The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-19

beast went along and paid little attention TO
the blows from the club Santiago struck
him with. He probably thought that his
master was not responsible, so he just
switched his tail as If he was bothered with
flies.
When they reached the small dilapdated
adobe structure that was called home San
tiago threw himself down on q strawpile
without stopping to draw water from the
well for his faithful servant The Durro
brayed several times to attract his masters
attention and at last the man got up and
filed three buckets Of water and left them
where his beast Of burden could drink. The
animal did not take more than one and then
went to see what he could find among the
straw to satisfy his hunger.
Santiago laid down while the mescal
burned into his brain and made him nerv-
ous His head was in whrl and he could
not sleer. He saw his burro al the straw
pile. but he looked as if he was running
around him at the speed of railroad train.
The whole earth seemed in state Of con-
vulslon and the ground was upheayed on
all sides and he saw the walls of his hut
shake like reeds in the wind.
lie could stand 1t d o longer, so ne tried TO
get up, but fell back, aud then concluded
be would smoke cigarette. With great
difficulty he managed to roll the tobacco
and paper into the desired form and lighted
it. The smoke sOothed him, and soon his
eyes began to droop and everything got
hazy He fell back onto the straw and.
stretching out his arms, in an Instant was
asleep. Not the gentle sleep that soothe.,
but the hard sleep induced by the poisonous
liquor he had drunk.
When he fell back he had the lighted
cigarette in his left hand. The nerveless
fingers failed to mold IT. and it fell in the
dry straw, where 1t at once commenced TO
glow. and soon caused the dry material 20
ignite. In few minutes there was small
blaze, and still the man slept soundly un-
conscious of his danger. The flames came
closer and increased In size. Soon they
were seen by the burro. who gaZed at them
strangely few moments, and then came to
the conclusion that his master was in dan
ger. He forgot all about the cruel blows,
and only thought to save the mans life.
lie ran up to him, and commenced to drag
at his clothes with his teeth; but all in vain,
as the man slept on. The flames were
within a foot of him now, and an occa-
sioDal tongue would lick the mans hand
But he was past all sense of feeling and
never moved. In few moments more he
would have been burned to crifp
The burr0 saw Ii was impossible to wake
his master, so he ran for the water that was
standing in the buckets 1t was hard work
to carry one OF them as the handles were
only thick wire, and 1t was with difficulty
that be secured hold. But by setting it
down several times he got it To the fire, ana
by this time the flames had reached the
mans hand, which was badly burned, as
! we'll as the end of his shirt sleeve The
burru set the bucket down near bv and
pushed il over. In an instant the flames
around the spot were extinguished, but
little fire still burned near by. 1t would
soon spread and things would be as bad as
ever. But the burrO ran for the other
bucket of water and with difficulty dumped
it on the last Of the fire. All danger was
now passed aud the faithful animal re-
turned TO his straw.
Santiago did not wake up until morning
He saw at once that there had been fire
and that his hand was badly burned. How
he was saved was none of his busneSs-t
was an act of providence.
lie got uD and started for the house, and
as he was passing the we'll the little burro
was standing near by and brayed, hoping
that his master would give him some water.
But Santiag0's hand hurt him and he was
in a bad temper, so instead OF water he gave
the animal hard kick, and emphasized bis
action with a curse.