The Cairo bulletin., 1908-06-06
-.-4-s T ~
A Plains Episode
How Clusters Dog Came
Back to the Camp

II was fine clear, bracing morn
ing In the last week OF September
when our shooting party broke camp
on a fork OF the Republican River to
go in search of meat for the troop.
The pact week had been rainy and
wet and supplies OF flesh food were
running low. They generally do
when you have TO get enough fresh
meat for 100 men, and when the base
OF supplies is about one hundred
miles away from the camp. We had
plenty of pork, potatoes. beans, Sc..
bat we needed fresh meat. The men
We're In the saddle about six hours q
de-, covering twenty to twenty-five
Above them was the same eternal sky
ana about them the changeless prai-
RE, and the monotony of both grew
on one day after day. 1t Is no Won
der that we used to find ourselves
doing off while In the saddle. When
camp was reached, buffalo steak or
little tenGerloin of elk used to come
In v-ry handy.
Farley the guide and the men Sc
lected AS detail had got the mule
wagon in commission, and We were
moving off, when a greyhound came
bounding toward us from the troop
camp. He was big in bone and mus
Gle. with plenty Of flesh, and his
tav'ny coat striped with black. He
showed form and quality in every
movement, and we'll he might. for
he was one of pair sent as present
20 Gen. Custer by Queen Victoria.
do not care much for greyhounds.
but this dog was the special pet of
all the men IN the troop. He had
followed MS when we left Harker.
Falley the guide had received in
structions to look after the dog dur
ing Gen. Clusters abse-.ce in the East,
and how Farley had the nerve to al
low the dog to come with us for
months scout | cannot tell. Never
theless the dog had followed us, and
II was FaIley's lookout TO return him
safe to Harker.
On our second day out the hunting
part was passing over small, low
range of hills, when rom their crest
we sighted ten antelope, grazing on
the crisp buffalo grass about half
mile away. After approaching as
near as we could without disturbing
them we left the wagon and men.
ard Farley and | dropped down into
little gulch. thinking we could
mara stalk of few hundred yards
TO Within shooting distance. Crawl
ing through red clay mud and over
sor of the nastiest small round and
ever came in contact with, we had
worked our way some distance to-
ward the antelope, when on raising
my head to take peep at them,
turn I'd and saw the dog following us,
crawling on his stomach, with eyes d.
lated, and every fibre in his tawny
body quiyering with excitement. BY
this time Earle had seen the ante
lope about 200 yards away and had
raised his rife prepared to shoot
wheT | gave the ord. Just as I
raised my rife the dog rushed be-
tween US full tilt after the antelope.
| took in the situation at a glance
ana called:
Farley! Farley! for Gods sake,
don't shoot; you'll hit the dog"
II was too late. In the excitement
he mus, have pressed the trigger and
the rife cracked. law the dog sud
denly wilt down. step. turn, and then
walk slowly back toward us. The
poor hound came slowly up to Far
le with such a look of wonder and
love In his eyes as | have never been
alb TO get out OF my memory. Far
ley seemed 10 be unnei. my God.
what shall | do3 l have shot the
Generals dog. The men will never
forgive me. Take your revolver and
put him out of his misery. I can't
shoot him. l never can face the
General again"
The ball had entered the dog at
the root OF the tail and passed clear
through him, coming out at the right
shoulder. / could no more shoot
that animal than | could pull on
human being in cold blood. We made
a soft bed of grass on some fiat stones
beside little running brook. carried
the log there, and placed him on it
as comfortably as We could. Then
We left him. anu with tears in our
hearts II not in our eyes slowly re-
turn I to the mule wagon with our
bad news and so back to the camp.
Nearly two weeks had passed when
sDou. midnight the camp was all
astir: men running here and there
with lanterns and guns. 1t seems as
II every coyote on the plains had
collected about the camp. What was
our surprise and delight as We came
to the edge of the camp to see the
old hound coming towards us. He
was lettering In his tracks, but still
had life In him to show his gums
drawn back showing those sharp cut
ting fangs from which more than
one coyote had suffered on the home
ward march of the brave old hero.
Through miles OF painless prairies he
had come back to home where all
welcomed him.-Forest and Stream.