The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-08

call them mountains which o.. Dee.
tween the provinces OF l,aura ANA
Nueya Nizcaya.
We had been tluyc,ug all urrl Us
moonlight. and now as Size. u..f ,,H,
growing rosy we were Vu.r- down.
TO little wood in the ya'... .uarn woo
hoped TO find mouu...u -rm 90.
give us water for our bg.u.C.... and %
thing Of far more importance. gal.u-
for the horses, for 90 WA, .Ga ,.y .ua.
vson, and the grass on tH. hi,, WAS
parched and dead. THE breakfast
swung with hooking I.-auo-s behind
Justn's saddle, merely a handful OF
cold rice rolled i'm the butt OF uJuaua
leaf. 1t was also tnin and dinner. for
we were travelling ligh, and fast. aud
carried not even chocolate, nothing but
the rice.
was watching the gyrations OF the
breakfast moodily for | was sleepy
and hungry and sore, when suddenly
from the wood below MS the crow OF
cock rang out. shrill ana triumphant.
was surprised. for few people live
along a trail used mostly by bandits
and head hunters.
Suddenly from the slope of farther
hill the call rang out again, and then
the whole wood echoed with the sounds
of the farmyard.
"What town is this?" | asked the
boys, although we were at least II
days journey from any settlement
which l knew.
at is no town, senor," said Justin.
cit is the manuk del monte-the wild
chicken-whlch you hear"
After saddles were off and the horses
backs were washed, the animals rolled
and grazed luxuriously by the swift.
clear stream, and Tranquil, prince of
servants, dexterously unro!led the
breakfast.
He laid stones on the corners of the
leaf, and patted the snowy mass Of
rice out smoothly, and filled Il bamboo
drinking cup from the brook, while |
pretended not 40 see. At meal times
tranquil has a solemn and important
air worthy of the most autocratic Of
London buffers, and am a babe in his
bands.
breakfast is served, senor," said
tranquil. grayely.
81 come" replied, with equal gray
fly, and rolled over twice aud came up
OH my knees, japanese fashion, beside
my lowly table
Just as l was going 10 plunge my
fingers into the rice a cock crowcd loud
and clear among the trees close at
hand. A great ferocity OF meat hunger
swept over me.
"Give me the boom-boom Justin |
commanded. I'VE will have manuk
del monte for breakfast"
The cock crowed often willie | stole
through the underground, as softly as
the ferns and bristly crccpcrs would let
me.
AS | drew near the Growing ceased,
and | was pccring about the brush
and shrub for n sight Of the cock when
-whir! From the lower branches of Il
tree, fifty feet above my head, splcn-
did bird shot out with n boom like u
partridge and sailed away between the
trunks, n dazzling vision of white and
green and gold.
was too startled TO shoot, for | had
never before seen chickens that roasted
like eagles and flew like pheasnnts ana
were as brilliant as humming birds.
In moment | hard his strong wings
beating on the other side Of the valley.
and / went back and ate my rice
quietly.
That incident began my acquaintance
with the wild chickens, and they soon
grew to be n very dear part of the for
est life, bringing me an odd mixture OF
pleasant memory and Inconsistencies M
/ listened TO them.
We heard them always when we
made and left our Onc-night homes
along the trail The cocks proved "a
be Just as exactlng husbands AS their
domestlcated cousins, growing theiT
families home and abroad with fussy
punctuallty.
III gay young cockerc' or a Siddy pull
let fingered too long aheld, the lord OF
the flock grew noisy with anxiety as
the sunset faded. with the dawn he
woke, brisk and important, and woe
betlde the sleepyhead Of the family.
There was no "Rouse up. sweet slug
1" for him, but an ear 50 tting call
and we often chuckled at thought OF
the sheeplsh haste Of the lasgard wher
that sound penetrated to his sleepy
brain.
A tropical forest is thing Of awe
and mystery. with its eternal dim twi
light and tangled creepers and innum
cradle dark vlstas which hide inhablt
ants one seldom hears and never sees
Most OF the creatures seem 10 feel thl
silent immensely and yagueuess as 4
man does ana seek safety in unobtrus
iYeness
These brave CHEEKY birds alone wer
unaffected by it, and they crowed an,
Cackled and clucked about their bus
ness of living as carelessly as II ther
were no such thing as fear in th
world,
Yet with all thcir independence the