Corvallis gazette., January 13, 1903, Image 1

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SEMI-WEEKUY.
UNION Katab. July, 1897,
Ihz. j Consolidated Feb., 1899.
COEVALLIS, BENTON COUNTY OREGON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 19C3.
VOIi. II1V NO. 38.
LORD OF THE DESERT
By PAUL
CHAPTER XXI.
A Weasel Captive.
"What's up there? Surrender upon
your lives!"
The combat between Hammersley
and Follett had reached a point at
which one or the other must soon
yield. The trapper, fighting on the
defensive, fought desperately, having
released his grasp upon the Cana
dian's throat and drawn his knife.
But the half-breed was more desper
ate. With the Lord of the Desert nw
his enemy, his only hope was in ren
dering such service for Egan that the
latter would accept him into his band
' of marauders, a life that he really
coveted. When the trapper released
his throat he seized the trapper's
hand as it drew the knife from the
sheath and each, now on equal terms,
struggled desperately.
The right hand of each clasped an
ugly knife, while the left of each
held the other's right wrist with a
vice-like grip. It was now a question
of strength and physical endurance.
The one who first weakened would
forfeit his life! The trapper would
not take life wantonly, but would
take it if necessary, and now stirred
to his uttermost only waited the op
portunity to plunge his weapon to
the hilt in his antagonist's breast.
Time and again a half-triumphant
smile passed over the dark face of
the half-breed as he thought he saw
the trapper weakening. It was a
battle royal. Neither of these men
had ever been defeated in single
combat. One had fought" with the
fiercest animals of the desert, and the
other had battled with the blood
thirstiest of men. Both in the prime
. of life and possessing unflmchin
courage, such an encounter would
have been a nrize-winner in the
arena's of old.
A cat-like movement of the half-
breed and the trapper dropped to his
knee. A' sudden lurch and a. smile
came over the face of the Canadian
as he thought the battle was about to
end in his favor! But the trapper
was as firm as the deep-set rocks
about him. He rose like a Samson
backed his antagonist against a boul
der by the trail, and grasping the
half-breed's wrist which held the
murderous knife, until the nones
fairly ground together, he began
slowly to force the point of his knife
to the Canadian's breast as the latter
began to weaken and give way.
It was then that the shout: "What's
L
: up - there? surrendejufiony pur
lives: came.
General Crook and a squad of
picked scouts had been out on a re-
connolterlnc expedition, and while on
their return to the fort had. come
." upon the combatants, who were too
busily engaged to hear them ap
proach.
There was but one thing to do and
that was to obey orders. Each at
tempted to explain himself, but the
stern old soldier ordered them for
ward!" and told them they could ex
plain at the fort.
It was after midnight when they
reached the fort. " General Crook had
the two prisoners brought to his
Quarters. The half-breed succeeded
In eetting the general's ear first. He
explained that Martin Lyle, known
as the Lord of the Desert, was be
sieged in his home by a large band
of Indians and that he had escaped
through their lines and was on his
.. way to the fort to ask for relief when
he was assaulted from the roadside
by the trapper.
Hammersley was non-plussed. It
came his turn to explain, but being
a man of veracity he did not know
how to meet a liar. But he related
his story in a straightforward man
ner without comment, and remember
ing the message from the Lord of the
Desert, he drew it forth and handed
It to tne general.
"Both stories seem to be straight.'
said General Crook, "but No. 1 is
dark enough to have Indian blood In
him and this being the case the bur
den of proof is cast upon him. But
you may put them both in safe-keeping
until morning and we will take
them along with us to the IStone
House' they tell about and let this
'Lord of the Desert identify his mes
senger." -
Immediately upon the departure of
the guard with the prisoners. General
Crook gave orders for the prepara
tion of ten days' rations for one com
pany of soldiers, and ordered ithe
march to begin at daybreak the. next
morning.
Shortly after the departure of the
guard and the prisoners the shout
"halt!" then a gunshot, followed by
several others vhs heard.
"What means th's?" asked the gen
eral of a staff officer as he rushed to
the door.
In a few minutes a strong guard
appeared with Dan Follett, two stal
wart soldiers on either side of the
Canadian holding him fast.
"What does this mean?" inquired
General Crook.
"Just as we had unlocked the door
of the guard-house," replied the offi
. cer with a salute, "this prisoner drew
a knifo like a flash, stabbed the near
est guard and made a break for lib
erty, and had he not run into the
arms of a detachment of soldiers who
were on their way to bed, he would
hav made good his escape."
"Search him to the skin, place him
in iron3 and release the other pris
oner!" promptly ordered the general.
"I might have known that that In
dian was a liar!" said the old war
rior to himself.
The general was about half un
dressed and was hurrying to bed In
order to get a little sleep before the
early morning march when he was
disturbed again. An officer was ad
mitted who had long been on the
general's staff and who, with a fa
miliarity with which such association
countenances, said: "We searched
the prisoner and here is what we
found next to his skin," at the same
time producing a belt with a ;bag
attached to it.
de LANEY.
General Crook opened the bag and
to his astonishment, found the $10,
000 therein.
. "Well, if this don't beat me!" said
the old veteran. "An- Indian is the
most incomprehensible being on
earth. Where on earth did he get this
money? What on earth was he going
to do with it? If this ain't a puzzler!
Send for his companion or rather
the man whom we brought here with
him.
Hammersley was sent for and again
told his story, not varying one point.
"Has anyone in that country great
wealth?" inquired General Crook,
"The Lord of the Desert is sup
posed to be very rich," replied the
trapper.
you say he and tne 'Lord' are
friends?" queried the officer.
"Yes, in crimes and damnable
deeds, replied the trapper.
"What do you know?" asked Gen
eral Crook.
"I know a great deal, General," re
plied the trapper. "It is a long story,
and some of it is yet unfinished," he
continued, "but when we reach the
Stone House I hope to enlighten you.
General Crook then informed the
trpaper of the finding of the money
on the person of Follett.
"I think I understand it now," said
Hammersley, after hearing this. "Fol
lett that is the half-breed's name
knew that I had been requested to
come to you, and for some reason he
decided to intercept me and pre
vent your learning of the predica
ment of the Lord of the Desert. They
may have fallen out. He simply
robbeci the Lord of the Desert, and
intended, after killing me, to make
his escape. I can explain it in no
other way. Before attacking me
with his knife he must have attempt
ed to shoot me, for I am sure-1 heard
the snap of a revolver hammer or
that of a gun,
"Here are his weapons," said one
or tne officers, and upon examination
it was found that the hammer of one
of the revolvers rested on a percus
sion cap that had failed to explode,
though its battered condition showed
that an attempt had been made to
fire it.
"Guard him close and see that he is
kept here until my return." command
ed the general, as he dismissed those
present and placed the bag of money
in the iron depository of the com
mand
Long before the dawn of day the
soldiers were astir. Everything was
work and bustle about the fort, in
preparation for the march at break
of day. At this time the march would
begin, for General Crook was an of
ficer of the old school and his orders
would not be varied to a hair's
breadth in any detail.
At dawn of day the company moved
out with General Crook and his staff
in the lead, and Hammersley as chief
guide and scout. It was the purpose
to march by day for two days and
then to" change the march to night
time, so as not to be detected by the
Indians in the vicinity of the Stone
House. -
It was also planned to reach that
point between midnight and day,
and attack tne Indians at dawn.
After the departure of one com
pany from a small garrisoned fort,
the place looked deserted. The post
had .been only recently established,
and most of the men were kept busy
constructing the buildings about the
fort. Many of them were in the
mountains throughout the day secur
ing timbers for the buildings, while
the hammers about the fort reminded
one of the building of a new town.
Even the guardhouse was a crude
affair, hurriedly thrown together to
imprison refractory soldiers.
Follett began planning early io
escape. He saw that if once freed
from the irons on his legs, -that he
could break his way through the roof
at night and get away unobserved.
When the last meal was brought
that night he implored the soldier to
assist him in removing the. irons.
but the soldier had no sympathy for
him. Although the wounded guard
was only slightly injured, there was
not a soldier in the fort that was
not -prejudiced against the man who
had made the knife thrust.
But there was a certain pluck tha
seems always to attend the wicked
and the daring for a certain length
of time. Loophole .after loophole is
offered them for escape, and opportu
nity after opportunity for reform.
The case of Dan Follett was no ex
ception. . '
Upon testing the locks of the irons
which bound his ankles he discovered
that one had failed to lock, and it
was easy to draw forth the bolt and
likewise release one limb. With one
limb free he tied the loose end of
the shackle to the belt at his waist,
and when all was quiet in the fort
he silently removed the slabs at the
corner of the roof and climbed out
and stole away like a cat.
Once among the rocks of the des
ert, he pounded the remaining lock
into pieces and was soon walking
free as before he fell into the hands
of the soldiers.
1 Fortune still favored him farther.
He found his stolen Indian pony still
tied fast in the gulch, where he had
left it the night of his capture, and,
mounting the animal, he rode away.
Like the villain on the stage, he ex
claimed: "Now for a ride night and day!
I will beat General Crook and his men
to the Stone House and warn Egan of
his danger, and we will away to the
lava beds, and from that point con
tinue to harass Uncle Sam and his
subjects to the end of our lives !
Hammersley, 'the trapper,' and
Lyle, the 'Lord of the Desert, you
may yet fall into the clutches of the
half-breedl"
CHAPTER XXII.
Cruel Revenge.
The siege is nearing a crisis at the
Stone House. Almost a week has
passed since the arrival of Egan and
his braves. He has been reenforced
almost daily, until the plain, swarms
with savages. His last reenforce
ments arrived at nightfall,- and the
morning is set apart to determine the
long-drawn-out struggle.
The -Lord of the Desert has truly
risen to the desperate man that he
is. Without sleep night or day. he
has kept his enemy at bay. His best
marksmen have been kept at the loop
holes and a standing reward of $50
for every fatal shot fired has been
offered, with a discount of $10 for
every wasted load of ammunition.
The results have been astounding.
Nearly every bullet that has been
sent forth has found a victim. Once,
twice, thrice, four, five times have
the Indians been repulsed by the
wonderful marksmanship of the
cowboys. It seemed impossible to
reach the stone wall, so fatal were
the shafts of lead.
Tunneling had been attempted,
but the rocks, so numerous a few feet
beneath the soil, made this Impossi
ble at every point. The Impatience
of Old Egan grew beyond control.
At nightfall he had called a coun
cil of the chiefs. He determined
to end the siege. "Tomorrow," he
said, "when the morning star begins
to fade, I will lead my men over the i
stone wall! We will capture
the
"Whito Grizzly'
and his cubs, and
my men may put them to torture!
We will divide his guns and powder
and shot among the "bravest warriors,
and his wealth shall go to the chiefs
wuu are iue uisl at cross me wa.ii.
Then we will drive away- his cattle
and. his horses to our villages, and
the hungry squaws and children
shall feast!"
In the quiet preparation for the
morning attack an unusual silence
pervaded the place. The Lord of the
Desert was the more watchful. He
had long been taught that Indian si
lence was not a sign of inactivity. He
cast many glances in the direction
of the fort, as he had done for the
past day and night. It was high
time that assistance should arrive.
-He sometimes doubted. Was the
trapper absent from home? Could it
be possible that he had refused to go
his errand? He knew that the trap
per could be depended upon In all
cases of humanity, but his guilty
conscience told him that he did not
merit aid from any human hand.
What had become of Dan Follett?
Oh, he was merely sulking in some
safe retreat perhaps doing him a
service in some way! "Dan will
show up, he'll show, up! I can al
ways count on Dan showing up!" ex
claimed the Lord of the Desert, half
audibly.
The Lord of the Desert had . not
thought of looking after the safety
of-hiSftreasureforall these- daysor
perhaps he would not have thought
so favorably of Dan, and confided so
earnestly in his "showing up."
But- Dan Follett "showed up." Not
as the friend of the besieged of the
Stone House, but to warn Egan and
his followers of their danger.
It was nearly midnight when he
arrived, for he had been compelled
to travel a long distance since night
fall to arrive ahead of General Crook
and his command. He had passed
them during the day,, by - shadowing
them from behind the rimrocks, but
after the plain was reached between
the rimrocks and the Stone House
he was compelled to secrete hin'self
until night to prevent them from
seeing him.
He knew, that Crook's men would
arrive at the Stone House between
midnight and day, and he did not
hesitate in his course. He rode
boldly up to the. warriors, who im
mediately surrounded him. He de
manded a conference with Old Egan.
When brought before the bandit
chief the latter mistrusted him, but
he told the story partly in detail, and
the Indian was finally, convinced. But
t was not long until he had positive
Droof. Indian scouts had been sent
jut hurriedy, and one of their num
ber soon returned bringing the news
that men numerous as the stars were
coming, armed with long guns witn
ong knives on the ends of the bar
rels.
Old Egan took in the situation at a
lance. He dismissed his warriors
and beckoned Follett to remain.
"We have been enemies," he said
o" the uanaaian. jnow we win De
riends. We have but little time for
falk, but it is important. Indian like
revenge. Trapper has done me great
wrong now. Trapper did you great
wrong! You may go live with my
isople. You may be my friend. You
tnow the 'White Grizzly s niece;
-he not dead!"
(To be continued.)
Stuck to His Eyeglass.
Recently a party from the embassies
nt Constantinople went to inspect the
nternational lifeboat service on the
Black sea coast. At one of the life-
saving stations they thought they
would like to test the conditions of life
boat work, so, Nothing themselves in
bathing costumjs and cord jackets,
they each took an oar in a lifeboat,
io the huge delight of . the Turkish
boatmen. - .
One of the secretaries of the British
embassy Is never seen without an eye
glass, and is said even to sleep with
it. On this occasion ne was faith
ful to his eyeglass and solemnly em
barked in a cork jacket and eyeglass.
All the proper exercises
weregone
through, and finally the boat was cap-
sized and righted again by Its own fcould not the farmer's -boy do this
crew. As they crept out from under j work instead. If he were given some in
the capsized boat a howl Of Surprise .! f .rmgHn fls tn what the rennlrements.
came from the Turks, ror the secre- '
taryra head appeared, with the eye- '
glass firmly fixed in Its proper posi-
lion, its oivner uiKiiig 11 us a matter 01
course that it should be there.
Rode a Giraffe.
General Sir Evelyn Wood, of the Brit
ish army,"rode a giraffe "for fun" when
a young man. , He fell off, was kicked,
and rendered unconscious. He remark
ed that for years afterward the sight
of a giraffe gave him a bad pain la
the head."
Bacon Breeds of Hogs.
Several years ago considerable was
being written about the Tamworths as
the only breed that would make good
bacon hogs. It is doubtless true that
this particular strain is best suited for
the purpose, but, on the other hand, it
is a question if it ever paid any farm
er to raise them exclusively. True,
there are specialists who have made
money in catering to the fancy bacon
market, but they found it profitable
only after long years of experimenting
and fully learning the secret of feed
ing to produce certain results. With
the average farmer, who raises what
pork he needs -for" home consumption
and perhaps a dozen head besides, it is
doubtful if it pays him to experiment
much with breeds, beyond getting gome
strain that will give mm the best re
turns in weight at the smallest expense
for feed. If one is raising swine with
' an idea of selling the progeny when
young to otner larmers, tnen consiu-
era Die care snouia De tasen to secure a
breed for which there is a demand, and
' then to breed the animals on the plan
that wUJ gve strong, healthy and pure-
bred young, and in this way work up a
reputation. It must be admitted, how
ever, that there is a demand for fancy
HOW CHICAGO BUTCHERS VALUE A CARCASS.
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14
ec'4-ct.
To fatten cattle profitably, the
carcass which sell foremost money.
"about" 800. pounds, and of 'this,- 708
best cuts are taken from the ribs,
weigh, in all, 346 pounds, and at the
The less valuable cuts from the fore
363 pounds, and bring only $16.48.
bacon, and if one is in 'a position to
risk quite a few dollars in the process
of learning how to raise this bacon,
after a while he will reap gratifying
returns. Indianapolis News.
How to Cond ct a Strck Sale.
A brisk demand for well-bred stock
of all kinds, particularly of Jthe beef
breeds, has encouraged the sale of
such stock by public auction, the prices
being quite satisfactory. Those live
stock sales first became popular in the
West, but are now fairly common evt
erywhere in the stock-growing "sec
tions. A cattle dealer of long experi
ence lays great stress on preparing ani
mals especially for the sale. Even if
an animal is well bred,, has a good out
line and other requirements, if its con
dition is unsatisfactory in any way, its
good qualities will be overlooked. The
cattle must be fed into good flesh and
must be well groomed and thoroughly
cleaned. This expert believes in judi
cious advertising as a means of promot
ing a sale. He advises that the sale be
held under cover, in order to be prepar
ed for any kind of weather. The con
struction of temporary sheds of a few
boards and props will make the buyers
comfortable. Before the, sale begins,
coffee and sandwiches, or food of a sim
ilar kind, are passed around. Well
fed people make lively buyers. Finally
provide a good auctioneer, one who
knows all about stock and pedigrees
and how to describe them to the best
advantage. Good assistants should be
provided to handle the animals in the
ring. The sale is carried on briskly;
no unnecessary pauses. These sugges
tions apply to general public sales of
any kind. American Cultivator.
Why Don't the Boys Ride? .
Why is not something more . being
done to encourage horseback riding
among the boys on the farm. Compar
atively few farm boys can ride grace
fully and with ease. They get astride
the old mare, and jog along to and from
the stable and pasture, and call it rid
ing a horse. It is as far from real gen
uine horseback riding as day is from
night
No class of horses sells better on a
"market to-day than first class, well
broken saddle horses. There are deal-
ers wi,0 make a business of training
Lhps horses for the onrchaser. Whv
a 00id y,nrsta worn nnri hTO
tn trnIn o'hnrs for riding if
lld mean monev ln the farmer'B
pocket. Farm and Home.
Billions in Agriculture. '
In the industrial progress made by
the United States during recent years
there has been no more conspicuous
feature than the growth of agriculture:
The amount of fixed capital invested in
agriculture is about $2O,0O0CoO0,0OO, or
four times that invested in manufac
ture. More than half of the people of
th United States live on farms, and
more than a third of all the people en
gaged In gainful occupations work on
farms. In one year the products of
American farms have reached an ag
gregate value of nearly $5,000,000,000.
How to Treat Heaves. "
In answer to an Inquiry as to the
treatment of heaves, a correspondent
of the National Stockman writes as
follows: "To answer you in relation to
what you particularly wish to know, I
would have to know the age of your
horse and manner of breathing, that I
might locate the trouble which pro
duces his irregular breathing. I will
say, however, that all forms of heaves
are Incurable. The best that can be
done Is to alleviate. In old chronic
cases of so-called bilious heaves the
first thing to do will be to regulate the
feeding by feeding hay very sparingly
and oats plentifully. Wet all hay with
lime water and give Fowler's solution
of arsenic In tablespoonful doses three
times per day. This is best given by
mixing with a half pint of water and
use to wet the grain feed. So-called
bronchial heaves can be relieved by
feeding as above recommended and giv
ing In the grain feed a tablespoon of a
mixture of powdered elecampane root
3 ounces, ginger 2 ounces, powdered
squills 2 ounces, powdered lobelia 3
ounces, fenugrec 2 ounces, chlorate of
potash 4 ounces.
Green Food for Poultry.
If you doubt the importance of green
feed for fowls in winter, hand them a
sample and see the voracity with
which it Is devoured. When in doubt
as to chicken feed, ask the hens about
RUMP
281b
at rets
- ' V
PLATE - " '
SL V
v i--.-
feeder should know the cuts of the
A good 1,200-pound steer dresses ,
pounds-aremarketable meat-"The
loin and hind quarters. These cuts
prices in the diagram sell for $44.58.
quarters, belly and flank, weigh
It They know what they want and
what they need. Everybody who raises
fowls should make provision for some
green stuff for the winter. A little
patch of winter grain, alfalfa, rescue
grass, turnips, beets, cabbage or any
root or vegetable that fowls will eat
is good for them and will encourage
hens to lay. Hens have no almanac,
and the only way they have for distin
guishing the seasons is by the sort of
stuff they have to eat. Feed spring
victuals and give physical comfort, and
you will have eggs to eat if not to sell.
Ollinc Harness.
Unbuckle every strap, and wash care
fully with water, castile soap, and
sponge or cloth. Allow to dry for five
or ten minutes. Then oil, rubbing every
part of the harness, except the patent
leather, with a cloth well soaked In
neatsfoot oil, or pour out two or three
quaVts of oil into a pan and draw each
piece through it slowly, bending and
rubbing the strap. ' The buckle holes
should have a little extra oil, also the
bellybands, breeching and the straps
that buckle to the bits. To give the
leather a new look, add to one pint of
oil a large teaspoonful of lampblack
and an ounce or two of beeswax.
Field and Farm.
- Farm Notes.
To have clean, smooth-barked trees,
whitewash them.
A lighted lantern under the lap-robe
on a very cold day will help to keep
you warm.
If you did not cut out the borers
from peach, quince or apple In the
summer or fall, do It now.
Equal parts sifted coal-ashes, salt
and cfay moistened with a very little
water will cement cracks ln stoves.
Do not let the apples freeze either in
bins, or on the -way to market They
may tell you it will do no harm, but
it will. :
Small apertureg In the walls of build
ings often admit draughts of air suffi
cient to cause great injury to stock,
especially the dairy cow.
Some people study how to get along
"with but very little feed in the dairy
barn. It Is far better to study how
much can be given to good cows and
have them assimilate it The more
feed digested the more butter; ' " .
Give geese a dry shed from damp-
ness and drafts. They will stand al
most any amount Of cold if their
quarters are dry. Whole oats and
corn, some cabbage or boiled vegeta-
Wes and plenty of -pure water make
the best rations.
A woolen rag moistened with castor
oil rubbed over the harness will keep '
mice and rats from gnawing them
Be sure the colts have strong, well
fitted halters. If the halters are not
well-fitted, they will soon learn to
rub them off, and a habit is formed .
that Is almost impossible tn
II I -V"
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Dorry's Fire Alarm.
A head of fluffy yellow curls, two
big blue eyes, a turned-up nose, a but
tonhole for a mouth, that was Dorry.
The very sunniest little fellow in all
the world.
Always ready to drop his playthings
to run of errands, that was the rea
son he was asked so many times a
day by papa, mamma and aunties.
A new aunt had come to visit them,
and Dorry was not surprised to see
her approach him with a letter in her
hand.
"Dear . little Thistledown, will you
take this to the mail-box for me?"
Dorry tossed aside his spade, took
the letter, and ran to the corner. But,
when he got there, he was, puzzled;
for there were two iron boxes 'instead
of one Which was the letter-box?
One had a door, so he opened it, put
the letter in very hard, so it would
stay, and shut the door.
Hark! What was that noise? Away
down the street came the sound of bell
and gong. . Nearer and nearer, until
up dashed a fire-engine, the smoke
pouring from it, and the firemen in
their great hats ready for work.
Dorry was surprised. Where was
the fire? Around the corner came a
hose-cart followed by another. The
firemen ran from house to house, look
ing for the fire. The neighbors won
dered If It could be in the house next
to theirs.
I should like to put my hands on
the boy who sounded the alarm!" said
the fire-chief; and all the -little boys
trembled in their shoes at the sound
of his voice.
"I have found what the trouble is,"
said the fireman, holding up a letter.
"I knew It would be the way when
those new boxes that could be opened
without keys were put up."
Why, that's my letter!" cried Aunt
Fan.
Dorry's heart gave a great throb. It
was the very letter he had taken to
the corner a few moments before. He
had put it in the fire-alarm box in
stead of the letter-box.
"Will they put me in jail?" he whis
pered, creeping close to Aunt Fan.
Not this .time," Baid the chief, "be
cause you made a mistake; but If you
should ever do it again, I cannot say
what would be done."
But Dorry never did It again. Our
Little Ones.
The Brave Soldier Boy.
Wee Bobby is a soldier boy,
As brave as he can be;
He wears a soldier's uniform
With buckles at the knee.
He carries both a sword and gun,
Which makes him very proud;
He marches up and down the street
And blows a whistle loud.
The people stop and look around
When he goes marching by,
But Bobby looks right straight in front,
And holds his head up high.
Wee Bobby takes his sword and gun
To bed with him each night;
"For you can never tell," he says,
"When soldiers have to fight!" , .
A Novel Agriculturist.
Among the many curious insects
found in Texas is the "agricultural
ant." It is truly an agriculturjst,
planting, tending and harvesting crops
as regularly as any farmer in the
land.
When getting ready to do its plant
ing, this queer little farmer makes a
circular clearing, from ten to twelve
feet ,ln diameter, sometimes in the very
heart of a cotton field or a corn field,
sometimes In rough, wild pasture land.
The work it accomplishes, considering
its size, is really marvelous, for with
its teeth it cuts through tough, thick
stems, and by twisting, pulling and
biting, finally clears away everything
that would be a hindrance to its crop.
If a fruit tree is near and shades
the ant- farm too much, the ant sets
to work and strips the tree of Its
leaves. -Its farm Is kept clear of all
weeds and other growth, until the
crop is ready to harvest which is In
the latter part of June, and consists
of tall, yellowish grass. With great
care the ant cuts the seed from the
stalks and stores them for its future
sustenance. The harvesting done, the
dry stubble Is cut and the weeds once
more take possession of the ground.
Agricultural ants frequently injure
fields and destroy many an acre of
nrrwln for. when mnbtnir their Hear-
mga 'they ruthlessly cut down corn,
cotton, wheat or anything else that
chances to be in the way. When once
they take possession of a piece of
irround thev absolutelv refuse to be
driven away until they have harvested
- .... '
a crop of "ant-corn."
Poultry Kaisinsr.
There Is no kind of stock that can
be housed as cheaply as can poultry.
J A comfortable poultry-house can be
- H - M"..l....HM - ......t...n ,,,4,
t
Little Stones and X
Incidents that Will !
Interest and Enter-
tain Young Readers
ft .;. ;. .. , ,, ,. .. ,. ,. ,t, j. .y. 4. ,t, 4,
made out of refuse boards. It can be
simply a square box covered on the
outside with cheap building paper held
in place with plaster laths nailed up
and down about six inches apart. - A
house 8 by 20 feet could be made for
ieSs than $10. Instead of glass for a
window stout muslin can be used.
Such a house was built in the spring
by two boys and used until winter.
Then theboys tacked newspapers up
all over the inside, putting on several
thicknesses and tacking them so as to
make-, a complete covering over . sides
and top. The fowls were kept in this
house for two years and were never
touched by the frost
The Bobber Artist.
Old Jack Frost is a robber bold.
He frijjhtens the Sun and steals his gold.
He scatters it over the autumn trees.
The Sunbeams try, but they cannot Beize
The gold again for their Father Sun,
So well is Jack Frost's painting done.
He steals from the glowing sunset sky
Radiant colors to mix in his dye.
He paints the world with such wondrous
skill, j
We do not arrest him. He's stealing BtilL
New York Tribune. -
Incriminating Bvidence.
Sometimes a little colored boy, who
Is quite rough, comes over to play
with Bennie. During their play one
day Bennie struck the colored boy in
the mouth with a decayed apple,
which, of course, thoroughly besmear
ed his face. Blowing and sputtering,
he cried out:
"Benny Smif, Ise gwine to tek dls
countenance right In to your mother."
Had Not the Tools.
One day papa went to the city and,
not returning until late, mamma took
the pail to the pasture to milk, taking
with her little 5-year-old Mllburn.
One of the cows becoming restless,
mamma said: -"So, Bossy, so!"
Instantly Milburn exclaimed:.
"Why, mamma, Bossy can't sew,
she hasn't any needle and thread."
Moderate Temperature.
Little Edith was out walking with
her mother one lovely day in Septem
ber. "Mamma," she said, "isn't to-day a
pretty day. It's not vehwy (very) hot
or vehwy cold. It's just middle
sized." '
A Novel Diagnosis.
A little girl was once taken to visit
a hospital for the insane. When she
got back one of her friends asked her
where she had been and she said she
had been to a big hotel where all the
people were dizzy in their minds.
A LITTLF THING TO DO.
But It Was the Kind that Tests a Man's
Breeding.
"There are some lovely men ln the
world, even if they arescarce." r-
It was a pretty girl who thus phllo
sophlcally mingled optimism and pes-;,
simism in her view of the less assuring
half of humanity. She proceeded to
illustrate her position as follows to the
New York Times: .
"The other day I had to go down-,
town by myself. I am not so very used -to
going down town, and there is a
preponderance of masculinity down
there that always scares me a littler
This time I went on the elevated and"
got off at Rector street. It was about
10 in the morning, and the train and .
station were black with men.
"There was not a woman, a sister
woman, to be seen when the lace of my.
skirt caught in something just as 1
was leaving the car, and with a loud,
triumphant K-zIp-p ripped off to' the ex-,
tent of about two yards. There was,
all this white stuff hanging, and I had
to get rid of it some way. I stepped to :
one side and began trying to tear the .
lace across, but it was as strong as the
sewing proved weak; not a thread of it,
would give. Every, one of the stream
of men passing turned his head to look .
at me struggle, and I could feel my face':
crimson with exertion and mortiflca-1
tlon. '" ,
"That kind of a situation has a hash-j
eesh effect and, though it seemed like ;
hours, I suppose it was only a minute, ' '.
till a gentleman, busily talking to a
companion, passed close to me, and,
hardly turning his eyes my way, held
out an opened pocket knife; then be
walked on very slowly and apparently .
absorbed ln 'conversation. It was the'
work of a second to sever the lace, roll
it up in my bag, and return him his ,
knife. , .
"My gratitude was too deep to ex-'.,
press itself in what the plays call the. '
'smooth, hollow phases of society.' I '
am not sure that I opened my lips, but
I am sure that I looked things unutter- .
able. - . .'-
"He took the knife with just the :
slightest bow, and, touching bis hat, 1
returned to his muttons with his" :
friend. ;
"It was a little thing, you may say; -but
it was just the kind of little thing
that tests a man's breeding exquisite- .
ly." .': - ' - ' ' ;- '.:;v :
. - , Real Estate Note.
Governess How ' many feet make am ;
yard? . y -
Ethel I don't know, butl heard Mr.-. "
Johnson say last night that there were'-
5,000 square feet in his. Somerville. '- ,
Journal. " .
A double-barreled shotgun Is tae -worst
type of the .deadly parallel