The morning call., 1892-12-25


me me was pards. Folks used to call me
,Groundhog Bige,'" and they nicknamed
him English Ed" but usually call him
.Pard." Get along? You bet 1 was a
iarned, but that wasn't no difference. he was
friendly TO me as to chum of his own class,
meDbe more so. for when got rheumatics he
was Oh TO Onray-and cold, TOTO gitin-
nerment, and played the nurse complete.
de was lots of company, and so was the
dorg-Doc was the pups name Pard took
Just as much interest in Cuttls and ellis as
NE, and got more books; one about the
gamest Old Teller. Piekwick, and the eating
ana drinking in that volume would make
your mouth water. We read him whilst we
eat Pork and biscuit and drunk coffee 'thout
no MIX nor sugar. We WAS doing well in
tne mine, bat when you think of the WAYS
Vittles has to be brought on the backs of
lhem Durros you amt setting up for entrvs
as Ed used 10 say. He was n cheerful
teller. but given fits of gloom-never said a
word about his folks though.
Bout Chrls'mus time, and we want so
showed in by then but what ycu could git
along on snowshoes, we was readin' Pick
WICK over agin. He read aloud in diff ruut
voices. maxim it jest as real as live folks
a-taikin,,.. when | says sudden: ''PlI do it,
by goshw
What He kinder jumped. and The pup
rlZ MP and licked my hand.
Why" said l. ''Ill hoof 1t to Ouray and
lay IN a chicken-a turkey, if can git it
perlaters and squash, and anberres and
the truck to make plum pudding. I'll cell
citrate. Iean't hear of them Dickens fellers
eatin' no more and try to fill myself up on
salt horse and slops. FL git one good feed
IL it takes leg or costs life"
'lt Will be the latter" he says, sober
enough; you couldn't make walking mar
ket of yourself over three feet of snow on
the edge of precipiee."
Pm light and easy on snowshoes,"
But, ha lntprrunts. "WAats IA nm thar
with my golDg?"
You aln't." answers, bringing to mind
his attempts to walk on snowsboes and his
wabblings. you amt no bird on 'em,
pard."
He laughed then like a boy.
atsa DEAL, says. land termorrer, the
oath, III set OFF early and git back by night
ana we'll set up and eat till morning. I'll
git brandy for the pudding sass. but, pard, ."
l finishes anxious, ''how is them buildings
made?"
why. -four. raisins. lard or butter-some-
thing that's rich"
Butter" 1 puts In. sis eighty cents a
pound at Ouray. and l guess that's rich
enough"
Butter. currants. molasses to make 1t
brown, and spice mixed and cooked"
II caflate I'll get il mixed TO the store" [
says. "and my travelling will beat it up"
Then you sew II up in bag which you
boil. and make sauce Of brandy that Won
pour over and set afre, and it burns b iue
flame. This is the way we used to have it
at home" His face grew sad, and | knew
lie was going into them glooms agiu.
Waste OF good liquor" / says under my
breath. but he didn't note me.
/ set out early next morning, leaving him
and the pup at home. IL wasn't bad going
and the air was fresh and Iull of sunshine
They was s'prised to see me at 0uray, and
laughed deal at the truck | bought anu
paid for With the gold dust | found the
mi heavy a a u
mixed In a pail. / went over TO saloon
for awhile, and il WIS about in the after
noon when / come back for my things. |
had asked the storekeeper, who was also
Postmaster, il there were any letters for
Pard, but there want. j tied the eight
pound turkey round my neck with the pud-
ding pail, the vegetables and squash-that
seemed to weigh a ton before / was four
miles on my. way. filed my pockets with
papers and books and a bottle of brandy
and tobacco. AS l fixed my snowshoes the
storekeeper came out.
Queer thing, Bige," he saws, "pbout an
hour fore you got back from the saloon an
Englishman named ingalls, was here arsking
If | knowed your pard, Ed. / told him
where he was and off he goes. Impatient
and stuck up enough, wouldn't listen TO no
caution. Thought mebbe our mOunt'in
trail was a bolerward where he could find
hoss-keers and them two-wheeled cabs with
Jay up behind. of be jumps like a fash
u y
in an Hour or two l clean forgot all about
YOU was going that way.
''Pll NEE; him." ] says, and starts. Ths
crowd give three cheers for me and wished
NE merry Chris mus" Keep some of
that pudding for me till spring, it will be
hard enough" yells the storekeeper, 'for
you wouldn't take no soda in it," Pard
hadn't mentioned soda and ] wouldn't put
IL in, though it was argued it oughter be
done. "S'longW l calls and goes on. For
three or four miles ! could see tracks quite
plain in the snow and / kept a lookout for
Ingalls,, but my progress was awful slow.
/ was so beat out that / swore al the yittles.
Pard and Chris'mus straight along. The
turkey growed heavier and heavier, and
once / lost it and had TO go back half
mile, and was ugly enough TO fight my best
friend. Curious enough l put all my mad
on that Teller ahead. The idea. I'd say,
"of him daring to climb this mountin alone
in snow time"
Bout ten miles Oh NY way, just az / was
straight'ning UP my back after making an
other hitch on the turkey, felt something
sharp strike my face. IknoWed / was in for
1t, for snow at Christmas time in these
mount'ins means danger. drifts and death.
But that didn't stump me. Every inch of
that road was plain as map In my mind.
and blunted by cold, stunned by the snow
and darkness, forgot ingalls, entirely and
must have passed close by him. l had
enough 10 do to fight for my own life. On
l want going to beat outer that dinner
for all the snow in Colorado. Every now
and then when L got kinder sleepy and
sly idee KEEP coming. how slick 1t woulG be
to lie down and take nap-that means
never cit up, but free to death--the old
turkey would sling around and fetch me a
smart slap in the face. L kinder growed TO
think the old bird wanted 10 be roasted and
git up to the cabin aud give his remains for
the celebration.
i got along all right till got to where 1
ought to turn off to the trail, and there
dassent leave the road. / wasn't sure
where it lay. / listened and l heard the
mufied sound of gun, and this followed:
wondering where Pard got his sense. 1
stumbled up the mountal side, a-hollerlng,
and soon got a answer and the happiest
sight of my life-I see a big yailer glare. 1t
was Pard a-burning kerosene.
''Glad it's cheap" I say, ironical, for 1t
amt. He laughs and takes ali the truck
and founders on ahead distance. where,
by the bowling, / Enowed Doc was tied.
and then the house was all lit up
made three stations down the path" he
explains, "house first, dog next, myself with
the gun and bonfire last"
''Y Quill do" l says, DE flew around look
ing at the stuff I'd brought, found some cloth
and made q Dag into which he put the pud-
ding mixture, tied it, and slung the same
into kittle Of boiling water which he hung
over the fire.
"The water'll git in it. says, ''tnem
stitches Is too loose"
at cooks out" he answers. beginning TO
cut up the squash, NOW sit down, Bige, and
get Strengthened out" he goes on, bringing
me glass Of brandy.
81 asked for letter for ye. but there
want nome" / says. beginning to draw of
my boots.
"You were very kind. but there is no one
to write"
LAND of the liyngi" / yells. jumping
up, 'them tracks ahead-that feller." 1t
come TO me all Of suddeD, where was he ?
what did you say p asks Pard. keerless
like.
ingalls," i gasps.
Ingalls," he repeats, Citing white. ''For
ft.,f. Ka hut II Eno of