The Washington herald., 1921-01-09

ready-made Martini by the coioneTs
plate, and called him 20 grub.
Col Rockingham drew up his
campstool, wiped of his specs, and
looked at the things on the table.
Then I thought he was swearing,
and / felt mean because I hadn't
taken more pains with the victuals.
But he wasn't: he was asking a
blessing. and me and Caligula hung
our heads, and / saw a tear drop
from the coloners eye into his
cocktail.
never saw a man eat with so
much earnestness and application
not hastily, like a srammarian, or
one of the canal, but slow and ap-
precistive, like a anaconda, or q real
vive bonjour.
In An hour and a half the colonel
leaned back. ! brought him a pony
Of brandy and his black coffee, and
set the box OF Havana regslias on
the table.
"Gentlemen." says he. blowing out
the smoke and trying to breathe II
back again, when we view the eter-
nal hills and the smiling and beneh-
cent landscape and reflect upon the
goodness OF the Creator who"
there's some business to attend "a
now" and I brought out paper and
pen and ink and laid 'em before
him. who do you want to send tc
for the money!" / asks.
Il reckon" says he, after think.
ing a bit, ito the vice president OF
cur railroad, at the general ofices
Of the company in Edenville."
How far is II 70 Edenviile from
hereT' I asked.
About ten miles" says he.
Then ! dictated these lines, anc
Col. Rockingham wrote them out:
am kidnapped and held a pris-
oner by two desperate outlaws in
place which is useless to attempt
to ind. They demand 10000 al
once for my release. The amount
must be raised Immediately. and
these directions followed Come
alone with the money to STONY
Creek, which runs out OF BlacktoI
Mountains. Follow the bed Of the
creek till you come to a big fat rocE
on the left bank, on which is
marked a cross in red chalk Stand
on the rock and wave 4 white flag
A guide will come 70 you and con.
duct you to where I am held. Lost
| no time.
After the colonel had finished this
he asked permission 70 tack On &
postscript about how white he wa,
| being treated, so the railroad
wouldn't feel uneasy in its bosom
about him. We agreed TO that. H,
wrote down that he had just hat
| lunch with the two desperate ruf
| fans; and then he set down thu
| whole bill OF fare, from cocktails e
coffee. He wound up with the re,
| mark that dinner would be read,
about 6. and would probably be I
more Iicentious and Incorporate af.
| fair than lunch.
Ne and Caligula read II, and de,
cided to let it go for we, being
| cooks, were amenable TO praise
though It sounded out Of place OF
a sight draft for $4,000.
I took the letter over to the Noun.
| tain Valley road and watched for &
| messenger. By and by a coIoret
equestrian came along on horseback
riding toward Edenville. I gave him
| 81 to take the letter TO the railroad
! Offices; and tn N I went back to
| camp.
About 4 o'clock in the afternoon
| Caligula, who was acting as lOoh-
! out, calls to me:
I have to report a white shirt
| signaling on the starbOard bow, sir
| went dow the mountain and
| brought back a fat red man in ar
alpaca coat and no collar.
| Gentlemen" says Col. Rock
| ingham. allow me to introduce my
brother. Capt. DuvaI c. Rocking
| ham. vice presiden OF the, Sunrise
and Edenville Tap Railroad"
otherwise the King Of Morocco
says / I reckon you don't mind
my counting the ransom, just as 4
| business foI mality."
We'll, no, not exactly" says the
| fat man. mot when it comes.
turned that matter over to oui
| second vice president. was anN-
| ious after Brother Jackson's satti-
ness I reckon he'll be along right
/ soon. What does the lobster salad
you mentioned taste like. Brother
1 Jackson?"
Mr.. Vice President" says