Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-07-06

he made a cake and baked it in the ashes
of his fire. He offered some to the dog,
who only shifted at it and would not eat.
The priest, seated at the door Of the hut,
saw Domingo round up the sheep and
head them toward the corral. There We're
many hundreds, and he drove them care
fully and without haste safely inside, all
but one laggard, q half grown lamb, which
came Dleating and running to join the
| Others
The dog stood at the entrance of the in
closure, but instead of letting the lamb
pass he sprang at its throat and bore it to
the ground, tapping eagerly the warm
blood that flowed from the lacerated
wound. As soon as it ceased its struggles
he tore the flesh from its bones and ate
ravenously.
Father Gaspard was angry, and shout
ing to the dog tried to drive him from the
lamb, but Domingo growled and would
not obey.
Having finished his meal, he dragged
the body away from the corral and began
to dig hole When he considered it deep
enough, he pushed the lamb in, but drag
ged it out again and dug the hole a little
wider. In the lamb was flung again-out
once more and turned around. Then, APP
parently satisfied, he pushed it in and COW
cred it up, showing the earth over it with
his nose. Then he went to the gate Of the
corral, selected place to rest, licked his
paws, turned around and around several
times lay down, and rolling himself up
went to sleep.
Father Gaspard watched this wanton-
ness on the part of the dog with great dis
| tress. Then, too weary to sit up longer,
he entered the hut, and on the shepherd S
bed of grasses slept the sleep of fatigue and
| innocence
In the morning he was awakened by the
barks Of the dog and the tramp of the
| sheep as they were driven out to Craze.
After eating the remains Of the beans and
meal cake he sat on the bench and won
dered what was best to do. Should he re-
| main there and guard the flock from the
dog and await some ones coming to send
word to Don Manuel, or should he hasten
himself to the ranch and have shepherd
sent with other dogs?
He felt cold nose on his hand, and
looking down saw Domingo wagging q
cheerful good morning. Father Gaspard
| pushed him aside and said:
away, Domingo, thou art no more a
| friend of mine. Thou art an unfaithful
servant. Even now thy jowls are red with
| the blood Of that innocent lamb. No Won
der thou disdained the frijoles offered
thee for thy supper. Thou hadst some
| thing better in store. Thou shalt be dealt
with according to thy crime. l will tell
Don Manuel of thy treachery, and thou
| wilt be shot, an ignominious death for q
shepherd dog, or if thou shouldst escape,
as l have no rope to tie thee, thou wilt
| drag out a miserable life in the noun
tains, like the thievish coyote, and like
him be hated and hunted. 1t is q true
saying that once shepherd dog tastes tt Q
| blood of sheep he is never more to he
trusted. 1t Is worse than the thirst of
man for wine"
Domingo sat on his launches before the
priest and listened to this TRADE, his head
on one side, his eyes fixed upon those Of
| his denunciator and his tongue lolling out
| of his mouth, except when the priest
| paused, then he drew 1t in and swallowed
His sharp ears stood up and pointed for
ward and back from the priest to the
sheep. Occasionally his eyes would roll to-
ward the flock, and the little brown spots
above them seemed also to move. Ever on
| the alert, he now dashed away to see If
they were safe.
| Father Gaspard grasped his staff and
arose to 60, hoping to reach the ranch and
send shepherd back before night. Sud
denly thought struck him, and he sat
down again.
''What would have kept the dog from
starving since the shepherd died If he had
| not eaten lamb now and then? Yes, it
| had to be, for the good Of the flock the dog
must be fed He killed the lamb quietly,
not alarming tho rest"
Father Gaspard called him by name,
and when he came running up stroked his
head tenderly.
Domingo milo, I was <overhasty and
have done thee injustice. Dost forgive me
for my blindness and harsh words? Yes,
see no malice in thy honest face. Thou
necdcst no words to express thy forgive
ness it is shown in thy clear brown eyes,
and the vocabulary of thy tail and ears !
will tell the don of thy faithfulness, and
thou shalt be canonized among dogs. Thou
art no longer young. myself have known
thoe number of years. Thou shalt be re-
lieved Of the care and labor of the field
and live at the ranch house, where the
don will give thee place by the fire, and
will stroke thy head like this, as he tells
the story Of thy sagacity."
Light of heart now that his trust in the
dog was restored, Father Gaspard started
once more on his way toward the Gabilan.
At evening he reached the edge Of the
mountain, and looking back saw nothing
but q sea of fog. But had it been clear he
might have seen shower of dirt and grass
flung high in the air, caused by Domingo
in tie act of rosurrecting the remains of
the lamb for his supper.-Kate P. Sieg-
hold in Overland Monthly.
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