The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-01-18
He WAS A HeATHEN BUT A HERO.
How n Chinaman Saved His Master from
Death and Was Crippled for Life.

w non GHe stage stopped 1OF dinner
and to make change of horses in
bit of valley which seemed to be over
hung by the peaks of a spur of the
Bitter Root mountains, the landlord
and proprietor came out of the house
carrying Chinaman in his arms, and
with as much tenderness as mother
would have displayed with sick child
the burden was deposited in rude
but comfortable seat few steps from
the door.
We saw that the Chinaman had lost
the use of his lower limbs, though he
seemed to be in first-rate health, while
the seat was padded and cushioned
and had evidently been constructed
especially for his use, says writer in
the N. Y. Herald.
at wasn't SO long ago that the
miners in this valley drove all the Chi
nese out, remarked to the landlord
when the opportunity came.
"Yes, know, and l helped to do it,
he answered. "Durn the yaller hided
heathens! but they orter be driv into
the Pacific ocean as food fur fish,"
"But you seem to be taking pretty
good care of the one over there"
"Jim Lung? Wall, yes; but he's an
exception, you know. Got the same
squint eyes and black hair and yaller
hide and heather brogue as the rest of
'em, but his soul was made after the
pattern of white mans. Yes, I'm
takin' powerful good care of Jim Lung,
and shall keep it up as long as live. 4"
"Did you good turn some time,
suppose?" questioned.
"That's it exactly. and I kin tell you
all about it inside of five minutes. Do
you see that spot up thar on the noun
tain side about two miles from here?"
81 do. There's probably been a
landslide there"
"K'rect. 1t took place four years
ago this spring. Right at the head of
it me and pard had cabin and a
mine. We'd just got to work when
Jim Lung came along. He'd bin in
hard luck and wanted job. My pard
was goin' to fire him down the trail,
but arter a good look at him I said
No. While he appeared to be the
same as all the other cussed heather
on the outside, 1 kinder suspected
that he was built up inside after diff
ferent pattern. lowed that he might
stay and cook for US till he got some
fat on his ribs, and stay he did"
"And he was all right, eh?"
"Right, as 80 per cent to the hun
dred. He had bin with US about ten
days when I was throwed fiat down
with fever, and I tell you l was a
dreadful sick man. One day, when
was about the worst, my pard had to
go over to Emmettsburg after grub. ]
was that f1ighty that didn't know one
man from the tother, but it was jim
Lung who staid behind to do what
ever he could. About 8 o'clock in the
afternoon my fever went off and got
my senses back, but was dreadful
weak. jest knowed that the blamed
heather was givin' me drink and nurs-
in me up, but / didn't seem to care
whether died or got well. 1t had biz
rainin' purity steady fur three weeks
and had I bin well [ should hev bin q
leetle narvous about landslip. Bein
as was the idea never worked into
my head"
am following you," I said as he
paused.
"Wall, I'd jest got woke up, as il
war, when the heathen begun to act
narvous. I didn't notice it so much
then, but it cum to me afterwards
He'd run to the door and take squint
and then run back and fuss around
me, and finally the cuss-who. was {
powerful feller in them days-pickeC
me up, rolled me in a rubber blanket
and walked outdoors and started VI
the trail I was like one in dream
sorter knowed what he was doin'
and yit didn't struggle nor ask
question. We hadn't gone hundred
feet when Jim Lung uttered a vel
and next thing realized we seemed
to take wings and fly through the air
while thar was a roarin' in my ear
like gale makes among the PIN
trees. Kin you guess what it WASP"
"a landslide?"
"Bet yer life 1t was! See! 1t wa
over mile broad by two miles long
and my cabin was plumb in the mid
die, but only 800 feet below whar sht
started from. Jim Lung had waitet
too long. The slip picked us up, ant
I'm tellin' you straight as gun whel
say that that burned yaller hided sol
of a gun, holdin' me in his arms a
you hold baby was given free rid
the whole length of that slip ant
brung up in that fringe of cedars yol
see stretchin' along yonder. | faintet
away about the time we started, ant
next thing l knowed it war dark ant
my pard was thar beside me. So wa
Jim Lung. I hadn't even lost piec
) of hide, but the heather had bin hur
about the hips and back and cripple'
fur life. We went down along wit
powders and trees and bushes ant
thousands of tons of earth, and hoy
we escaped is sumthin' no man xii
tell. Jim thinks he kept his feet al
the way down, but l jest imagine tha
both of US played circus in wa,
never witnessed by mortal man be
FORE"
"Did the cabin go?"
@Did it! Why, man, we never foun'
splinter as big as a toothpick! !
year ago, in sinkin' shaft up thar b,
the trees, some fellers cum across
barl of one of our guns. Thar wa
thirty-four feet of rock and cart
above it! If we'd bin in that cabin nc
body would hev ever seen hide or ha'
of US till Gabriel got ready to blow
and then we'd hev probably showe
up only piece at time. Most pee
pie think I'm lyin', as it is, but thar
}. the slip up thar to speak fur itself, an
here's Jim Lung to tell his side of th
story. Does any body s'pose I'd adop
squint-eyed, yaller-hided heathe
fer brother onless owed him deb
money couldn't pay! That amt me!
"And you intend to take care of hir
for the rest of his life?"
"Allus, as long as 1 live and he lives
and if die fust he'll be purvided fo
in decent fashion. He's a heather, bu
that's all on the outside. AS / tol
you before, it's the inside machiner
that differs from the rest of his race
By some mistake he was given a sou
and, gaul darn his pigtail, if 1 don
stand by him and take good keer {
him till the Lord parts us to meet agi
on the other side of the great divide!
Prair:e Dogs Kill Snakes.
It is often remarked that owls, pra