The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-07-16

II
whined' and the great tail wagged,
put the dog stood still otherwise until
the storm had spent itself.
Jose arose from the sand. and In
his eyes was the light OF a new reso-
luton. His mother had told him
once, long ago, that far above the
nils that lowered over the mesa of
san Miguelito, there were other little
mis-, golden and glorious, where
u"eit Man who loved children, and
TOOK them to Him when they sor-
rowed and were wearied and friend
! less. How the sight of PujoPs hon
est face brought it all back, that dav
when she told him the story and
pointed 10 the far hills of the Santa
fnez' where the snow lay white and
SUN In winter% He had not cared
then. He had his mother, and he did
not need the Man. But he had told
the tale to Pujol, in turn, and he had
remembered. Surely he was sorrow
fu1 enough now, and he had no
friends. Even the Mission Indian
children looked down upon and de-
spised the swineherd, and the Padre
mad forgotten him altogether. Now
ne would seek the Man. Who knows2
Perhaps Pujol had remembered also.
and would lead him. Pujol knew all
the hills. The dog must have reached
the Golden Mountains in his wander
ings with the sheep.
And so, in the hot afternoon sum
SHINE, the boy abandoned the swine
In the river-bed and toiled across the
mesa, Pujol at his heels, and on nm
the steep peaks where the grass lies
only in those spots sheltered from
the sea wind. They reached the sum-
NIT at last, and Jose saw before him
other nils, rolling away to the north
ward Infinitely. and the highest of
them shone white In the sun. Be-
mind him tho mesa ran into the broad
valley or the river, going down to
meet the white line of the surf, and
out In the sea blue islands cleaned.
But Jose looked not backward. There
on the high white hills, reaching into
the sky, must be where the Man
lived-the compassionate Man. 1t
was In December, the soft winter of
that land, and snow lay on the
mountain tops, but snow was in no
part OF Jose's small life He pressed
onward toward the white hills. cross
ing deep canons and climbing many
high ridges. Pujol, faithful always.
kept at his heels. But the dog would
look at the boy and whine, now and
again. Pujol had forgotten the Man
long ago, in the press of more imme-
date duties, and did not understand
this quest
For three days the boy climbed.
the white hills cleaning distant as
ever, and Pujol followed on. Once.
in obedience to an order but against
his better instinct, the dog crouched
close behind clump of sage-brush,
lest a shepherd on n distant hill
should sight the fugitives anG turn
them back. Still they went on, and
still the white hills seemed farther
away. Pujol, guided by instinct, led
past all the water-holes, but neither
boy nor dog had eaten since leaving
the Mission. On the fourth day Pujol
caught first a rabbit and then a
ground-squirrel, and laid them at the
boys feet. Jose did not know that
the dog sought to have him eat. and
the game was untouched by either.
On the fourth day, at sunset. as the
boy sank, utterly exhausted. at the
foot of a great live-oak, the dog lay
at his fete for a moment and, looking
up, seemed TO study the child's face
intently. Presently Jose slept, the
sleep OF exhaustion, and then Pujol
arose and galloped swiftly back over
the hills toward the adobe hut on the
mesa. When Jose awoke I'm the gray
of tho morning, shivering, a little
lamb lay dead at his feet, and there
was blood on Pujol's muzzle. The
dog looked and felt guilty--yet was
strangely self-complacent. It had
gone TO the dogs heart TO murder
one OF the lambs he had cared for,
but the necessity Of the master salved
conscience. Yet the sacrifice OF Pu-
tols honor was without avail. The
boy was faint with hunger, too faint
to care whether he lived or not.
Also, the sight Of the blood slckened
him, and he was sleepy lie arose.
staggered a few PAGES from tho dead
lamb, and fell down fainting. Pujol
dragged the dead lamb 20 where the
boy lay and licked his hand. Jose
revived, drew HIS hand away quickly
He arose again, and again staggered
a little distance before falling.
Wicked Pujol," he said, you have
killed the lamb. There is blood upon
you"
The dog looked at him and whlned
IT crept closer. but the boy motioncd
IT away. Then Puiol lay down also.
at a little distance, and with the
body of the murdered lamb between
them, these two, who had been
friends, abandoned themselves each
to bitter grief.
AS the sun went down and the long
shadows crept across the canons. Pu-
iol arose, shifted at the dead lamb.
and ventured n step toward his mas
ter. There was faint rcpelling gea-
ture, but the dog crept closer. Closer
and closer, and HIS cold muzzle
touched a colder hend--and x Puioi
bad remembered tho Man ho sgotifa