Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-02-12

came proudly to me to share his VIC
tory. Once, too he overlook q prairie
dog before it could reach its hole. But
when those chisel-teeth shut on his
nose, his appreciation Of the joke faded.
He was ''game," however, and Selling
his little butter-ball of foe again he
snapped it dozen feet in the air by
quick jerk of his head, and as it came
down caught it with vicious crunch
that settled the matter.
He came off less happily with a couple
of coyotes that kindly allowed him to
catch up with them-and how he wished
he hadn't! Very effective teeth have
these cowardly little wolves of the
plains. He was never afraid to try con-
illusions with any one dog, and took his
defeats manfully; but when score
jumped on him, as they frequently did
| In the Aztec towns, he would roll over
on his back with all four legs ludi-
crously aloft, and fairly yell for help-
which you may be sure he always got.
fell into some very pretty scrapes by
discouraging strange ours from lunch
ing on poor Shadow.
just over the line into Arizona, we
were following a deer one day when the
breaking of treacherous ledge dropped
me twenty feet down cliff. Shadow
was watching me below, and I can not
tell how he escaped being crushed; but
when recovered consciousness, to find
the large bone of my left forearm pro-
jecting through the flesh, the poor dog
was licking my face plaintively.
He watched me while set the tract
ure by putting my canteen-strap around
my wrist and tree, and pulling the
bono into place-there was no doctor
within hundred miles-and while /
made rude splint of chapparo branches;
and then walked soberly beside me
through all that awful walk to Winslow.
| Thereafter he was-or seemed to me-
more affectionate than ever; not with
the natural affusiveness of his puppy
hood, but in quiet watchful, unobtru-
sive way that was fairly human.
We trudged on and on, nearly the
whole length of desolate Arizona; far
ing roughly, but finding it easier to keep
on than to give up to the pain. We
waded another heavy snow in the noble
San Francisco range, explored the
Grand Canyon of the Colorado-God' g
masterpiece on this planet-and strobe
on down the long slope toward The
Needles, where the road crosses the
Colorado from Arizona to California.
| We were now in the vast Colorado
DESERT where, even in winter, the
monday heat is fearful, though the
nights are very cold. 1t is as true a
desert as the Sahara-a barren, hideous
waste, broken by contorted ranges of
savage peaks; thirsty, forbidding, dead
ly. Hundreds of poor wretches, stray
ing too far from water, have left their
bones to bleach upon those blistering
sands.
We Rugged the railroad, thus making
sure OF water every night and morning.
But how long the days were, with the
one little quart was able to carry with
my other load!
shared it with Shadow as if he had
been a man, pouring it into my hat,
from which he Tapped greedily.
But he was still an impulsive puppy.
He could not forego the chase when an
emaciated jack unlim bered before him,
and he was nearly always running. 1
was walking over thirty miles day,
and he must have averaged at least
fifty. Many time we crawled up at
night to a water-tank-the water being
brought on trains from great distances
with swollen tongues projecting be-
You'd our teeth, dry and rough as files.
We came thus one evening to the
Station" of Yucca tank and two
tiny shanties of shakes. had found
the blanket too much to carry, now that
my strongest arm was in sling, and
had shipped it home. Our only bed and
cover that night were two ragged gunny-
sacks on the floor. The chill night wind
leaked through hundred yawning
cracks.
AS usual now, I lay upon my side.
hugging Shadow to my stomach for mu-
tual warmth. He acted strangely all
night, grooming and twisting; but was
| too tired to reflect
! Next morning we had travelled couple
of miles down the track, when Shadow
suddenly turned and started back on a.
run, with his tail between his legs.
! Stupid with astonishment, I followed
| him back to Yucca. He was lying in
the shade of the tank, and growled when
drew near.
I took off my ,knife-belt, looped it
around his neck. and began leading
him. He came along quietly enough,
and in mile or so had quite forgot all
| about him.
But suddenly there was horrible
snarl, such as never heard before nor
since; and there was Shadows face
within six inches of my own. In that
| awful instant his look was burned upon
my memory forever. His eyes we're
bloodshot, his open jaws dripped foam,
his white fangs cleaned merciless in
the sunshine as they sought my throat.
My dog qods mad!
We were on long, high hill, perhaps
thirty feet above the bed of little
wash. Instinctively gave a jerk on
the strap and a thrust with my foot; and
he went rolling down the steep bank,