Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-06-20

hind, to come out.
The face of the young man lighted
up, and he sprang at the fence and
valuted it before the agent could pre-
vent him.
Dolly! It's you, Dolly" he sobbed
as he threw his arms about the little
mares neck. She rubbed her nose
on his coat and pricked her ears for
ward and backward with pleasure al
the meeting.
The agent allowed the horse and
man to say "howdy' to each other and
then inquired:
Well, young fellow, how much will
you give for herr"
How much do you want?" replied
the man.
'Sixty-five dollars said the agent
and the young man started to count
out the bills.
The mare stood quietly by until
the trade had been made and then
followed her new owner to the corral
Il don't need any halter" said the
young man. Il guess we know one
another well enough to get to the
barn without being roped."
The mare followed like dog and
together they entered one of the big
stables.
Give her all she wants and fix her
up as well as you can,' he remarked
to the barn men, and after looking
over his purchase for several minutes
he went into the Office.
Seems to know you, sir said one
of the hostlers.
Yes, should think So" replied the
young man. "She knows me and
certainly know her. She isn't pretty
but l wouldn't trade her for English
Lad, or Hamburg Belle, or any OF
those flyers, and l guess Dan Patch
would be overlooked if Mr.. Savage
should offer to swap with me for
Dolly"
"Why?"
well, I'll tell you. A year age
last summer l was in the California
mountains. | was broke as the old
man and myself had a temporary dis
agreement. | was working with a
railroad as timekeeper. l had to ride
twelve miles day through the rough
est country in California and the lit.
tie mare used to carry me.
81 would not be here if it had not
been for her nerve when mine failed
One day we were going along a twist
ing trail that was being changed into
a railroad grade. The men had clear.
ed the chaparral from both sides, and
the gummy, resinous stuff lay stewing
in the sun. The grade lay along the
side Of canyon and in some places
the mountain was so steep that a
man could toss a stone half a mile.
The grade had been carried into
the gulches on either side of a jut.
ting spur and then out again ON the
face of the spur and around to the
opposite gulch. The front of the spur
was straight up 500 feet, and where
the grade passed around it shelved
off at an angle of about thirty de.
grees to a river $500 feet below.
1T was a bad sort of place for
a tenderfoot, but Dolly and myself
had negotiated it many times and ]
had confidence in her judgment.
Dolly kept pricking her ears back.
ward and casting sidelong glances at
me, and | did all | could to sOothe
her. Finally there came a puff OF
wind that carried some of the brands
clear out on the mountain side, and
in a few more seconds, by leaning
over the edge of the grade, l could
see the blue smoke and yellow flames
as they ate their way into the heaps
of brush. The smell of the rosin in
the chaparral struck me as being toe
close for comfort, and l told the lit.
tie mare to move along.
when a gust of white fame swept
up out of the furnace and touched
my left side, felt my senses reel
and expected the next moment to be
my last. There was a lull in the at
tack of the fire just at this juncture
and the old mare turned her head
around and looked me squarely in the
eye.
Well, young fellow she said, you
have managed to get US in a nice fix
haven't you, now? But I'll try to get
u3 out. Can you hang on when 1 go
through Get ready for I'm going to
try it.
Il just had time to murmur Into
Thy hands l commend my spirit,
when she struck the fire. Into it she
plunged and, keeping her courage on
the narrow ledge, made the turn out
on the mountain side.
ct seemed a half-hour before we
were through that furnace. And as
we emerged from the sweeping bill
lows I felt her falter. I was too weak
to guide her, but she managed to
stagger to safety just as rolled from
her back.
Il was in the hospital in San Fran
cisco a month before | was in shape
to be about and it was three months
before I could get back to the noun
tains to try to find Dolly. My father
had become reconciled to me during
my illness and 1 wanted to buy the
old mare and take her back home
with me.
They told me that she had been
badly burned and was no good and
had been turned out on the hillside to
die.
"But l found her today in this ship
ment from New Mexico and from this
time forth to the end of her days she
is going to wade in bluegrass and
have every care horse can have
because it was through her that l am
here. - St. Paul CORES pondence
Pittsburg Gazette.