Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-07-25
JOHNNY'S TERRIER.

face, with just the suspicion of shagginess
ons ears and tail. Certainly there was
nothing tigerish about him, unless indeed
yon took stock in the tales of Johnny Ire
wick, his owner and intimate friend.
Pup, he looks mighty easy, like he
wouldn't hurt nothin. He's just as keer-
full as can be not ter do nothin but pull
out feathers when I sick him ON old en
in the garden" Johnny said "but you
jes' wait an see us two out a-huntin
Then You'll know he's er fierce dawg-
fierce as can be"
Johnny was an odd boy, always running
about through fields and thickets, climb
ing trees and peering into birds nests, no
matter how high and sheltered their seat.
Most times Tige bore him company.
After awhile, though it came to be no.
ticed that when Johnny set out toward tho
old graveyard at the Balm place he invari-
ably left the dog behind
TWAS pretty to sec him do it. He would
pull off cap or coat, fling it down at
Tige's feet and say, Watch" When he
walked away, the dog crouched at guard
over the garment, would yelp and whine
entreatingly to be taken along, yet never
for minute dreaming of leaving his post
1t was the last of June. In another
week school would be out. Alma smiled
little and tossed her head the least bit in
the world. She was too wise to look wise,
though she alone of the scholars knew
Johnnys crrand-was, in fact, the occa-
sion of it. Mocking birds were not too
plenty thercabout and for ever so long she
had coveted "a singer" to send to her
grandmamma in town, who was eager for
such pct A month before Johnny had
said with elaborate offhand carclessness:
Alma, l know where there's mockin
bird nest, an-an I'll get the young ones
for We jest as they're big enough to fly-if
you want 'enl, that is. heard tell as you
did"
''That I do" Alma said eagerly. II
want them all, Johnny, an I'll make you
book bag, an Il marble bag, too, like my
new caliker dress-the one Billy Lee beg
ged me fer or piece of, an wouldn't give
it to i'm"
''All right. Them's yer BIRDS" Johnny
said sententiously, his checks, though, very
red
Alma was the prettiest girl in the school,
almost the smartest one too. Moreover,
Billy Lee was her abject slave and John
ny's most conspicuous rival for the head
of the spelling class.
To get ahead of him in her good graces
was something that to Johnny seemed
worth even the treachery he meditated
against his friends the birds
Daily he crept up the old thorny seed
ling apple tree to peer at the three Jumps
Of gray down that were slowly evolving
legs and wings and tails to match the big
mouths wherewith they came into the
world. He moved so gently that the old
birds, after the first call or so, became
cutlery over him.
Iigc, though, was another matter. Him
they flew at, scolding and pecking so fu-
riously that Johnny began really to fear
for his pets eyes.
So Tige was left behind, even upon this
day when Johnny meant himself to rifle
the house of sticks and stones.
Its or mean thing ter do an wont do
it no more, not for nobody, nor nobody's
two gran 'mammes," he said to himself as
he ran along, holding in one hand the cage
he had been fashioning all these weeks
and which he had that morning hidden
in thicket at the foot of the hillside upon
which stood the nest tree.
All the orchard space was overgrown
with blackberry clusters 1t was likely
place for snakes, but somehow the thought
of them never came into Johnny's mind.
The other scholars did think of the
snakes-that perhaps explained why the
old orchard on the next hill to the school
house was left, even in juno apple season
pretty much to the birds and Johnny.
Today the place was deserted A deep
hush hung over it. Even when he came
to the trees foot there was no flutter Of
gray wings in the boughs overhead.
Pm glad them old birds Is gone-In
feel meaner'n pizen takin their babies with
them fyin round an hollerin SO pitiful )"
Johnny told himself as he scrambled up
the gnarly trunk
Writhing, scrambling, yet almost wit ?
out noise, he gained his accustomed perch,
anchored the cage securely amid the
branches, then turned with both hands
stretched out over the nest, intending thus
to seize whatever it contained.
Next minute there was yell, a fall, q
wild leaping up, shufiling run, as for
life
In the briefest space the scholars stand
ing idly about the schoolhouse yard saw
Johnny come tearing toward them, white,
breathless, an awful fear in his eyes.
Nor did they wonder at it, for, seeing
him, they also saw, too, 1.-THE, livid cop.
perhead snake. 1t was coilcd about his
leg just well below tho knee, its fiat, tri-
angular head waving back and forth with
much blinking Of beady eyes and play Of
forked tongue.
At the sight everybody set up wild
crying.
''Snake! Snakel Tho snakes got John
ny! Goo, he'll kill i'm dead He's goin
ter bite now! Goo, somebody take i'm
off"
''Helpp' Johnny shouted. Help me,
somebody My breaths all gone! l CAM
holler!'
Alma began to cry. Billy Lee caught up
long pole and made dart at the snake,
who gave an angrier hiss than ever.
Nobody had thought of Tige, but there
came black streak through the air. some
little sharp teeth caught the serpent back
of the head and crunched and held until
he dropped nervelcss to the earth.
Then Tigc bit and shook him as he had
before time shaken the rags he played with,
growing and bristling in q way to do
credit to wolfhound.
But nobody paid much heed to Tige just
then. All were too busy bringing Johnny
out of his dead faint. After awhile he sat
up and told how when he came to rob tho
nest his hands fell upon this earlier de-
spoiler coiled snug within It,
All the rest he could remember was sec.
ing the snake coiled about his leg and run
ming, running in hope of succor.
Then at last somebody thought of Tigc,
and be sure he was praised and petted to
his full desert.
Even Billy Lee, the skeptic, surrendered