The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1911-08-31

mind. Jackson. and then invite you
to grub" said Frank.
"'Taint no use rustlin' any more
wood that I knows Of. Go ahead and
use II. II you fellers has got airy
milk and sugar n will pass out soma
coffee with 'em I'll be mighty glad
yer come. Hog and hominy's all
right fer a spell. but it gets sickenin'.
Got er plug O. terbaccy?"
Not only did Frank get out the
canned COW and sugar. but he made
biscuits in the Dutch oven and the
eyes of the hunters fairly glistened at
visions Of the feast.
Come ahead. grub's ready" said
he: bring your cups. we haven't
enough to go round"
Never before in any warm country
have seen such appetites.
I've got ter go over ter tn island
now" said Jackson, after eating un-
til there was nothing more to eat. I'D
ask you fellers ter grub with us ef
We had anythin' fer yer"
As his boat approached the island
cloud of birds filled the air. Two
shots were fired and two birds fell
to the water. At intervals through
the afternoon the sound of shots float
| ed over us. and after each one there
was q sudden burst OF flying birds
from tree tops.
That evening we sat In the lee Of
| the camp fire. for the mosquitoes were
legion and the smoke less of an evil
The professor repeated his ques-
tion Of the morning, this time to
Jackson.
Are the mosquitoes always as bad
as this?"
Nope. not arers, but som times
they is a heap worse'n this ere. Red
bugs worries US sometimes, too, and
b'tween 'em things is tough"
Il don't like the killing Of birds.
but I sure think you earn the money
If you live through this sort Of
thing" replied the professor.
Yep. We do. every cent"
Cant you get an easier job"
They amt no other way fer me ter
make er livin' an do 1t thisaway
l amt erlowed ter do it out'r this
beastly place. so | does 1t here. No,
sir. l want ter live jess much as you
do!"
eff you can't leave the place. how
can you carry on the trade?" asked
the curator. There was genuine sym
pathy In his tone, and softened by this
and the spell Of the camp fire. the
man went on:
why. I'm staked fer this work A
man comes down here and puts this
gun inter my hand, gives me hog n
hominy. a little coffee n a lot er
shells. Then he pays me fer the
I plumes I brings him. Tint healthy
fer me ter go none outside, so he
! arranges things. SOS I don't have
ter"
Rotten business-who's at the bot
tom Of it anyhow"
Yer wimmen folk What does
they keer fer us fellers livin' in this
hell down here. er fer the little birds
thet starve ter death because I've shot
their pappys and mammys? | swear
I'd like nothin' buetter'n to show them
wimmen how us fellers got them
plumes. But Lor' tint no manner
er use. they gotter look purity, and
they's goin' ter do it. Let tn young
'uns starve ter DEATH"
I'm dead set against the whole
business, jackson. but when | get
back home Pm going to tell some
people where I think the trouble lies
and it's not with you hunters
either!"
That night the mosquitoes held .
concert around my bar. could hardly
sleep because Of the noise and-be
cause l remembered two hunters with
bars filled with holes.
When We left the camp in the
morning all the sullen. suspicious looi
had come back to the faces Of the
hunters. They were glad to have u,
go. but wondered II they didn't thinl
1t might be safer to plant" us right
there. felt sure they regretted the
thawing out Of the night before un
der the influence Of the camp fire.
What a lifei Can anything b
worse!" said the curator. thinking ou
loud.
Have you-all ever heard tell o. tn,
chain ganE?" asked Frank