they could make them
do all the work while they sat round
falkland boss as the Captain de-
clared Indignantly to the Aid de Camp.
They had been on their triumphant
course for several hours, having made
most successful getaway, and the
day was not well into the afternoon,
The Captain. his shoulders majestic
ally back and his stomach out, sat i'm
posingly on his mount, diminutive pct
burro, known Gignifiedly as William.
satisfaction to him. however. He felt
that by virtuc of his rank the steel
occupied by the rest Of the Gang, a
horse, should be his. But William
forcibly though briefly. objected f.
carrying double, and 1he Gangs funds
had beer sufficient To purchase but one
equine. so he had resolved that to ride
en- solitaire on I've ourro with its proud
caparison OF a - Idle which lacked only
its horn. padding and one stirrup,
would be more seemly than to share the
finer mount with che % MS men.
At present the Captain was lost in
his ambitious dreams. But with Pri-
vate Bill Osborne things We're not well.
He had never been on horseback more
than ten minutes in all his life before
that day. He had ridden fourteen
miles since morning, without saddle or
blanket Although he was a fat little
hoy, he was. To say the least, very ui-
happy. The horse was a tall. stat
uesque steed. With an air of ausIere
melancholy and a backbone that knew
no discrimination The Captain had
Christened her Oklahoma Belle. afJe, Il
local raceUack favorite. Okl1hOma
Belle had passed into the Gangs pos
session from that OF a nomadiC h-nsC
trader for the consideration of two dol
lars aud S6Venty-tiVe cents, ana Il IL
The Gangs business acumen Justice {
must be said that she was worth the
money. The Captain felt superlatively
proud of the puTchasa. The Aid de
Camp, though ne was not what yon
could call an equestrian ana Bellies
long less consumed aim with terror
nevertheless WAS th-'tied b cause she
was his mount. But Private Bill, who
shared ucr seating capacity With the
Ala de CanD. ha1 regarded Belle with
antagOnism from the outset In her
usual pace. one OF great ds.liberateneSS.
her long. uncertainty jointad limbs
worked with stilt-like movement that
gave him the hicCoughs ami a crick in
his side: whenever she indulsej in a
hurst OF speed she trOtted in \ way
that Jared his very soul.
I'm a-going 10 set sideways - ne an
uounced defiantly: I've got to" Deter
minedly he drew no a chubby leg. With
conduct scarcely sanctioned by mill
taTy etiquette as that becoming an Of
ficer and a gentleman, his frightened
superior gave him a gOuge in the ribs
with his elbow that made his eyes
water,
Nav, you amt, no such stuff. Cit it
back there. Whatd / tell you hCut
5c-ousin' round? First thing you're
guin' 10 pull Us both off" declared the
Aid de Camp Wrathfully
Anguishediy the Private resettled to
his old posture We'll. | don't care il
YOU are an aid-de-kamp." he snuiflel
Il guess if you was as stiff and ne.
wored through as | am you couldn't s..
still neither. You've got all the gunny-
sack under you. n she amt near 50
poor up where YOU are neither" he re-
preached. Then, appealingly, IF you
kids'd so slow enough, SOS could Keep
up. I'd get off n walk a while"
Hearing his snuffles. the Captain. on
ahead, refined in his mount He as
sumed a high military pose. He ad-
dressed his staff. "Aid-the- kamp," he
began grandfather paused, searching
for a beseeming interrogatory. Aid
de-kamp. what ailest our-our man be-
hind thou?"
The Abide kamp" shifted misera bly,
IN his seat. He was utterly at loss
for becoming reply.
"AW, he got foxy, N l punched him
one he explained desperately.
"Aw, he keeps a jabbin' me all the
time, protested the indignant Private.
He won't let me move ner nOthin'."
The Captain regarded them aggrived-
" You kids don't do it right at all, -
he reproached. You ought to slute
n say"
1t Will never be known what they
ought to have said, for ere he finished
the Captains jaw dropped. His gaze
fixed affrightedly on a nearby HILL
down which was bowling a red-geared
buggy drawn by a roam horse travelling
at lively gait
ITS papa. kids" he gasped. Hes
after me-! He looked wildly about
Make for the crick,r he commanded.
An abandoned road led TO a creek to
the right Into this lie urged William,
who responded CALAMITY. A short dis
tance along, however the bundle of
eommissary supplies fastened to the
saddle loosened AS il bobbed about.
it tickled a spot on Williams back-a
spot which he greatly enjoyed having
tickied, and of which treatment he was
accustomed TO show his appreciation