The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-03
NEW hooks.


Mighels's story Of @Bruvver Jim's Baby"
(Harper 4 Brothers) was plainly leading
a strenuous and adventurous life at the
period when Jim found him. The FLUTES
were out rabbit hunting in Nevada on a
bright November day. and the baby that
was presently to have Jim for a brother
| was along, He YVES young to be taking
| part in rabbit drive, being only three
! years old. His spirit was not at all equal
TO the occasion. The story says that he
| was almost as much frightened as the
| rabbits were.
Nearly as frightened as the helpless
creatures Of the brush was tiny little
pony rider, back OF the army, mounted on
a plodding horse that was all but hidden
by It's load Of furry game. He was riding
double, this odd little bit OF a youngster,
with a sturdy Indian boy who was on In
front, That such a timid little dot of man
hood should have been permitted to join
| the hunt was wonder. He was apparently
not more than three years old at the most
With funny little trousers that reached
| to his heels, with big brown eyes all elo-
quent OF doubt, and with round little copper
colored cheeks, impinged upon by an
old fur cap he wore pulled down over
forehead and ears, he appeared about az
| u
discover. But he seemed distressed. And
how he did hang onl The rabbits secured
, upon the pony were crowding him back
| ward most alarmingly."
| Presently. in spite Of his best efforts
at clinging, he slid gently of over the pony's
tail, and jim, coming along some time
after the hunt had swept out Of sight, found
him sitting solemnly In the sand. A peril
GUS situation, from which it would hardly
have been within the little mans unaided
power to remove himself. "The sun was
edging swiftly toward its hiding place;
the frost OF the mountain air was quietly
| sharpening its teeth Home
less, unmissed and deserted, the tiny man
could no nothing but sit there and wait.
| The day would CO. the twilight come, and
the night descend-the night with its dark
ness, Its whispered mysteries, its wall
ing coyotes cruising in solitary melancholy
hither and thither in their search for food
A mercy indeed that Jim came along
as the sun touched the edge of the hills
We have known Indians who bore the
name OF Jim, but Jim was no Indian He
belonged to the dominant race, though
personally he was at no particular pains
to dominate anybody. Heaven had not
filed him with fine and conquering energy.
He was "a tall, lanky man, something
over 40 years of age, as thin as a hammer
and dusty as the road itself-a man with
beard and a long, gray, dropping mustache,
and with dropping clothes-a man selected
by shiftessness to be its sign and mark
a miner in boots and overalls and great
SLOUGH hat
A mercy, further, that Jim had pup.
! This provdential little animal was yellow,
| restless and inquisitive. 1t was bound
| in the ordering OF nature to discover the
lone little man sitting perilously in the
SAGE brush. with yelps Of gladness and
appreciation the pup went awkwardly
knocking through the brush, and presently
halted-bracing abruptly with his clumsy
paws-amazed and COMPOUNDED by the
sight Of a frightened little red man sitting
with his rabbits in the sand"
The small and clinging hunter, in slip
ping over the tail of the pony, had dragged
of some of its load. The yellow dog well
coined both the dead rabbits and the live
baby. He let out bark that made things
Jump, especially the tiny man and him
self" Jim called out to him, feeling, as
| usual, an unwillingness to be disturbed.
| Come here, Tintoretto," he lazily COM
| m anded, showing in the name by which
he addressed his pup, that he had an eye
for color and was willing to honor the old
masters. Tintoretto refused to obey, and
continued to be vociferous So dim went
and found his baby.
With the sam genius that he had di5-
played in naming his dog, Jim called the
baby Aborigineeger. Jim prepared sup
per as soon as he got home to his shanty
in the mining camp OF Borealis. There
was presently savory smoke sufficient
for an army in the place, while sounds
of things sizzling made music for the hum
cry. The miner laid bare a section OF the
table, which he set with cups, plates and
iron tools for eating. He then dished up
two huge supplies OF steaming beans and
bacon, two monster cups of coffee, black
as tar, and cut giant pile of dun colored
bread" Part of this preparation was
useless, for the baby, who was asleep,
refused to wake up. and slept till morning
Tintorekto, however, rounded out his pro-
portions with an ample meal He filled
in 40 thoroughly that his round little pod
Of stomach was burden to carry"
Jim discovered in the morning that his
baby was white. He applied the washrag
to the little mans face before breakfast.
He gave the first dab. xThen, indeed, the
man was astounded. A wide streak, white
as milk, had appeared on the baby counte-
nance. Pierce my pearlsv exclaimed the
miner, If ever I saw rag in my shack
before that would leave a white mark on
anythingr" He dabbed again and still
again white kd-painted!" he raptur-
ously exclaimed. Amt an Injun by a
thousand miles" The justice of the re-
mark was obvious. "A timid little pale
| face, fair as dawn itself, but smeared with
color that was coming away in blotches,
emerged from the process Of washing and
eazed with his big brown eyes at his foster
parent in way that made the miner weak
with surprise Such pretty and wistful
little armful OF boy he was certain had
| xa..or hoan sean hefore In all the world