Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-01-10
A PLAINS EPISODE.

| PLAINS EPISODE.
How Clusters Dog Came Back to the
Camp.
1t 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 past 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 100 miles away from
camp. We had plenty Of pork, pota-
toes, beans, etc., but we needed fresh
meat The men were in the saddle
about six hours day, covering twenty
to twenty-five miles on the move to
a new camp. Above them was the
same eternal sky, and about them the
changeless prairie, and the monotony
Of both grow on one day after day. 1t
is no wonder that we used to find our
selves doing off while in the saddle.
When camp was reached a buffalo
steak or q little tenderloin Of elk used
TO come in very handy.
Farley the guide and the men Sc
lected as detail had got the mule wag-
on In commission, and we were moving
off, when q greyhound came bounding
toward us from the troop camp. He
was big in bone and muscle. with
plenty Of flesh and his tawny coat
striped with black. He showed form
and quality In every movement, and
we'll he might, for he was one Of a
pair sent as i present to 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 follow
ed us when we left Harker Farley the
guide had received instructions to
look after the dog during Gen. Clusters
absence in the east, and how Farley
had the nerve to allow the dog to come
with us for a months scout cannot
tell. Nevertheless the dog had followed
us, and 1t was Farley's lookout to re-
turn him safely to Harker.
On our second day out the hunting
party was passing over small, low.
range Of hills, when from our crest
we sighted ten antelope, grazing on
the crisp buffalo grass about half a
mile away After approaching as near
as we could without disturbing them,
we left the wagon and men, and Far
gulch, thinking we could make stalk
Of few hundred yards to within
shooting distance. Crawling through
red clay mud and over some Of the
nastiest small, round and Jagged
stones my hands and knees ever came
in contact with, we had worked our
way some distance toward the ante
iope, when, on raising my head to take
a peep at them, turned 1t, and saw
the dog following us, crawling on his
stomach, with eyes dilated and every
fibre in his tawny body quivering with
excitement. BY this time Farley had
seen the antelope about 200 yards
away and had raised his rifle prepared
to shoot when 1 gave the word. Just
as I raised my rifle the dog rushed
between us full tilt after the antelope.
took in the situation at glance and
called;
Farley! Farley! for Gods sake,
don't shoot you'll hit the dog!"
It was too late. In the excitement
he must have pressed the trigger, and
the rifle cracked. saw the dog sud
denly wilt down, stop, turn and then
walk directly back toward us. The
poor hound came slowly up to Farley
with such q look of wonder and love
in his eyes as I have never been able
to get out of my memory. Farley
seemed to be stunned. My God! what
shall do? l shall 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. 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 under the
right shoulder. could no more shoot
that animal than 1 could pull on
human being in cold blood. We made
soft bed Of grass on some flat stones
beside a little running brook, carried
the dog there, and placed him on 1t
as comfortably as we could. Then we
left him, and with tears in our hearts
If not in our eyes slowly returned to
the camp.
Nearly two weeks had passed when
about midnight the camp was all
astir; men running here and there
with lanterns and guns. 1t seemed as
If every coyote on the plains had COL
lected about the camp. What was our
surprise and delight as we came to
the edge of the camp to see the old
hound coming toward US. He was
tottering in his tracks, but still had
life enough in him tn show his gums
drawn back from those sharp cutting
fangs from which more than one coy
ote had suffered on the homeward
march of the brave old hero. Through
miles of painless prairies he had come
back to a home where all welcomed
him.-Forest and Stream.
ORIGIN OF POTATO BUGS.