Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-01-08

y
with such a will that tho poor beast
lived. and. with hating step carried
the two boys many long miles.
A rush OF tears burned Miguers
eyes with sudden smart Chispa
must be sold. Accustomed 10 act for
himself, his plans were soon laid. He
knew something OF the city and whore
| to find the doctors Office. for he had
been there with his father. and per-
haps he would see Mateo; SO. in the
twilight of the dawn, when the stars
were growing pale he left Felipe in a
stupor which he thought sleep. and
started on his long ride.
The day had been dull at the horse
market on the outskirts OF the city. A
few men loitered about A news boy,
with aspirations turfward, strolled in
aud examined, with tho eye OF a
| jockey, horse tied to the fence.
Say. look at the little greaser kid
and Maud 81" he suddenly called out
and burst into loud laugh, as Miguel.
faint from hunger and loss of sleep
rode slowly in.
Hello, sonny! Where ye goin'
with that rack-o- bones?" demanded a
helper.
Miguel shook his head.
mo savvy, help Can't talk United
Statesp" He winked at his compan-
ions. We'll have some fun with
him, and then turn him over to Old
Man to jabber with. Where's Old
Man. any wayP"
Old Manual tuoo l., tba bo., sIooa
ing the sleep of the night-watch whose
morning dram had been unusually
strong all unaware of the tragedy
going on the yard.
Bring me that bottle off'n the shelf
In the corner, Jim-the one with the
bones on. Don't let the kid see
ye"
Miguel stood mutely by. his heart
torn with anxiety about Felipe, and sick
with the thought OF parting with
Chispa-
The bottle had been brought and,
under the pretext of examining the
horse. the man lifted its name and
poured few drops of oil on its neck
With frantic plunge, the poor brute
reared and pranced, while the by
ISLANDERS feigned terror and amaze
ment
When the paroxysm was over. they
gathered nearer with solemn shakes of
the head and one man, whose sole
knowledge of Spanish consisted OF q
few oaths. exclaimed, The deyil!"
Miguel looked at him in horror.
Had the evil one taken possession of
their pet2 With his whole heart he
prayed to all the saints he could re-
member for help.
The horse had been walked around
the yard. His tormentor again slyly
tipped the bottle, and Chispa kicked
and threw himself on the ground in a
frenzy. The crowd grew larger as
the joke went around. and the smoth-
cred laughter broke into shouts and
course jests.
Miguel grew deadly white and
shook like leaf Even in his help
less ignorance he felt in his heart that
these jeering men were doing some
thing to bewitch poor Chispa-and
Felipe dying alone! A little longer
he stood, his lips twItching, and then.
with wild burst of denunciation he
wrenched the bride away from the
newsboy and threw himself on CHS
pas back. With his foot he struck
the hand that held the bottle, splitting
the contents on the blanket He dash
ed out Of the yard. pursued by the
shouts Of the men.
The proprietor came in then from
his luncheon.
What's up?" he asked.
Only joke on Mexican kid. A
few drops OF croton on an old nag"
Miguel tried to turn Chispa toward
the doctors Office but his trembling
hand was too weak to guide the fright
ened horse. He dashed through the
} streets the cries OF the people. the
changing car-bells, and the barking
dogs driving him utterly mad.
On and on TO the river. laundering
over the bridge the foam flying from
his mouth, and the boy clinging with
both arms around his neck The
houses were fewer and the way rough
or now. Here were deep cuts and
there the read had been built over
} wide gullies Chispa stumbled then
regained his footing, but his strength
was evidently well-nigh spent
They reached a spot where the road
was banked high, with tules growing
at its foot. The oil had soaked
through the blanket and touched the
back of the tortured beast Again he
reared, and the hands that clasped
his neck let go their hold. Miguel
pitched headlong down the steep bank.
and Chispa gallopsd on alone for his
little master lay with his life crushed
out and his troubled heart still.
} All day Felipe called III vain, grow
ing weaker and weaker as night came
on.
'Miguel-agua-agua" he NUT
! tered; but only the piercing wall Of
the coyote fell upon the air. Miguel
lay among the tules with his face up
turned TO tho stars.
'Miguel-Mig-" the black eyes
flashed wide open. but the name
} dropped unfinished from lips stiffened
: in death. The Argonaut