The Green Forest tribune., 1909-11-05
A Drink From the Hassayampa
By GEORGE BRIDGES RODNEY
4ra.u. h I E Iippneo

Copyright, by J. We sat upon the porch of the big gest liar in the southwest but one and | listened to him. The sun was drop ping slowly behind the shoulder or | the San Francisco peaks, and the cold | mountain twilight-for it is cold there even in June-was upon us. Conversation turned upon trout' whereon our host said much. Do you know man named Wllkln- son on the Ouray agency?' asked someone.
 Don't talk to me about Wilkinson, the old man grunted out between puffs of his pipe. Him an me camped three weeks once on the headWaters of the Hassayampa-"
 He fell into silence.
 "Well?"
 An anybody what's ever drunk the waters of the Hassayampa can't tell the truth.
 q never drunk the waters there, he added hastily. q had other stuff to drink; but Wilkinson, he must we drunk barrel-nigh foundered hls- self Don't make no difference though; everybody believes him, an he tells em the wust kind O lies an says l said it.''
 Somebody asked a question.
 "Course I Il tell ye." His eyes twinkled as he looked at the group on the porch. An this here ain't a lie. It s the solemn truth, an it s got moral that ye can see fur yerself. You know that timber-wolf skin that s on the dinin'-room floor? Well, just about five year ago 1 killed that wolf up on the Black mesa, an l skinned him an brought it home. That night the ambulance came in, takin' the new commandin' officer from the rail road to Fort Jewell. There was quite party of 'em an they was right hungry"
 Remembering his qualities as a host we one and all licked our lips, knowing what that party must have had.
 "He was a man I'd knowed 25 year 
 before, when he was a lieutenant, an ole days when Grey Fox pushed the Apaches to the aidge O the mesa an made the country fit fur white men. While we was yarnin' he seen that wolf-hide an he says: 'Gum! he says, where d you git that? d like to git one just fur looks sake
 "'You can often git em about here now I says, unthinkin' an meanin' only to be polite.
 Mex mornin' got up early 'tendin' to go down to the creek to get some trout fur the ole man. When I started out O the door, I tripped over that blamed hide an fell into a bucket O. kindlin' wood, an knocked enough skin off n my shins to make a second lieutenant O infantry. Hang that hide!' I says, an kicked it off n the porch. When I come back it was just bout daylight, an that skin looked so natural lyin' under a bush that blamed if it did n't make me jump That put the idee into my fool head :; so took the skin an cut little sap, lin an stuck it in the ground just be. hind big pine log. Then I took the skin an stretched it over the saplin' so the line O the back just showed over the log. To make it look more natural, sticks the nose an fore paws out beyond the end O the log an puts dead chicken under the paws. When I gifts back on the porch, blamed if did mt want to take shot | at it myself. But l did n't. I went an knocked at the majors door.
 "'Who is it?' says he.
 "'Me,' says I, am if you want to git a gray wolf come down quick I says.
 With that l hears the bed shake, an then he like to knocked the chiny ornaments off n the dinin'-room man. tel jumpin' out O bed. He was in his bare feet an he only had on some kin of white shimmy thing that come down to his knees. Gosh! but he | looked odd.
 '1 showed my 4590 Winchester into his hand an says: Come on: he $ after the chickens When the ole man seen that wolf's back, he says: Cad! man, he's as big as a ox!'
 Sneak down in the grass an shoot him in the back says I.
 "I wish you could we seen him. There was heavy frost on the grass an the ole man just wallered in if "Bime-by he gets a good place an, he says: How fur away is it, Jim?'
 Sixty yards,' says I; shoot, man. | shoot!'
 with that she went off, an I seen the major stan up an pull down the tail O his shimmy, an look kin n, 1 funny.
 bod blame it!' says he; look at that!'
 'The bullet just natchally throwed that skin two feet in the air. The olo man took one look at it an then looks at me. l was leanin' up agin tbe porch post holdin' my sides an, | gaspin'.
 "'You got him. says I; won eot him first shot. You skinned him alive i,
 "'Got hell!' says he Durn vou an,