The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1908-11-13
Their Mountain
Visitors
By franklin Welles calkins

Only occasionally are families hon.
ored with such confidence-such ter
rible confd ence-by their visitors as
were my friends, the Crawfords. in
their mountain home near the Chi
huahua boundary.
Stephen Crawford had owned q SUI
gar plantation bought after the war
lin southern Louisiana, where he Nv-
ed until malarial fevers reduced him
to little more than skeleton.
His physician ordered him to the
Southwest, and brother who had
owned a cattleranch near the Rio
Grande was able to furnish just the
domicile at Just the altitude need
ed. His abandoned and roomy log
ranch. girt by chaparralgrown ar
royos and backed by lodges Of painted
rock. stood overlooking the Mexican
village of Oraibe.
Mr.. Crawford's family was small,
consisting of gnown. daughter, Eu-
nice, two little girls, Essie and Pearl,
and an old domestic, of pure SUI
danese extraction, known as Aunt
Silver.
Eunice, the housekeeper, found her
new quarters spacious enough except
nor lack of bedroom. She managed
to overcome this difficulty, however,
by having two partitions put up in
large bunk-room, and by furnishing
an outside storageroom, which ad-
Joined and opened into the bunk-room.
This became the bedroom for the
little girls.
1t had no window except a square
hole at the back, where the logs
had been sawed, well up toward the
gable. and through which it receiv-
ed some light and ventilation. Plan
ming 20 have windows In this room
as soon as sash and lights could be
secured, Eunice covered the opening
with mosqnito-netting, which was
quite covering enough at any season
IN that climate. The door from her
own apartment opened into that of
the children. and thus she was able
to keep their room aired.
Some months passed, and the frosts
OF November came to the mountains.
giving the nights and mornings a
chill which is felt by all outdoor crea-
lures In that latitude.
Thus it was that Eunice and her
father had no particular surprise when
Essie and Pearl complained that "Ola
Guy" had come in at their window
and insisted upon sleeping on their
bed.
Old Guy was a deaf and superan-
nuated hound. A kennel had been
fashscned outside for him, since he
had been a privileged member OF
the family. AS the outer end of the
little girls apartment abutted against
Some high rocks, there was nothing
Out the mosquito-bar to prevent his
jumping into their room. And as the
miosquito-netting was found to have
been torn away, the story told by the
children was confirmed.
A cold wind had blown all night
making the house somewhat chilly
inside, and the little girls complained
that Old Guy had scratched the bed
clothes of them to make nest for
himself.
And he damned his old cold nose
right into my face" said Essie, "and
ne lay on Pearl and nearly smovered
her.
Mr.. Crawford laughed. "Old Guy
mustn't plague my little girls that
way" he said. "You must call to
YOUR sister; and, Eunice, keep your
riddng-whip in your room. and If you
catch the hound in there give him
few cuts and drive him out. and
he won't go in again.
That day the invalid, who was al
ready on the way to recovery, drove
10 Oraibe; but as the road was long
and rough his strength did not per-
init him 70 return that night. as he
rad planned.
Eunice. expecting her father &c
come lls'iie. sat up until nearly MD
night. in order to prepare warm
supper for him upon his arrival. Size