River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-02-13
MY SHADOW.
The Sad End of a Most Faithful
Friend.

''The Man Who Lost His Shadow" in
old and well-knOwn story was no
elative of mine, but there was time
when lost my shadow, and it seemed
ome a much more serious affair than
he mythical gentleman of that ingeni-
us story suffered Surely no sun-cast
hadOw was ever more worthy TO be
'nourned than was the one / lost, for
mine was faithful flesh and blood.
1t was in the early autumn of 1854
that / started alone on what was per-
haps the longest pedestrian trip ever I'M
dertaken for pure pleasure, without wa
ger or reward-a walk from Cincinnati,
o., TO Los Angeles, Cal, by a circuitOus
route which made the entire length of
the journey thirty-five hundred and
seven miles; and it occupied more than
one hundred and forty days
Really 70 learn country and its peo-
pie the traveller should he on foot and
unhurried, as ample experience with
bicycle, horseback and carriage tours
long ago convinced ne. II was a glOri-
Gus trip. always trimming with inter
est, frequently spiced with danger, and
full of hardship, and it has left me
some of the brightest and some Of the
saddest memories of my life
One crisp evening late in November l
came down from rabbit-hunt in the
hills TO the lonely station-hOuse OF san
Carlos, dozen miles south of the rough
iron city of Pueblo, Col The section
men were lifting the hand-car from the
track, and the welcome smell of supper
was in the air. As | came up a tall,
clean-built young greyhound flew out at
me, and one of the men gave him
savage curse and kick that sent him
away bowling.
Whose dog is that?" l asked, sharply.
'.NobOdy's. Anybody 'sll take him
kin hev him"
..I'll take him." said I. but it was
more easily said than done. IL cost me
two hours of cOaxing after supper to get
the poor, starved pup even To snap
morsel from my hand ana fly again; but
at last we tOled him into the bunk
house, shut the door and tied him, after
q lively fight in which several of US
were slightly bitten.
He was a fine pup. nearly full-blOOded,
black as a coal, thirty inches tall, and
not over four months old His owner,
q well-tO-do but kinless contractor, had
recently died. leaving the dog to the
rough mercies of the section men. from
whom he had never had "a square
meal" nor kind word
Next morning we had another half
hour fight when tried to lead him by a
stout cord; but at last he yielded TO the
inevitable, and followed me under pro-
test, frequently jerking hard at the
wrist TO which had tied his cord That
very afternoon he lost me a fine ante
Iope buck by leaping aside Just as 1
dred, and jerking my Winchester so
that the bullet struck a hundred yards
from its aim
Three days later, as We tJIled up the
rugged vertebrse of tho Rocky mount
aims by trail few miles south Of the
celebrated Neta P2ss, he was tagging
along so conten eGly at my heels, and
nv rifle and blan Sets so fully claimed
my attention, that 1 gave him his lib
srty. He came crouching up to me, still
mindful of the brutalities he had known
before we met and licked my hand APP
peslingly.
Ii was the first time he had shown af-
lection or seemed to enjoy a caress, but
now he was Enthusiastically happy,
though he still 'rejOiced with trem-
bling"
When had patted him and rose to go
on, he fell dutily into line at my heels
and trotted automatically there, never
swerving save now and then to poke his
long, cold nose into my swinging hand,
- 4
get met"
We passed that night in the log cabin
Of a queer old miner in Wagon Creek
Canyon, and the dog voluntarily curled
up against my chest, and slept with his
nose thrust under my chin Thence
forth he was really mtHs, and for over
fifteen hundred miles l had as true
friend as ever followed, a companion
who always thought my way the best
way, who shared with equal content
nv Joys and my hardships, never whined
at long marches and short ratiOns, and
loved me as only the great, honest
heart of an intelligent dog can love his
master.
1t is only in such companionship. too,
that man can fully appreciate the
value OF a dogs friendship. When
every day revealed TO me the selfish
ness and dishonesty of man, l learned
TO value the unselfish loyalty, the hon
or, of my dog
Because of his gauntness, his color
and his persistence at my heels named
him shadow" He was the only shad-
ow / ever knew that did not desert its
owner when darkness came on
A detailed story of Shadows eventfu1
career would be a record of the tramp.
and would fill a large volume Ii is
only the salient point in his short, faith
full life that can outline here.
II was the very next day after pass
ing Wagon creek that Shadow saw-so
far as have knowledge-his first jack
rabbit. We were pacing smartly down
the abandoned Government trail 20 Fort
Garland. a spiteful snow-squall driv-
ing in our faces. when black streak
shot By me with funny yelp.
There was Shadow flying frantically
down the smooth road. his straining
nose perhaps foot behind the heels of
the kangaroo Of the West which
loped along as II troubled with rheuma-
tiSm. Finding his neighbor too atten-
i've AAAt an oAA.AAtAAAN ANAAAEA 70 luc
left into the sage, with the dog "a good
second" All, what a sight it was, as
the chase swept broadside by me and of
down the long slope!
watched with tingling blood and
swelling chest that superb strain OF
feet, buoyant, dexterous muscle The
lack seemed TO be sailing over the two
loot chdppdro like a great hawk skim
ming along the ground for prey, so con
tnuously was he in the air. | could not
really tell when he touched the ground
with those elastic hind legs. they
bounced him into sight again so in
stantly.
Ten minutes afterward Shadow came
hmping back very shamefacedly, as il
afraid ! might not be aware that nc