Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-06-12
DOMINGO.

| bbkO w bnO mirsiDu Duu ~ IulIB9
away. Hc was offered horse To ride, but
refused It, and started on foot.
IL was May, tho most delightful month
In tho year, and Father Gaspard, free from
tho restraint OF the mission, beguiled tho
way by singing and soliloquizing some
thing after this wise:
Indeed no; / feel far safer ON my own
legs than on tho back of an impish bronco
that plants his four feet all together In
one small spot and humps his back like "A
fend incarnate. Did not myself see the
father superior's face blanch when he
mounted him to ride down the coastY"
Father Gaspard was strong and In good
health, barring threatened obesity and "a
shortncss Of leg, but with the aid Of u
stout oakcn staff ho made good progross.
A light rejection ut midday and short
siosta so refreshed him that he almost
seemed To trot, so fast did tho ups and
downs OF the mountain trail speed under
| his feet
He passed the night with herdsman,
who shared with him his simple fare, and
In tho morning, after giving tho man his
blessing, proceeded on his way through
the mountain pass to the edge of the Sail
mas river Tucking his gown around his
waist and carrying his sandals In his hand,
1
mounted the bank, and drew long breaths
Of delight ut the view before him.
Tho valley stretched leagues away to tho
south, where tho mountains seemed to
meet the sand dunes separating 1t from
| tho sea on tho west There were no land
marks Of any kind not a tree, shrub or
rock, only an unbroken prairie OF verdure
| and flowers, azure sky overhead and "a gen
tic breeze moving the grass.
The good father fastened on. Well he
knew that later In the day these great Sa-
linas plains were the very nozzle of the
bellows through which the trade winds
swept, and toward evening a terror to
travellers from the fog that rolled in from
| the sea, enveloping drenchlng and bewil-
dering them, SO it was folly to continue
their journey. They must stop where they
| were until tho next morning, when the
| welcome trade winds once more arose and
| drove the fog away In fantastic clouds over
| the mountains.
1t was the good priests intention to
| cross the plains and reach the ranch OF Don
Manuel on the Gabilan, where no would
| pass the night, sure Of kindly welcome
| and good cheer. But about noon, suffer
ing from heat, fatigue and the pangs of
| hunger, he bethought himself Of shep-
ISiu WIN tchucu viz VI iOh
with whom he had stopped once or twice
when overtaken by the fog and who had
the knack Of frying frijoles dcliciously.
Yes, there to the right was the hut, and
short distance away the flock. So the
priest turned from his course and soon
reached the shepherds hut He sat down
on "a bench by the door until he recovered
his breath. Then putting his hands to
his mouth he called loudly: "Pedro! Oh,
Pedrov'
The sheep were huddled together IN
| groups, heads to the ground, their woolly
| backs resisting the heat of tho sun. At
his call some lifted their heads, but the
| shepherd did not rise from his sleep on the
| ground, as Father Gaspard expected. In
stead the black head Of shepherd dog
| lifted itself ON the further side Of the flock
Then circling around it he came bounding
and leaping toward the priest. In reach
ing him he ran around and around, bark
ing, jumping and trying to lick his face.
Father Gaspard laughed and said: SIS
it thou, Domingop This is cordial greet
ing, but where is thy master, Pedro9 Is
the sluggard asleep in tho grass?'
The dog showed all his teeth, and bent
himself almost double first one side, then
the other, in the violent wags Of his tail.
He ran little way, then lay down and
rested his head on his paws an instant,
then ran up to the priest again, emitting
sharp, quick yelps. He repeated this again
and again, but as the priest only laughed
the dog took hold Of his gown with his
teeth, and, backing off, tried to pull him
along.
ooh, well, then, come" said the
priest indulgently, and followed the dog,
who trotted toward a clump of tall grass,
looking back every few steps to SEQ II
Father Gaspard was clcse behind.
SIS it u fox hole thou wouldst show me9
Or only squirrel'sp Oh, it is the lazy
shepherd. Awake Pedro!' said the priest,
reaching down to shake the prostrate
form, but he started back, for il was not
that OF q sleeping man, but Of q dead one.
"How is this?" cried Father Gaspard in
distress. Pedro dead and Of what all
mentp"
He turned the body over. "T'hou hast
lain here many days, my poor Pedro. AL
ready the fog and sun have rotted thy gar
ments and disigurcd thy face. Thou art
offensive and must be buried. And who
has guarded the flock?"
He looked at tho dog, who wagged his
tail
"Thou, Domingo! by thyself9 Truly
thou art noble fellow, and shalt have thy
reward. Tho man must be buried at least
temporarily"
Father Gaspard scanned the valley in
all directions. No one was to be seen, no
| traveller or vaquero that could be called to
help.
He went back to the hut and opened the
| door. 1t was in good order, showing that
the shepherd had not lain there sick. Look
| ing around, he found small spade, and
| took blanket, which was folded on u pile
| of dry grass, to wrap the body In. Then
| be went back to the dead man.
1t was no easy task to dig tho grave
| alone and get the body i'm 1t, but he went
| bravely to work, and checrcd by an occa-
sional visit from the dog by the time the
| first harbingc- Of the fog-in the form Of
n ileecy mist-floatcd over tho sand dunes,
IL was accomplished.