The Washington times., 1908-05-10
Dummy Goes for a Pioe and
His Burro Runs Away in the
Mountain Faotness The
Animal Is Finally Stopped
by a Band Of Outlaws, Who
Take Charge Of the Child
and Beast. ~ ~ ~ ~ "

"--N-- . NtAN NOOAtAlt1A once nlN GAlnUeQ.
They skirted the base of a towering
cliff Of granite. where the shadows
lay SO deep and silent that the little
man was awed.
Into the somber fastness Of the
range they continued. Dummy now
almost speeches. with alarm. The
place was nearly as still and dreadful
as that chasm in the snow where once
he had travelled. TO hunt for Sylvia.
An overpowering sense of aloneness
came upon him here. The sun was
shining down In splendor. the water
was dashing and fTOthing by, AT times,
in its race TO get out of the region:
and the vast ravine seemed to com
pass them all about. 1t was terribly
huge. that mountain universe; and
where was town and Sylvia?
No longer was the burro fleeing
from the Chinaman. but now he was
wildly recalling the country whence
he had come a year before. II was
over the summit. far away. in a land
Of pleasure II was where this very
trail was leadins. and in two days OF
travel they would certainly arrive at
its pastures Of greenery. Doggedly
LAAN creature sOAlAlAutl on Tile way
Dummy was tired He hauled at the
bride reins from time 10 time but
now with weary little hands that were
powerIess TO affect the burro.
Please, Jack-please," he called,
in MS growing fear Of the mighty
place.
He thought Of Jerry. and cried out
his name. with that OF Sylvia. Per-
sisteHuy the donkey continued up the
trail
An hour. two hours were gone. and
stiu the burro climbed the great "a
vine. with his frightened. helpless lit
tie master on his back. the little mas
ter now become as a captive. pris-
0ner bodily carried away.
Dummy was terrified He sat IN the
saddle. holding on with all the
strength remaining IN his arms and
staring IN childish dread into deepen
ing shadows. and at somber castles
Of rock in masses suggestive Of archi-
tectural chaos. ruin and desoIatiOn-
The wind was stirring on the snowy
peaks and a chill came down into
gorEes and canyons OF the hills. The
sun was declining rapidly Dummy
feared 10 raise his voice IN calling
and could only hold on IN his help
iessness. He dared not slip 20 the
ground and let his burro go on alone
and leave him here deserted. He
could not think. except on subjects
THAI terrified him further.
They came 70 the summit, and OF
and or went the burro, following down
through cavcrnous deeps. and across
a patch OF snow, and past a place
where fire once had swept. leaving
the stark, gaunt ghosts OF trees 10
stand on the hill, d grisly company
1t was 1 O'Clock. and then IL was
5. and Jack never halted for 50
much as a nibble at the mountain
grass There were granite rocks in
huge disorder. there were lands laid
nude Of trees by workmen gone TO
newer fields; and the stumps were
like a herd Of bears. all darkly dot
ting the region
The dusk bad come as the burro
trudged through a narrow deflle, and
presently emerged upon a large. fat
stretch OF land where bouIders and
small scrub timber divided the soil
between them. Darkness was giving
life to things inanimate; the world
was populous with silent, dreadful
beings
Suddenly out Of the silence rang a
human voice.
"stopl Pull up" came the grun
command. Pull up. or I'm goin' to
shootF'
Dummy could make no outcry in his
fear. The burro paid no heed, after
starting in the first galvanic way OF
surprise.
a binding fash and the deafening
roar of a shotgun, fired from the
shrubDery. promptly followed. The
man who had fred had aimed his gun
ahead Of The donkey's nose. to fetch
him up A part Of the charge struck
the gray little creature in the head,
and put out both its eyes
Half stunned, IT stumbled, and in
terror unnameable Dummy fell for
ward to the earth. and striking his
head on a rock was instantly rendered
unconscious.