The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-05-15
HE,cOLONEL PAYS
BY FREDERICK WALWoRTH
BROWN.
Copyright

Muse. he was our cOlOnel tlll ne was
transferred for staff duty, an a ram
pageous old porpoise he was. too"
Cut 1t out" said Corporal Toplatch.
Don't | know him? Amt | took his
lip many's the time? Get along to the
snakes"
We'll then, 1t was old Blue Noses
lip that brought on the rio.. We'd sat
down in cantonments, an they SEN US
a batch o. the rawest rockies that ever
signed away their souls for love o.
their country. d company's draft was
a bunch to sicken a steer. An Chislett
set me to drillin' EN-.
Il drilled 'em an | drilled 'em an l
drilled EN- till I'd wore the soles off
my boots, an they'd still go seven ways
for Sunday when | rave 'em an order.
Then along comes old Blue Nose stalk
in cross the parade, with a look on
him like he'd bit or a worm. He stops
an watches the sheep | was herdin' an
then he steps nearer. | halts the
squad and comes to attention.
How long have you had 'em, SER
geant?' he says.
Three days, sir | tells him.
well, you're a darn DOOR drill mas.
ter, then. says he, an tramps off.
We'll, say, l could "a ct him alive
right then, an relished him. The rock
les were a snickerin' behind my back,
an | was wor to the raw with EN-
anyway; an, one thing an another. /
just put that away on ice, in my cold
storage plant, an swore I'd get hunky
with old Blue Nose or die tryin'.
Later, d company was sent up in
the Bengalong district to keep the
peace an after we'd been there a
spell along comes old Blue Nose an
allows he'll make us his headquarters
for a while which we had no use for
him, but couldn't lose him. He brought
his wife with him, she havin' just come
out, an bein' crazy to see the coun-
try.
Say she had him cowed. He was
the little dog under the wagon. She
was a pill, she was. with the sugar
coatin' wore of. An old Blue Nose
took 1t out on US.
well, anyway. he brought her up to
Bengalong to pacify her, IN after he
got her there he had to provide con-
tinuous amusemen to keep her paci-
fed That's how it happened that he
picked up a Hindu snake charmer
down in the bazaar an hiked him an
his fang-drawed reptiles up to canton
ments
He was one o. these here dreamy
eyed little heather, with a sun-Daked
complexion an a scraggly white beard.
i happened to see old Blue Nose a hik-
in this outcast from Injua's coral
strand down toward the officers row.
watched him doin' his stunts in the
bazaar.
Things were horrible quiet round
the barracks. an it seemed a shame
for to let such a chance for excite
ment escape. Here was a Hindu
heather, with twenty-five or more per-
fectly reptiles, right in our
midst. An here was the boys in bar
racks a needin' something bad, to take
their minds of the thought o. bein'
sold into slavery for three years; an,
besides. | had that score chalked up
against old Blue Nose.
at was a Ease of your Uncle Jarvey
On the job. l sat down in the shade,
an studied how to get them two in
gradients o. turmoil properly mixed up.
Well. | sat there for mebbe an hour
watchin' the veranda where the fakir
was a dom of his stunts, an the little
red al yellow reptile ever an anon
stickin' his tail in his mouth"
Jaw. cut it OUT" came from the
corporal.
by an by the Hindu packed his
squirms in the basket again, made his
little salaam an backed off. On the
way he had to pass me. When he
came opposite l held up a quarter to
him an motioned to hin to sit down.
What / want to know is this, |
says. Are their fangs drawed?'
Are their fangs drawed?' say /,
an made gu to pull one O. my front
teeth. Also l showed him the quarter
again.
with that he reached into the bas-
ket, casual-like, an fetched out four
or five feet O. reptile by the neck He
pried open it's jaws an showed where
the teeth had been pulled.
Good says i. They look danger
Gus, but amt
Then | pointed out the barracks to
him an gave him his instructions. He
took his quarter, an made tracks with
dignity. while l went of to pave the
way for doin's which was TO ~paralyze
all the blue devils IN cantonments. an
at the same time. square up my ac-
count with the colonel
Casey was with us then You re-
member Casey, the little red-headed
Mick, who was game to fight anything
up to an elephant! Sure YOU do. Well.
nunto nm Docov an pufc ~ m MIN