The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-06-29
BURIED BONES
BY ELLIS PARKER BUTLER
Copyright 1913 by the Newspaper syndicate)

Chi Foxy started on the long thirty
mile walk from Deriingport to River
bank. He was pushed across the city
line by a big policeman and ordered
not to come back. And at shutdown he
had gone seven miles and made his
bed in a convenient haystack. During
the night the air suddenly chilled, and
Chi Foxy knew 1t was time to hunt
winter quarters.
Riverbank had a new and comfortable
Jail. 1t was a county Jail. run by the
sheriff, and the sheriff was paid so
much a day by the town for any pris-
oners placed in the Jail by the town
authorities. This was a pleasant ar
rangement for the prisoners. When
the town had turned a prisoner over
to the sheriff the towns interest ended,
and when the sheriff received a
"boarder" and was sure Of his pay he
had no reason to treat the prisoner
harshIy. It had become a tramp
maxim. eff possible. get four months
in the Riverbank jail when winter ar
rives." So Chi Foxy continued toward
Riverbank.
He walked slowly, and night found
him on the outskirts of the town. He
begged hand-out from one Of the
small houses on his way and hunted
place to spend the night. He found 1t
underneath a tool-house alongside the
railway tracks. The dollhouse stood
with its front almost touching the
ends of the ties. while the rear stood
on a pile of criss cross ties. built up
on the sandy ground, which was lower
than the raised roadbed of the railway.
The ties made an open-work basement
for the dollhouse, and that 1t had
been used as sleeping quarters by other
tramps was shown by the heap OF
crushed straw, the bread-crusts, and
the remnants of a small fire.
Just outside the rear Of his tie sleep
ing quarters ran the wire right way
fence. which was also the back fence
of small piece of property on which
stood a rickety old house. The house
was devoid OF paint and probably never
had been painted, but 1t was a cheer
full sight from where Chi Foxy re-
clined. He had a clear view Of the
kitchen window, from which the light
came in a yellow glow. and he could
see a woman cooking something in
frying pan on kitchen stove. A man
sat beside the stove, his elbows on his
knees. waiting for supper.
Chi Foxy almost decided to climb the
fence and knock at the door of the
kitchen at the moment the woman
took the frying pan off the stove, but
he was feeling we'll filled and COM
Portable. and he decided to wait and
to use tie house as his breakfastfng
place. This required no little strength
of character. for the perfume of fried
veal chops was waited to his nostrils,
but he held himself in hand, and when
he had burned his pipeful Of tobacco
he curled down and went to sleep.
He was awakened by the sound OF
voices near at hand and peered out
between the ties. The night was not
dark. There was no moon, but the
myriad bright October stars gave SUI
fcient light to enable Chi Foxy to
see. AS he looked he was able to
see even more plainly. The voices had
come from a man and a woman, and
as Chi Foxy watched them the man
began digging in the sandy soil with
spade. He made quite hole in the
soil and turned to the woman.
Hand me the bag" he said.
The woman dragged a heavy gunny-
sack to the edge of the hole. The man
UNFINISHED the neck of the bay and up
ended 1t over the hole. There fol-
lowed a rattle of bones. one striking
against the other, and the man handed
the bag back to the woman. Chi Foxy
peered eagerly at the hole He saw
bones. He looked up at the stars and
saw 1t must be we'll after midnight
He saw the man hastily spade the soft
soil over the bones, saw him scatter
loose dry top sand over the completed
Job. and saw the man and woman
hurry back to the dark house.
Say! What do you thing of that?"
he said to himself. and turned over to
finish his nights rest.
The next morning, or when the sun
was well up in the east Chi Foxy
left his reasing place and climbed over
h. T. ,-1r
at the spot where the weird burial
had taken place. and went on toward
the house. ribbon of blue smoke
was coming from the kitchen chimney,
blown toward the south. and the breeze
that drove the smoke was chill and
keen enough to make Chi Foxy turn
his head away from 1t. He knocked at
the door, and 1t was opened by the
mana tall. lanky, coarse bearded
specimen.
Say. friend. how about givin' fell
Ter some breakfast" said Chi Foxy.
How bout it. MAJ" asked the man,
turning his head. Got some breakfast
for this fellor?"
Let him set on the step and kin
hand him out some coffee and some
meat, If that'll do him" she said. And
Chi Foxy seated himself. The break
fast she brought him in a Clipped
plate was all he could have desired.
There was a half of veal outlet,
Drowned to a nicely. a portion of fried
potatoes. a thick slice of break with
out butter. and cup of coffee. Chi
Foxy ate and drank.
Thanks. folks he said. It won't
fergit you" And he continued on his
way toward Riverbank He meant to
get himself arrested before night and
turned over to the keeper of the best
Jail in Iowa 1t was business matter,
Just as some wealthy man might set
about securing a room in winter re-
sort Chi Foxy had handled this bust
ness before. The routine was to walk
into town until he met a policeman
The policeman would warn him to get
out Of town-'vagrants not allowed"
Instead Of getting out of town he would
continue toward the center of the
town, and another policeman would