Baxter Springs news., 1919-01-17

~ WNhilMEN
"BIast My DeadlIuhts, n It Aln't
Poor Dogl"
you're on q lee shore, and In q sorry
plight"
Oh, what a relief those words were
to us!
With the candle In one hand and a
dark object under his arm, BIZ re-
turned and deposited In our midst the
sorriest- looking specimen Of cur dog
You ever set eyes on. II was 30 weak
II couldn't stand. But that look In Its
eyes-just gratitude, plain gratitude.
Its stump of tail was pounding
against my mess tin. and sounded just
like message In the Morse code. Hap
py swOre that 1t was sending s. o. 3.
We were like a lot Of school chill
dren, every one wanting to help and
making suggestions at the same time.
Hungry suggested giving 1t something
TO eat. while Ikey wanted to play oil
his Internal jew's-harp, claiming 1t was
q musical dog. Hungry's suggestion
met our approval. and there was a
general scramble for haversacks. All
we could muster was some hard bread
and big piece Of cheese.
His nibs wouldn't eat bread, and also
refused the cheese, but not before sniff
| fing at Il for q couple Of minutes. l
was going to throw the cheese away,
but Hungry said he would take 1t. 1
gave 1t to him.
We were In a Quandary. IT was evil
dent that the dog was starving and In
a very weak condition. Its coat was
lacerated all over, probably from the
bites of rats. That stump Of O tall
kept sending S. o. S. against my mess
tin. Every tap went straight to our
hearts. We would get something to
eat for that mutt II we were shot Tor
It.
Sailor Bill volunteered to burglar
lie the quartermasters stores for a
can of unsweetened condensed milk.
and left on his perllous venture. He
was gone about twenty minutes. Dur
Ing his absence. with the help OF Q
bandage and a capsule Of iodine. we
cleaned the wounds made by the rats.
have bandaged many q wounded
Tommy, but never received the amount
of thanks that that dog gave with Its
eyes.
Then the billet door opened and Sail
or Bill appeared. He looked like the
wreck of the Hesperus, uniform torn
covered with dirt and -four, and Q
beautiful black eye, but he was smil'
ing, and in his hand he carried the
precious can Of milk. We asked nc
questions, but opened the can. Just "a
we were going to pour 1t out Happy
butted In and said 1t should be mixed
with water; he ought to know, because
his sister back In Bllghty had baby
and she always mixed water with its
milk. We could not dispute this evil
dence, so water was demanded. We
would not use the water In our watel
bottles, as 1t was not fresh enongh
for our new mate. Happy volunteered
to get some from the well, that Is, II
we would promise not to feed his rOyaI
highness until he returned. We prom
ised, because Happy had proved thai
he was IN authority on the feeding ol
babies. BY this time the rest Of thu
section were awake and were crowd
ing around us, asking numerous ques
tions and admlring our newly found
friend. Sailor Bill took this OppOrtun
ity to tell Of his adventures while II
quest Of the milk.
81 had q faIr wind. and the passag'
; wus good until l came alongside tn
quartermaster's shack, then the sea
got rough. When got aboard could
hear the wind blowing through the
rigging of the supercargo (Quartermas'
ter sergeant snOrlng), so ! was safe
} set my course due north to the ra'
ton hold, and got my graphing irons
on a cask of milk, and came about on
: nv homeward-bOund passage, but
! something was amIss with my wheel
because ran nose on into him. caught
, him on the rail, amldshlps. Then II
; was repel bOarders, and 1t started tc
. blow big guns. His first shot put ou'
! my starboard light, and ] keeled over
} was In the trough Of the sea, bu'
} soon righted, and then It was q stern
chase, with me In the lead. Getting In
} to the open Sea, ] made q port tacl
, and hove to In this cove with th'
! milk safely in tow"
: Most Of us didn't know what he wal
: talking about, but surmised that h'
had got into a mixup with the quarter
} master sergeant. This surmise proVet
] correct.
Just as Bill finished his narration
, loud splash was heard. and Happy
! voice came to us. II sounded very "a