The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1907-09-26

male and trembling, cooked his fathers
| rife and was about to step forward
when Donk suddenly dropped to his
knees, Topped over sldewise, and lay
sprawling.
The tall man hoped up and down
in frantic rage, then strobe down the
bank of the right-hand gully to cut
a new cudgel. The short fellow sat
down on a rock, mopped his red face
with a flaming red bandanna then
started down the left-hand gully for
a drink.
"Come on whispered the youth; and
the brothers eroucbed low between
the brush walls Of the trail and sneaked
swiftly toward their donkey
The little beast, although battered
and bleeding and still half-reclining,
was munching a mouthful Of dry
leaves as the boys approached him.
Donk had never been known to miss
an opportunity
BLOW in his ear-just little, mind
you'll" ordered the youth, as with half
raised rife he watched both gullies.
"Whoo-o-ol" breathed the youngster,
and with the swlftness of a jack-in-a-
box Donk rose to his feet, his aerated
ear pointing apgularly outward.
The youth lowered his rife, whipped
out a pocket knife, severed the pack
rope, threw off roll of blankets and
sack of -four that were dashed across
the seat Of an old riding saddle, and
hurriedly mounted. AS he settled into
his seat the tall man emerged from a
clump of willows with his cudgel.
For moment he stood angrily
trimming the stick, then suddenly
raising his eyes, he gave the boys a
fierce stare, and perked out revolV-
er.
What you dom there2" he yelled,
shrilly.
Don't you blow in his earl Don't
you!" begged the youngster, in sa-
cred stage whisper, scrambling franti-
cally for a position behind the saddle.
Don't you blow in his ear till / get
on"
The youth expected to be shot, but
he sat motionless.
Pangl The tall mans bullet struck
the saddlehorn and few off, scream
ing.
Mike, you fool" he yelled head
'em of! Shoot 'eml Shoot 'em, quick,
or we lose the sack!"
AS he leveled his revolver and fired
again, the youth felt a wiry pair of
arms clamp his waist, and bullying
toadlike from a deep inhalation, he
leaned quickly forward and sent blast
OF air into Donk's fuzzy ear, at the
same moment turning him about by
sharp blow on the cheek with his hat.
The bullets were flying from both
gullies now; and as Donk whirled to
lope homeward, his master puffed at
his ears till he stretched himself like
a greyhound.
For a hundred feet the trail kept the
ridge top. The boys rode in full view
OF the murderous partners, clinging
like leeches to their mount, terribly
scared by the shots and shouts from be-
hind and the bullets that whistied by
them.
stiIl unframed, they dashed over
the crest of the ridge. They were now
out Of sight indeed, but they we're in
new danger.
For Donk, thoroughly reused at last,
was racing down the side of the noun
tain like a bounded rabbit. His mas
ter had blown in his ear too hard and
too often.
It is against burro nature to run
away, but once started, it is also
against burro nature to stop or to
swerve aside for anything whatever.
Donk, entirely obllvious to the safely
winding switch-backs, went down the
rough and precipitous slope with the
headlong velocity Of a rolling boulder.
The boys had blown too hard in
Donk's ear before-nothing else saved
them. With cool-headed precision the
youth calculated Donks leaps and
bounds, and with knees tensely gripped
and shoulders deity shifting into bal
ance, successfully offset them. The
youngster, his arms clasped tightly
about his brothers waist and HIS heels
digging into Donk's TANKS chung blind.
ly. So, breathless and nerve-strained,
they made the descent to Sluice Val
ley in safety.
Just before dark that evening a
battered burro bore his two years mas
tiers to the door of their mothers cab
in, and while she welcomed them with
tears and caresses, Donk, intent on re-
trieving lost opportunity, licked up
the nntatn narinpa which ha had failnh