Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-06-20
DOMINGO.


ags,v He WIS offered horse to ride, but
refi,cd it, and started on foot.
II wa, NAV, the most delightful month
T., rho war. and Father Gasparl, free from
Tho restraint of the mission, heguiled the
way LIS singing and soliloquizing some
thing after this wise;
Indeed no; l feel far safer on my own
legs than on the back Of an impish bronco
thet plants his four feet all together in
onc small spot and humps his back like a
Asnd iuearnAtc Did not l myself see the
father superiors face blanch when he
,,,nuted him to ride down the coast"
Father Gaspard was strong and in good
health barring "a threatened obesity and u
shortueSs Of leg, but with the aid Of a
.taut aaken staff he made good progress
4 HIGHT rejection at midday and a short
sjesta So refreshed him that he almost
SEEMED to trot 50 fast did the ups and
downs Of the mountain trail speed under
his feet
H lasscd the night with q hcr,l,nan
who shared with him his simple fare, and
in The morning. after giving the man his
BLESSING. proceeded On his way through
the mountain pass to- the edge Of the Sail
mas river Trucking his gown around hi,
waist and carrying Lis sandals in his hand
ho fur,lpd the stream in shallow plaec
mounted the bank, and drew long hrcAths
If dcltaat ut the view before him.
Thesa,hy stretched leagues away 10 the
south Wherr tire mountains seemed -
meet Tic sand dunes separating 1t fem
tn ga IN the west There were no lind
aark> =, any KIND. hot a tree, shrub or
raek, only an ur5ra>cn prairie OF vcriurc
q = PHI 4stI a. n r.
Tie hresze moving the grass
Thu :. M father hJ~'sHcd on. WrA h.
kurv tl la.rr iii tie dty the-r er,At ~
lif-.~ pains wrfc tho very nozzle Il the
hsllw. through which tho trade winds
swept. and toward evening n terror To
travellers fram the fog that rolled in from
- ~. ense.apint, drenching and how'll
,lcrlug tncm, 50 it was folly To continue
:a5.r a4rues They must stop where they
were until the next morning, whru the
Seir.ase trade winds once more ar l~o and
Ir.5, t..r tx away in fantastic clouds uyc-
tha mountains
l, Wa, the good priests intention tc
crto, tie plain, and rcach tho ranch Of Don
Manuel on the GahiIan where he would
pass the ii GIT, sure If "a kindly welcome
and god cheer Bat about noon, suffer
hunger, he b+thou9ht himself OF "A shep-
herd who tended the sheep OF Don Manuel
with whom he had stopped once or twice
when ovcrtakcn by the fog and who had
thu knack OF frying frijol.s dcliciously.
Yes, there to the right was the hut, and
a short distance away the flock. so the
priest turned from his course and soon
reached the shepherds hut He sat down
1x- -pI
his breath Then putting his hands to
his mouth he called loudly; Pedro Oh,
Pedro
The sheep werc huddlcd together IN
groups, heads 10 the ground, their woolly
backs resisting the heat OF the 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 itscf on the further side of the flock.
Then circing around it he came bounding
and leapiug toward the priest. III reach
lug him he ran arul nd and around, bark
Ing, jumping and trying 10 lick HIS face.
Father Gaspard laughed and said: is
II thou, Domingo Thi, is cordial greet
ing, but where j. thy master, Pcdrof Is
The sluERtrd asleep in the grass:
The dog showed all his teeth, and bent
himself almos double first one side, then
the Other, in the violent wags Of hi, tail.
He ran u lit;lr 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 rs the priest only laughed
the dog took hold OF his gown with his
teeth, and, backing off, tried to pull him
along
Oh well, then, | come, " said the
priest indulgently, and followed the dog,
who trotted toward u clump of tall grass,
looking back every few steps to SEQ II
Father Gaspard was close behind.
Is it fox hole thou wouldst show me:
Or only squirrel'sY Oh, 1t is the lazy
shepherd Awake Pedrol" said the priest,
reaching down to shake the PROSTATE
form, but he started back, for 1t was not
that of sleeping man, but of dead one.
How is thiss' cried Father Gaspard in
distress. Pedro dead and of what all
mentsn
He turned the body over. Thou hast
lain here many days, my poor Pedro. AL
ready the FOG and sun have rotted thy gar
ments and disflgured thy face, Thou art
offensive and must be buried. And who
mas guarded the ilOck?"
He'looked at the dog, who wagged his
tail
Thou, Domingo! by thyself? Truly
thou art noble fellow, and shalt have thy
reward. The man must be buried, Mt 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. Lock
ing around, he found small spade, and
took blanket, which was folded on pile
Of dry grass, to wrap the body in. Then
he went back to the dead man.
1t was no easy task to dig the grave
alone and get the body in it, but he went
bravely to work, and cheered by an coca
slonal visit from the dog by the time the
nrst harbinger of the fog-in the form of
ileecy mist-foated over the sand dunes,
IL was accOmnli shed