, 1904-12-19

Ds SAS 0~AS0~S ~
and therefore the business was sool
transacted .
l located q claim called the Boone
rang. l named it after my favorit
mule. l call my mule Boomerang b
cause he has such an eccentric orb
and no one can tell just when he wi.
clash into some other heavenly body
He has a sigh like the long draw.
breath Of q fog-horn. He likes to com
to my tent In the morning about DIS!
light and sigh in my ear before I Al
awake. He is q highly amusing littl
cuss, and it tickles him a good deal I
pour about 1871 gallons Of his me.od.
into my a while l am dreamin
sweetly dreaming. He enjoys my loo.
of pleasant surprise when l wake VI
He would cheerfully pour more tina
1874 gallons Of sigh into my ear. bu
that is all my ear will hold. There :
nothing small about Boomerang. II
is generous to q fault and lavishes b
low, sad, tremulous vail OF every on
who has time to listen to it.
Those who have lever been wakene
from a sweet, sweet dream by the 10
sad wall Of a narrow-gauge mule. s
close to the ear that the warm breat
Of the songster can be felt on tn
cheek, do not know what it is to b
loved by a patient, faithful, dumb an.
loved by q patient, faithful, dun an
NAL.
The first time he rendered this vo
untary for my benefit l rose in m.
wrath and some other clothes, al
went out and shot him. l discharge
every chamber of my revolver into hi
carcass, and went back to bed to wa
till it got lighter. In a couple Of hour
l arose and went out to bury Boom
rang. The remains q OF about
twenty yards eating bunch grass. In
the gloom and uncertainty Of night,
had shot six shots into an old windlass
near a deserted shaft.
Boomerang and l get along frs
rate together. When l am lonesome g.
shoot at him, and when he is lo1esom
he comes up and lays his htad a eros.
my shoulder, and looks at me witt
great soulful eyes and sings To me.
On our way in from the mines W.
saw one of those beautiful sights s.
common in this high altitude and clea.
atmosphere . 1t was a mirage.
IN the party were q lawyer, a Unit
ed States official, a banker and my
self. The other three members OF the
quartet, aside from myself are YER!
modest men and do not wish to have
their names mentioned. They were
very particular bout it and l have re-
very particular about ii and l have re
pected their wishes. Whatever
Messrs. Blake, Snow or Ivinson ask me
to do 1 will always do cheerfuli!.
But we we're speaking about the
mirage. Across to the northeast our
attention was at first attracted by a
rank Of gray towers growing toller and
taller till their heads were lifted into
the sky above. while at their feet there
soon appeared q CLASSY lake in which
was reflected the outlines Of the mas
sive gray walls above. It was a beau
tiful sight. The picture was as still
and lovely to look as q school lna'nnr.
We all went into raptures 1t looked
like some beautiful cen In Palestine.
At least Snow said 80, and he has read
q book about Palestine, and ougt. to
know,
|. There was q silence in the air which
seemed to indicate the deserted So
putchre Of other days. and tht grim
ruins towering above the depths "
clear waters on whose surface was
mirrored the visage Of the rocks and
towers on their banks. all spoke Of re-
pose and decay and the silent, stately
tread Of relentless years.
By and by. from out o fthe grey back
ground Of the picture. there stole the
wild, tremulous, heart-broken wall of
q mule.
It seemed to jar upon the surround
ings and clash harshly against our
sensitive natures. Some one of the
party swore q little. Then another
one came to the front, and took the
Job OF his hands. We all Joined. In
q ~gentlemanly kind OF way, in con-
demning the mule for his lack Of tact.
to say the least.
g All at once the line of magnificent
ruins shortened end becamet reduced
height. They changed thsir POSI-
lions and moved Of to the MT, aid
our dream had melted into the matter
Of fact scene of twenty-five immigrant
wagons drawn by rat-tail mules and
driven by .long-haired Mormons, with
the dirt and bacon irinds Of lprehis-
toric times adherins To- them every
where.
Whist . vale Of tcur3 this is.anyway.
: We are only marching toward the
tomb. after all. We should learn a
valuable lesson from this aud never
tell q lie.-BM Nye.