The Portland daily press., 1895-07-20

Williams John, put on your coat. Mary
Eilen' wrap the baby up warmly and stop
crying"
Grandma Williams had her way. The
bapy went down the deep shaft, and IN the
low, olack gangway breathed the gaseous
mine air, day after day. and grew strong
ana rusty again. Ii was on one OF these
Visits that the baby and Jerry made each
others acquaintance. On the day they
nrst met, Jerry stood near the bottom of
the shaft
The baby father had put the baby, who
was growing heavy, down on the track and
was talking to some miners. The baby
seeing light few yards away-it was on
Jerrys head-went toward it and found
Jerry. He was half doing when rudely
awakened by something grasping one OF
ms forelegs.. A vicious CLEAN shone from
MS eyes, and his ears were laid flat along
ms mead as he prepared to repulse the dar-
ing person who was taking such liberty
with him. Then he looked down and saw
little, laughing, rosy face grasping tight
ly round his muscular leg. The next min
ute when the miners and the baby's IA
ther turned, and with cry OF horror saw
The light of the vicious mules lamp shin
ing on the baby's head, Jerry's ears were
pointed downward and he was whinnying
softly.
The men sprang forward one snatched
the baby back, another drove the mule
back, but the baby began to cry and
stretch out her tiny hands toward jerry
while he, still whinnying, gazed at her
| with such look of intelligent curiosity
that his driver said, ~. don't believe that
brute 'ud hurt her, and moment later
that baby, In her fathers arms, was strok-
Ing Jerry's SCARED and rough head while
a row of miners stood at the animals side,
ready to drive him back with blows and
| kicks if he attempted to bite. But Jerry
was as quiet and gentle as the baby herself.
| Ever after that day they were firm
| friends. Every time the baby came down
| to the mine visit she insisted on making
| every week or two, she would see Jerry
| and stroke and play with him, and give
him sugar and apples to eat, until it was
said among the miners that she came
| down expressly to see Jerry, and SO, before
| long, she became known as Jerry's baby.
Jerrys driver had henceforth an easy
| task The mule which was formerly so
vicious and stubborn was now the most
| gentle and docile in the mine, and he was
always pointed out to the visitors as "the
mule that was tanned by John Williams
| baby"
The baby had been away for three weeks
on visit. On the day Of her return home
| she said, "Papa, take baby down mine;
baby wants to see jerry, "and Mr.. Will
| liams obeyed fFf -
AS the inside foreman told the footman,
| the visit was te' be made when the shifts
phoJ IoI,
| her father reached the foot of the shaft the
day men had finished their work and the
| mules were in their stables but the stable
| boss considered it no trouble to bring Jerry
| out to where the baby was sitting in the
| middle of the track upon an armful of
| straw, brought for her by one of the driver
| boys. h4
After the three weeks separation the
| greeting between Jerry and the baby was
most affectionate The baby elapped her
hands and rubbed her soft white check
| against Jerry rough nose while he whin-
MED to express his delight. Jerry had be-
come so gentle that Mr., Williams and the
stable boys had complete trust in him. and
knew that he would not harm hair of
| the baby's head, so after watching them
minute or two, and hanging a lamp on
timber near the pair, they walked few
yards up side gangway to inspect some
brattice work
The baby had a couple Of apples which
she gave to Jerry, laughing at his efforts
to take each piece with his lips, so as not
to endanger the tiny hand by his teeth
Suddenly jerry lifted his head. A dull
boom, a sound long drawn out echoed
along the gangway. 1t was followed al
most Immediately by a rush of air, which
to an experienced miner would have indi-
Gated fall of top coal or rock near by.
The babe laughed on, holding piece OF
apple toward Jerry, who, with his head
high in the air, listened intently. In a
moment there was a crashing, rattling
tearing noise In the stables where five
mules were confined, then the swift thump
of hoofs down the narrow gangway-the
mules, frightened by the fall, had broken
out of the stable and were dashing toward
the bottom of the shaft
To reach that point they would pass Jer-
ry and the baby The gangway was mar
row, two mules could hardly pass abreast
the baby was in the middle of tho track,
the cruel hoofs of the rapidly advancing
animals would crush out her life in Their
wild rush. Jerry seemed to realize it all
He backed away from the baby, who, in
nocent Of the danger, held out her hands
and called him. His head was turned to
one side, his ears laid straight back. The
rushing animals came nearer. With a
backward heave of his whole body, Jerry's
hoofs flew out and struck full on the
breast of the first mule The force of the
blow was terrific. The animal was hurled
back against the other four, who stopped
bewildered. At that instant the three men
rushed out of the side ganyway, and the
baby was snatched up into her fathers
arms.
The stable boss understood the situation
at glance, and, springing past Jerry,
with whip and voice, drove the five mules
back, While the baby's father kissed her
again and again, and Jerry calmly munched
some pieces Of apple which had fallen from
the baby's hands Occasionally he looked
up, and one could then see those two large,
melancholy eyes shining there in the dark
ness, lit up with new contentment, as If
even this hopeless prisoner could under
stand the happiness that COMES from deed
nobly done.-American Gazette,
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