The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-06-15
PLucKY LITTLE BURR0s,
Their Instincts Arc Naturally War
like and They Always Are
Came Fighters
With Teeth and Heels They Gan
Take Care Of Thorn
selves.
How iha afa Him MElxan1 Mat An Imam In.
How tho Stallion "Plxsn' Met An Ignomin-
ious Defeat From : Meek and
Lowry Little Jack.

The burro has from time immemoria1
besn an important animal, says tho SaG
Francisco Chronicle. He has played il
great roles In sncisnt times and the biblica,
chroniclsrs paid vast attention to his many
points. He has sver been regarded a. q
patient and laborious brute, utterly devoid
Of artistic tastes and s~sntimsntality. bu,
Patrick Henry Gale. Of tho town Of Indio.
who has an intimate acquaintance with
asses Of all kinds. throws . new light on the
burro's character. In fact, he shows that
a. 4 fighter the burro IL u~uequalled, and
rather surprised his hearers BY saying that
he was ready to back . burro against any
thing from q grizzly bear to . roysl Bengal
tiger. One gentleman had expressed won
der ct : burro whipping a stallion, when
Mr.. Gale explained: ANY jack will whip
I'M stallion that walks"
'surely, you are mistaken" somebody
remarked. "You don't mean to say shat a
jack can whip . stallion2"
"That 10 exactly what I mean." answered
Gale. ''Thsy are tho worst fighters in the
world. Why, bless me-. il ! don't believe
q jack will light anything. ! know a good
deal about burros," he added in a reflective
way. Being pressed for information. he
remarked:
II will give You a few anecdotes regard
ing burros which have come under my pcr-
sonal observation. We we're a large crowd
oncc crossing the desert. and while camp
ing above Mojave We saw a goodly number
Of stock browsing in the open plain. The
first care Of one of our men was TO securely
tether our old stallion. who was most vioi-
Gus, and who was never 20 happy az whom
engaged in manning and woundinR stock.
My friend had taken extraordinary pains
to secure his warlike animal and we rat
down to our meal. No sooner had we COM
menced to eat than We heard the thunder
Ct horses hoofs, and, jumping up. saw this
"'Doggon ~ said the owner. that brute
will injurs half = dozen horses or 90, and l
shall have TO- pay damages. Did you ever
see such luck9'
y had, however, noticed a long, low,
rakish, gray outline in the horizon, and.
jack.
Don't worry yourself, old man, I said,
that burro will settle his hash.' :
"'Boshv he said, he'll chaw that Jack up
alive
"'Will her
VO AO0Iu q AOuN AcosuHW anu CQ016 was
Master jack bearing down upon the horse.
For a few minutes We could see nothing but
dust. It was q terrific battle.
""That burro'l get killed. said the owner
Of the horse exoitedly.
He had no sooner spoken the words
camp with a great raw place on bis
withers. The barro had simply torn tito
shreds.
"tGood heavens! If he hain't ruined
my horse said the owner of the animal
in a toni of mingled despair and rage.
THAT horse was the worst fighter in Kahn
".Well.' I replied soothinaly, you bet
he'll never fight another burro.'
Il once saw another battle between a
burro and q stallion, which, however.
proved more disastrous to the latter. It
with q burro laden down with provisions.
~pickaxes, etc.--in fact a complete outfit.
He asked leave to stay for the night near
our house and We consented.
'"By the way" said the farmer, II have 4
mighty bad hotse-ano out and ont fighter.
" Yong rs, better est tie up that there jack of yours
1T amt afeerd,' said the miner.
"'Well, it's your own bizness. We call
the horse Pizen eos he's such an ornery
fighter
SAo AAIAOAs uAukALllys N.... s.
y had never yet seen q burro and a horse
together and I thought the miner was rash,
"'Look here l Clipped in, WHY don't
you tether that jack? There'li be a dead
donkey around here tomorrow and you
can't blame ua.'
observed:
Young man. where was you born?"
"'rd like to take the cussedness out of
that ere chap said the rancher, as he
puffed at his pipe when We were housed.
Nothing would have pleased me better than
for old Pizen to kill that jack.
Z" 4 guess said the ranohero, with q hu-
morous twinkle in his of eye, that ere
jack is lonely. Suppose we introduce Pizen
to himY'
1--WE stole out Of the house quietly. The
miner was sitting BY the fire he had built
near the pump and was cooking his meal.
He saw Us go toward the barn. We felt
mighty ashamed of ourselves and the farm |
or looked at me and said:
"'Gale, ain't got the heart to do it. 1t
amt the miner l care for. but that poor
donkey. He amt done us no harm.'
mo. he ain't.' I said. but when Pizen's
getting away with him. we can rush out of
the house and stop it,
"'All right sighed the gentle-hearted
farmer. IT must be lone just to teach
them miners that We amt simply country
folky
neAue0 IlZen Tor the Jack, and
there was a clash as il two thunderbolts
had met. We rushed into the cabin as
agreed upon, but instead of the burro try
ing to run away from Pizen, there was
Pizen running away from the burro and
the jack in full pursuit. The river ran
through the ground, and the horse headed
straight on the banks. He did not choose
his way, but fell from a steep bluff and
broke his neck, dying instantly. When We
got to the banks the burro was quietly eat
ing the succuient grass and old Pizen was
floating in the water.
"'Well. I'll be -! We said no more.
The miner looked at US when we re-
turned. but We did not exchange GOOD
nights. We went silently into the house
and moodily sought our beds, When he-
tween the covers tho farmer said, Gale. )
said. WELL and his answer was:
"'Ill be -
my next story carries me back to Mex
l was not present, but Q friend of
mine, q miner. tells me this. and from
what l have seen of burros, I believe il.
He was travelling in the Sierra Madre
range of mountains with four burros. The
leader was a pretty Rood-sized animal and
had q pretty good-sized load on his back.
The burro and my friend were in the ed-
vance, and % he turned . bend in the mar
road he saw q huge cinnamon bear
BY n bush, apparently engaged
eating the berries. He olunR to the wall of
The mountain in terror and expected to ace
The burros take flight. But instead of that.
what did the leader do but open his jaws
10 their widest extent, and, making
HE mOHt AWful uproAr. sharua piuhT