River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-01-17
How a Scientist Was
Saved from Death
By F. A. MITCHELL.


Copyright, 1917. Western Newspaper Unioa.)
In the olden time, when there was
no travelling facilities west of Chey-
enne except mule, horse or stage coach,
Prof. Norman Asche, whose soft voice
and fair complexion denoted that his
vocation must be probably an
intellectual one-was riding a mule
near the eastern foothills of the Rocky
mountains.
The professor had heard that the
bones of some extinct animal had been
discovered in that region, and he had
been sent out by the university in
which he held the chair Of historic 20
ology TO investigate the discovery.
There were sounds of horses hOOfs
coming rapidly from behind, and man
in 'plains' uniform, viz, sOmbrer0,
wooden shirt and buckskin breaches,
came alongside the professor. On
reaching him this son of the woolly
West surveyed him intently for few
mintes, then said:
stranger, will you do me favor?"
Certainly" replied Asche mildly.
"Here are some trinkets," said the
man, chat belong to my sister. I've
got to go to Colorado Springs. | see
you're headed for Golden City. Would
you mind takin' 'em to her thar"
81 would be very happy to do So"
"She's Mrs. Cundiff. Tell her her
brother Bill sent 'em."
II
watches, several finger-rings and other
| jewelry, and without another word
turned his horses head toward Color
ado Springs and gallOped away.
The next person Professor Asche fell
| in with was a girl riding horse strad-
die. She, too, was typical of the plains.
She struck the road Asche Travelled
from a side road at the same moment
he passed the latter.
s'Mornen, stranger" she said.
"GOod morning" replied the pro-
fessOr, with a pleasant smile.
Denizens of that region at that Pc
Rod on meeting usually began CONVEX
sation by giving each other an account
of what was their business.
'T'm looBin' for some stray mules"
said the girl. "What are you after?'
''The bones Of a mastodon that have
been unearthed hereabout."
"What's that?"
can animal that lived many thou
sands of years ago; before this region
was sea bottom"
'Luny!" muttered the girl to her
self.
care you going to Golden?" asked
the professor.
"After I find my mules, I may go
there"
"Would you mind delivering these
things to a woman who lives there?'
The professor held out the jeWelry
with which he had been intrusted.
''Not much" said the girl, suddenly
changing her manner and putting a
revolver she carried in more reacha-
bic position. "Who are you, anyway
You can't be a road agent. And sure
them things was TUX from somebody"
Professor Asche told her how he had
acquired the jewelry, and while he
was doing so sounds of a number of
| horses hO0fs were heard coming from
a distance. A dozen mounted men
came up and asked if the professor or
the girl had seen anything OF suspi-
cious characters. The Denver coach
had been robbed few hours before.
The girl saw at once that the coach
robber, expecting capture, had shifted
! his plumber to the lunatic, as she sup
posed him to be, but realizing that
the said lunatic story would not be ac-
copied, she said nothing. The pro-
fessor had put the jewelry back in his
pocket, but unknowingly left a gold
| chain dangling without. One of the
men espied it, and in a few minutes
all the plumber was taken possession OF
| by the vigilance committee.
The committee did not doubt that
the professor, if not the perpetrator Of
the robbery, was at least trying to get
| away with the plumber, and were for
hanging him at once. Fortunately,
there was not tree in sight. Some
were for shooting him, and some were
for decapitating him. While they were
discussing the matter, the girl was
planning for his defense. Presently
she said:
"Gents, before you separate this yere
little feller's spirit from his body, will
you allow me to ask him some ques-
tions?"
"Fire away!' said the head man OF
the vigilance committee.
mister, didn't you say that whar
we're standin' was oncet the bottom OF
the sea?''
eyes, I did, said the professor.
"What are you doin' in these parts?''
/ ST came out from the East to exam
Inc the bones of a mastodOn.'
"What's mastodon?"
can animal larger than an elephant
that lived many thousand years ago.
"And didn't you say that fash noun
tain was made by the washing of water
around it?''