The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-05-23
-:- OUR DAILY SHORT STORY X ::

moon was shining coldIy on the hills The air was keen with frost. He arose stiffly and rubbed at a swollen spot on his head. He staggered as he dust ed his hat and tried to think Then he made his way down the slope to a cabin at the edge of Bullion Hill Camp.
 The chinks of the cabin appeared to let in all the chill of the wind, except on the northern side, where the snow had plastered all the logs with a six inch coating of ice.
 Now and again on the puffs of wind came a mooing sound, fraught with suffering. Hubbard, taking a lantern, fought his way through the storm to a. shed a hundred yards to the west. A below louder than any before came on the wind
 His light was reflected from four bright points. two the wild eyes of a optics of a tiny fop-eared calf. The mother creature lay upon the ground, beIlowing eagerly, pencil of snow across her back, flung from a gaping chink in the boarding.
 Hubbard hung the lantern on a nail. Then he emptied number of ore sacks to blanket the freezing creatures. He lifted the calf near the mothers nose and otherwise labored for the lives and comfort of both. He was back and forth from the cabin to the shed, dozen times he poured hot drinks down the cows throat all night. About in the morning she died. Hubbard took the calf in his arms, covered 1t closely with the sacks and stumbled with 1t to the cabin. He placed 1t down before the fire and made ready for bed. The miners came out of their hunks and stood with arms akimbo about the tiny animal earnestly regarding It's blinking eyes. One announced that they had named the calf the Fully Boy"
 That's all right" said Hubbard. only hes a. girl, and an orphan besides, for his mother has kicked the bucket"
 The days that followed brought a storm of snow that is now famous in the annals of the Pacific slope. Roads were lost in the drifts, trains were blockaded In the mountains. towns wore isolated completely from the world about. The stage to Bullion Hill failed even to start for more than two weeks.
 The miners in the cabin hoarded milk for the little calf with jealous care, yet it was all gone by noon of the fourth day. The Bully Boy was hungry, and growing thinner on the diet. Day py day Hubbard went down the hill for news of the stage. When the milk was gone he bought the only paper of oats in camp. With this he fashioned a porridge. It proved poor expedient and was soon gone.
 The four men watched their Bully Boy lin silence and despair. They had learned to regard it with an incredible affection. The red little body was peaked with bones and gullied hollows, the legs were weak. On the seventh day, with fingers in the tiny creatures mouth, Hubbard carried 1t down to the store.
 The miners there placed stroking hands upon the silken coat of the only creatur ever born in Bullion Hill with a sort of awe. Poor little Bully Boyi' was all they said.
 That night, or. rather, at o'clock in the morning, the Bully Boy, who had heretofore maintained a patient silence, gave voice to. a solitary bleat. It was like a child's helpless cry:
 ''Mah-mah.
 Hubbard dressed and went scuffling through the snow to the shed. In the cold and darkness he sat there for more than. two hours with his ingefs in the mouth of the starving little creature.
 I'm going to Thompson's Bar" he said to the others in the morning, flor to fetch some milk"
 Its twenty miles over and twenty back" said Skirny
 T don't care h it's a hundred.v He put on snowshoes and heavy clothing. Snow was falling when he started. The miners watched him going, and waved their hats as he stood for a second on the ridge of the hin.
 The afternoon was well commenced at Thompson's Bar when, in answer to his knocking, the door of one of the cabins was opened to Hubbard, and a voice invited him to enter. He went in, to ask for timed milk, behoiding a woman shabbily dressed and careless in her appearance.
 She ran her fingers through her gold en hair, and smiled in his face. Don't you know me, Hub?" she asked. Am I changed so much as that?"
 His face was burning hotly. q reck- on know you. Miss Georgie," he an- swered in a husky voice. T don't for get easy"
 'oh, I'm gladw she cried. placing her hand on his arm, for you always was my friend"
 He drew away. 'I reckon--I've got to be going" he fsltered.
 "Oh, you wouldn't go so quick?' she