Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-19


Philips, each "tenderfoot" OF the ex-
tremist character, friends Of business
connections in the east, who were |
spending their vacation with Matt |
land, shared IN the general devotion; |
to say nothing of George the cook and |
Pete, the packer and horse wrangler. |
Philips, who was an old acquaint- !
ance OF Ends, had tried his luck with !
her back east and had sense enough
to accept as final his failure. Brad
shaw was a solemn young man with
out that keen sense OF humor which
was Characteristic OF the west. The
others were suitably dressed for ad-
venture, for Bradshaw's idea OF an ap-
propriate costume was distinguished
chiefly by long green felt puttees
which swathed his huge calves and
excited curious inquiry and ribald
comment from the surprised denizens
/ of each mountain hamlet through
which they had passed, to all of which
( Bradshaw remained serenely Obvious.
| The young man, who does enter espe-
cially into this tale, was a vestryman
of the church in his home in the
suburbs Of Philadelphia. His piety
had been put to a severe strain in the
mountains.
That day everybody had to work on
the trsil-everybody wanted to for
that matter. The hardest labor con-
sisted in the driving of the burros.
Unfortunately there was no good and
trained leader among them through
an unavoidable mistake, and the camp
ers had great difficulty in keeping the
burros on the trail. To Arthur Brad
shaw had been allotted the most OBJ
stinate, cross-grained and determined
OF the unruly band, and old Kirkby
and George paid particular attention
to instructing him in the gentle art
of manipulating him over the rocky
mountain trail.
WALL" said Kirkby with his some
what languid, drawing, nasal voice,
that there burro's like a ship witch
often seed 'em wen I was kid down
east afore I come out TO Gods coun-
try. Nature has peTvided EN- with a
kind of hellum. l remember If you
wanted the boat to go to the right
you showed the hellum over to the
left. ta'boad an port was the terms
as / recollects EN-. It's Jest the same
with burros, you takes 'em by the
!. tiller, that's by the tail, git a good
tight twist on it an eff you want him
to head to the right, slew his stern
sheets around to the left, an you got
, to be keerful you don't git no kick
back witch eff 1t lands on you is worse
|, n the ree-coil of a mule"
Arthur faithfully followed direc
: lions, narrowly escaping the outraged
. brute's small but sharp pointed heels
: on occasion. His efforts not being
. productive of much success, finally IN
his despair he resorted to brute
/. strength: be would pick the little ami
4 NAL up bodily. pack and all-he was q
, man of powerful physique-and swing
2 him around until bis head pointed in
. the right direction; then with prayer
a that the burro would keep it there fol
$ a few rods anyway. he would set him
\ down and start him all over again
4 The process oft repeated became mo
a notonous after awhile. Arthur was &
!. slow thinking man, deliberate in &C
a ton; he stood 1t as long as he possibly
y could. Kirkby, who rode one horse
and led two others, and therefore wal
/, exempt from burro driving, observed
= him with great interest. He and Brad
!, shaw had strayed way behind the res
OF the party.
. At last Arthur's resistance, patienc,
). and piety, strained to the breakin,
= point. gave way suddenly. Primitiv,
instincts rose to the surface and over
whelmed him like a food. He de
liberately sat down on a fallen ire,
!, by the side OF trail, the burro halt
:. ing obediently, turned and faced hin
:. with hanging head, apparently con
: scious that he merited the disapprc
baton that was being heaped upol
him, for from the desperate tender
foot there burst forth so amazing, g.
fluent, 80 comprehensive a torrent O
assorted profanity. that even the oil
past master in obturation was aston
ished and bevildered. Where di
Bradshaw, mild and inoffensive, ge
It? His proficiency would have az
palled his rector and amazed his fe
low vestrymen. Not the Jackdaw c
Rheims himself was so cursed as tina
little burro. Kirkby sat on his hors
in fits of silent laughter until tn
tears ran down his cheek, the onl
outward and visible expression Of hi
mirth.
Arthur only stopped when he Ia
thoroughly emptied himself, possibl
Of an accumulation of years OF repre-
sion.
Wall" said Kirkby. you sure d
overmatch any one l ever heard we
, It comes to cursin'; wy, you coul
! gimme cards an spades an beat m
d an I was thought to have some gt
hathaway IN the old days"
Il didn't begin TO exhaust myself
answered Bradshaw. shortly. "an
what 1 did say didn't equal the stu
" ton. I'm going home"
q, Il wouldn't do that" urged the o.
A. man. Here. you take the horses a
a I'll tackle the burrO."
~ Gladly" said Arthur. II wou
~ rather ride an elephant and drive
:, herd OF them than waste another mi
a. ute on this internal little mule"
an The story was too good to kee
an and around the camp FIRE that mig
N. Kirkby dTawled It forth. There was
an freedom and easiness Of intercourse
had the caun u-bfcb v-ns natural s1oug