RETRIBUTION
Original.
The great American desert is the
home of queer people and queer things
generally. With us the rattlesnake is
the most dreaded of reptiles, but out
there they have what they ccM the
Gila monster, that Is more terrible than
the rattler. Its bite is almost certain
tleath, and Dien have been known to
end their lives with a revolver rather
than endure the agony resulting from
a Gila bite. When I went out there 1
had never heard of a Gila, but after I
naa seen one and its effect I never
wanted to see another.
One afternoon while riding past
house, or, rather, hut, belonging to one
of the herders of a ranch near by I
heard a clatter and, turning, saw a
man come galloping down the road. A
child about two years old had just come
out of the house and was toddling
across the road. The horseman paid no
attention to it. I thought he didn't
see the little fellow, but he did, for
just before reaching him he gave a
whoop, cutting at him at the same
time with his quirt. The child, too
young to hoed, stooped to pick up some
thing that pleased its baby fancy. The
horseman rode straight over him.
The boy's mother came to her door
just in tlnio to see what had occurred.
With a shriek she rushed to her child,
picked him up and ran with him into
the house. I would have followed to
administer to her, but there were oth
ers with her, and, to tell the truth, I :
had no heart for the work. The man
rode i.'ii to a saloon farther up the road,
where he dismounted and went inside.
I have never felt so ashamed of my-
!'! ot.sitiing to do what honor
1 to call for as in this case. In
i.-i I would nut hesit.nte to protect
y l'ioiii a riiiiian. i t Lore waa a
n v,d...;.v child l;nd been purpose
.!:; led hci.ire her eye, and I did
;Ne ;. i.tml to avenue her. But
wlaii tiJu i do? Any interference on
m.v pari must result either in my death
or tl ..t of tl.e l. an wl:o had couuaitted
the -VI!
I iv: . cit-d t! o mailer to the owner of
the r:i;:eh. v :;o i N me that the boy's
father w.-s in l;i employ and was then
away herd in;; cattle. There wa.-i a feud
between hint aii:l the man, a worthless
and !ex;iei;.e vagabond who had
ridueu down the child to avenge some
fancied injury. When the father re
turned one or the other would doubt-le.-x
bito t';.. di'.:,t.
"And if the lather falls there wiil be
two vk-MUis instead of one,-' I re
uiarLed. "Wo ca.:'t Lc-ip that out here," re
plied my hi.'oi ni-nL "There's too little
law ; o.-er r.rj'.i ca-eV
171 vt.bi -rtjj2a, te rni 8 lis u" may,
the child, though severely injured,
lived.
But the man who had sought to kill
It day after day, night after night,
we heard the maniacal cries in his de
lirium and agony. It was a terrible
but deserved retribution. One day he
found relief, and the next the child
he had sought to kill toddled out, and
all who saw him rejoiced that It was
his would be murderer and not he who
had succumbed.
8. MARSHALL PHELPS.
ojve
FACULTY
self
seen;'
the e.
u lad
wo.- .
ly i ;
not r
a mui-umg viile ri
over
the plain I e-ime upon the chil l's moth
er. She carried a stick and a coarse
bag and was evidently looking for
something. I did not see her face, for
her 1 ael: was turned. Suddenly I saw
her raise the slick and strike at some
thing on the ground. In a few mo
ments she pkkel up what resembled a
young nliignrnr, hoMing It by the tip
t the tail, dropped it in the bag, tied
up the bag's mouth and carried her
burden away, holding It apart from
her. Then she turned and came toward
me. I would have liked to ask her
what she had beca about, but there
was a look iu her face that decided
nay not to question her. and she passed
on without seeming to be aware of my
presence.
Curiosity got the better of me, and I
turned and f -'lowed her. Fhe went to
the saloon up the road, and before
reaching It I raw a man asleep on the
porch, though I could not see who he
was. The woman drew near him
stealthily, pausing occasionally, with
her eye fixed on him, till at last, com
ing upon him from a point where he
could not see her, she untied the mouth
of her bag, held it above him, and the
alligator thing It contained fell on his
breast
The man started up and on seeing
what had awakened him gave a cry as
piercing, as full of despair, ns had
been given by the woman when her
child was run down. I saw him strug
gling with something that had fastened
upon one of bis hands and finally throw
It from him. It crawled away, and I
saw It no more. The woman turned
and walked toward her home.
I had seen the dreaded Gila monster.
The woman had learned that her ene
roy was asleep on the saloon porch and,
going out ou the plain, had found a
Gila. When attacked the monster
feigned to be dead. She had therefore
no difficulty In carrying out her pur
pose. She knew tLnt when her hus
band returned the man who had run
down his child would expect to die or
kill his adversary. Her husband, not
knowing of the outrage, would be taken
unawares. She had resolved on her
own method of foiling their enemy nd
avenging her child.
I was surprised to learn that the
child had not been killed. It had not
seemed to me that there was one
chance In a thousand for Its survival.
Perhaps It was that the horse one of
the noblest and kindest of dumb brutes
tried not to touch it; ierhaps It was
food l.-fk; izjhni-a an Interposliliiii of
Original.
I am an example of the value of pos
sessing one faculty alone in a very high
degree. As a boy at school I never
could learn my lessons, and my father,
who otherwise would have wished me
to take n profession, put me on a ship
as cabin boy, remarking that such a
career was food enough for a dunce.
The captain took a fancy to me and
tried to teach me navigation, but there
were so many sines, cosines, arcs and
angles about It to bewilder me that he
soon gave it up in despair. So it seemed
that I must continue to wait on the
ship's company, clean the cabin win
dows and ar mealtimes assist the cook
in the galley.
One morning when I was washing
the breakfast dishes I noticed that the
ship had been brought up to the wind,
which was flapping in the sails. Soon
after, having occasion to go to the after
cabin, I saw the captain and the first
mate standing looking at the rudder
post. Though the tiller was lashed fast,
the rudder swayed with the waves.
This was because the rudder post was
defective. As the rudder moved the
post would twist, opening and closing
huge eraeus. Of course the saip was
without stt'.rage. The captain looked
anxious.
"Captain," I said, "when the cracks
open till them with wedges, and your
post will hold firm."
The captain turned and locked at me,
astonished that a cabin boy should dare
to advise him. Then he grutlly ordered
the mate to go and get the wedges.
They were driven In tiie cracks, iron
bands were put around the post, and it
held good till we reached port.
It had become evident that I possess
ed ingenuity.
The captain considered that by my
suggestion I had saved the ship and
on reaching home told the owners, who
placed a thousand dollars in bank to
be given me on my coming of age. My
father was much perplexed at the sto
ry and, thinking that perhaps my teach
ers had been at fault, wished me to re
main at home and try school again.
But I hated books and took kindly to a
roving life on the ocean. So my father,
deciding that there must be some mis
take about my Ingenious suggestion,
relapsed into the belief that I was still
a .dunce and the position of cabin boy
quite good enough for me. But he was
again doomed to revise his opinion
when I returned from the next voyage.
We were in the China sea not fai
from the Mulay peninsula, having
aboard a cargo of oil. There is no part
of the globe where piracy has been and
Is today more common. One evening
just before sunset I went on deck and
saw the captain and both mates ex
amining with glasses a small vessel to
the leeward, which was towing a good
sized bark. Suddenly the smaller ves
sel drew away from the other and sail
ed toward us. Though she showed nc
flag, our captain knew her to be a pi
rate with a prize in tow, and, since we
had nothing with which to defend our
selves except small arms, he had no
doubt that as soon as the craft could
reach us we would walk the plank.
"Captain," I said, "get up a barrel of
oil and pour It over the decks, except
the poop. Then get the men up there,
with the arms, hoist the white Aug and
let them come aboard."
The captain stared at me for a mo
ment, the color gradually coming to
his cheeks with hope, then ordered not
one barrel but a dozen brought up and
stove at different parts of the deck. Th
ratlines, the bulwarks, every bit of sur
face was shining with oil. Then the
men were gathered with the small arms
on the "poop." By this time the '"skull
and crossbones" were raised on the
pirate, and in a few minutes more she
was within hailing distance. Since
there was no apearance of resistance.
6he sent out the boats, loaded with
copper colored villains, leaving only n
small crew aboard. There was consid
erable sea on, and we were rolling heav
ily. One boat made for the bow, the
other for the waist, and the crpws
climbed up on to the deck. The first
man to reach it slid on to it from the
oiled gunwale. His feet shot out from
under blm, and he coasted into the
scuppers. In a few moments some
twenty men were sliding about as the
ship rolled, while we, taking out our
guns, which we had concealed under
our jackets, opened fire. Before the
pirates could get their legs we had
peppered every one of them except
those who bad not left the boats. They,
seeing the disaster, pulled for their
vessel, but we picked them off as they
rowed. The men on the pirate, terror
stricken at what they couldjiot under
stand, put their ship Defofe" tuti wind
and sailed away.
We found some shoemaker's wax
aboard, with which we covered the
soles of our shoes. Then when he had
heaved overboard the dead and wound
ed pirates we made sail for the ship
they had left. She proved a fat prize,
and we took her In tow. When we got
home the captain and crew, after col
lecting the prize money, were so grate
ful to me for the suggestion that bad
saved their lives that they relinquished
every dollar to me. When the money
was deposited In bank, together wtth
a handsome sum from the owner of
our own ship, I bad a fortune such as
my father had never come near attaining.
It was suggested that I become an
inventor, but I never could think of any
ingenious expedient unless stimulated
by some special happening, some great
necessity. The consequence is I have
lived on the Interest of my prize money
and have no desire to put myself in a
way to make any more.
WENDELL C. M'LAIN.
A MIGHTY "LAND GRABBER."
Clivuouceaux Dalit nt the Bidding of
Diana ot Poitiers.
Cheiionceaux was one of the earliest
chateaux that represented the new spir
it. It was built on the site of the old
feudal fortress in a sort of freak of the
sense of opportunity. It was meant to
give room and verge enough to a gen
eration bent on having a good time in
hall and bower. It was still a fortress
of a kind, but this only as an after
thought. In the main it was a palace
for sport and festival. It might have
stood on dry land; it preferred to
bridge a river. There was no want of
space in other directions, but this seem
ed best as a stroke of constructive im
pudence. The architect at the bidding
of Diana of Poitiers jumped the Cher
as a schoolboy would have jumped a
brook. The huge arches never carried
anything of use to mankind at large,
not even a right of way.
At first most of them had no super
structure, anJ the bridge might have
been called "Diana's folly." But she
knew what she was about. She was a
mighty man subduer, with a heart as
cold as the stone of her new dwelling
and a face and form kept beautiful for
ever by the studious avoidance of ev
ery pang a wonderful creature with
al, for she contrived to die in her bed,
though she crossed the path of Cather
ine de' Medici. She ruled a king by the
usual methods and by studious defer
ence to him kept him her obedient, hum
ble servant to the day of his death. She
inspired one of the greatest sculptors
of her time in his creation of a Venus
that rivaled the antique.
She was one 'of the mightiest land
grabbers of history, adding chateau to
chateau with a purpose that never fal
tered and by methods of smooth, un
emotional persistence that never failed.
She started with everything against
her in that epoch of the worship of
.youth when she began her siege of the
heart of the dauphin of France. She
was a widow, and a widow with a
family, yet she knew no pause in her
triumphant career till she had married
and dowered them all and provided
herself with a choice of palaces for her
old age. She never made an enemy or
which was quite as much to the pur
posea friend who was not. likely to bo
of use. She died in the sanctity of
faultless manners and an unruffled
brow. Her heart of ice kept her a
Venus to the last. Had her prototype
been anything but a goddess Diana
might have given her points in the wise
avoidance of the ravages of tempera
ment. Century.
Chicago inter tjcean. xne Doy wns
very round. His body was round, his
eyes were round and his legs were
round, and one of them drew up as if
by pulley as he screwed his head on
his neck and twisted his round mouth
to say: "T-t-the head cavity, the thorax
cavity and the borax cavity. The head
cavity's what we keep our brains In to
think with and the thorax cavity's
what we keep our lungs in to breathe
with and the borax cavity's what we
keep the vowels In, consisting of A, E,
I, O and U and sometimes W and Y."
Wo Quarter Granted.
This story, which Is told of a Scottish
hlghlonder who served In the French
war, Illustrates either the bloodthir&tl
ness or the unique Ideas of humor of
the Scotchman.
This Highlander had overtaken a flee
ing Frenchman and was about to striko
him down when, falling on bis knees,
the Frenchman cried:
"Quarter! Quarter!"
"I'll no' ha' time to quarter ye," the
Scot answered. "I'll Just cut ye in
twa."
He Had to Laneh.
"I had to laugh the other day"
"You don't mean you were absolutely
compelled to, I hope?"
t "That's Just what I mean. This was
my employer's joke." New Orleans
Times-Democrat.
Shrlnmnff.
Mrs. Brown My husband says there
has been quite a shrinkage in the stock.
Mrs. Jones I see. They have the same
trouble In Wall street that we do In
dry goods you can't always get good
that won't shrink. New York Press.
Tuey Didn't Have Time.
A short time ago some men were
engaged in putting up telegraph poles
on some land belonging to an old farm
er who disliked seeing his wheat
trampled down, according to the vera
cious Register of Great Bend, Kan.
The men produced a paper by which
they said they had leave to put the
poles where they pleased. The old
farmer went back and turned a large
bull In the field. The savage beat
made after the men, and the old farm
er, seeing them running from the field,
shouted at the top of his voice: "Show
him the paper! Show him the paper!"
Subtraction.
A teacher in a western public school
was giving her class the first lesson in
subtraction. "Now, in order to sub
tract," she explained, "things have to
be always of the same denomination.
For Instance, we couldn't take three
apples from four pears or six horses
from nine dogs."
A hand went up In the back part of
the room.
"Teacher," shouted a small boy,
"can't you take four quarts of milk
from three cows?" Harper's Weekly.
With the Ulnar on It.
Grayce Edythe is pretty foxy. She
won't say anything about her love af
fairs, but I have an Idea that Hhe has
finally accepted young Saplelgh. Gladys
In that case she is apt to soon show;
her hand. Louisville Courier-Journal. (
Tho mud You Have Always Bought, and which has been.
in use for over 30 years, has home the sigriatnre of
and has hecn made under his per
"fyfcfejfy sonal supervision since its infancy.
v mm. v .avi t vj j s a. lit iiii.if
All Counterfeits, Imitations and " Just-as-good" are hut
Experiments that trifle with and endanger the health of
Infants and Children Experience against Experiment.
What is CASTORIA
Castoria is a harmless substitute for Castor Oil, Pare
goric, Drops and Soothing Syrups. It is Pleasant. 16
contains neither Opium, Morphine nor other Narcotic
substance. Its age is its guarantee. It destroys Worms
and allays Feverishness. It cures Diarrhoea and Wind
Colic. It relieves Teething Troubles, cures Constipation
and Flatulency. It assimilates the Food, regulates the
Stomach and Bowels, giving healthy and natural sleep.
The Children's Panacea The Mother's Friend.
GENUINE CASTORIA ALWAYS
Bears the Signature of
XL
7
DONTS FOR BACHELORS.
The Kind You Have Always Bought
In Use For Over 30 Years.
THK CtNTAUR COMPANY, TT MURRAY STRICT. NtW YORK CITY.
Don't sew up your pockets while try
ing to sew ou u button to stay.
Buy a thimble that fits. Don't push
your needle through with your teeth.
Don't start a piece of sewing with a
thread long enough to hang yourself.
Don't attempt to push a No. 3 needle
through a No. 10 hole. Profanity is bad
form.
Don't be afraid of a needle. It will
not stick you unless you attack the
wrong end of it first.
Select the proper size button before
you new it on. Don't cut the button
holo larger with a penknife so as to
make It lit the buttoa.
And don't oh, don't leave the needle
iu your chair when you are through
sewing. You may discover It unexpect
ediy. Kansas City Star.
flHST
Rational Hank
OF HEPPNER.
i). A
T. A
RHRA President i (. W. OONSER.
niTi yt; t - It: w .. .... ii,,unnuir
nr.. vio-irreBinenr i ri. u. rKBKMJiU. .AsHMan Cashier
Itaclntr Hon leu In India.
Not much more enviable than the lot
of the unfortunate man who Is reported
to have grown shorter Is that of racing
ponies in India, Egypt and elsewhere,
which are made to measure from three
quarters of an inch to a full inch lower
than their natural measurements. Par
ing the hoof can only be done to a cer
tain extent. But ponies can be educat
ed to stand with their heels apart, and
if the head is tied up for some time
before they are put under the standard
they will stand to their best advantage.
Two pounds avoirdupois per quarter
Inch Is the regular allowance in the
"scale for age class and Inches. Lon
don Pall Mall Gazette.
Th Cavities.
"Name the cavities," said a school
teacher to. a small boy. according to the
Transact a General Bankinq Business.
paid on Time Deposits.
Four per cent.
EXCHANGE ON ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD BOUGHT ANI SOLI)
Collections made on all pom tson reasonable terms. Surplus and undivided profit t35,u0.
P0L0CE HOTEL
(HEPPNER, OREGON
Leading Eastern Oregon Hotel
MODERN CONVENIENCES
ELECTRIC LIGHTED . . .
Onder New Management. ThorooRhly
Renovated Rod BeGitted. Beet
Merds in tbe City.
nill, METSCHAX, Jr, Trop.