The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-03-19
ITS the only language he hasn't for

ITS the only language he hasn't for
gottenr' Dan reioined.
At this moment the bell on the top OF
a tall pole by the kitchen door began
to ring. The hands came hurrying
from the barn, aud the family assem-
bled round the table. loaded with good
things. The serious business of salts
flying the clamorous demands of nature
put the thought of Jehu put Of every
mind, but at the conclusion of the
meal Dan led the limping donkey down
the long lane to the pasture between
fences over the rails of which the
woodbine was clambering aud in whose
corner the sumac with its red blossoms
and the elderberrics with their purple
fruit were standing thick.
Letting down the bars. he stuck his
thumb into the lean ribs of the donkey
and when that resentful creature rear
ed and kicked chuckled with il bound
less joy.
you're spizzerinktuEles hasn't all
| burned up yet, eh. old man?' he said.
Jehu did not reply, but stood with his
back turned until Dan replaced the
bars and went away. when he laid his
chin upon the topmost rail and watch
ed his youthful master with medita-
| tive eye What his reflections were
man may only guess; but, Judging from
| the expression of his countenance. they
were gloomy mixture of skepticism.
cynicism and despair of life. After he
had ruminated for long time upon
! the mysteries of existence Jehu turned
| away to break his fast. The weather
had been moist, and the grass in the
meadow was succulent. Into its cool
sweetness he dug his aged nozzle and
chewed the few shreds which his worn
and widely scattered teeth could tear
away. with mild regrets for vanished
youth After he had satisfied his ap-
petite he looked about. A flock Of
sheep were pastured in the field. Some
of them were lying down, blinking at
the sun and refectively chewing the
cud. Siding up to these one after an
other, he poked his nose into their ribs
and reused them up. Was it a spirit
of innocent mischief like Dams that
made him do it or envy of their hap
piness or restlessness of heart? And
why was it that he crept quietly be-
hind a young colt and kicked him in
the thigh, lifting up his raucous voice
In loud triumphant honk as the
frightened filly squealcds and started
down the pasture on a run? OF all the
inarticuIate and untrans!atahle sounds
of nature that honk was the most star
Ting and mysterious! What was its
true significance? An outpouring Of
joy, sorrow. anger or despair?
Amid the traditions flHating around
the school yard there WIS one about
old Jehu's honk. The. tea her had been
| accustomed to dismiss the school at
the sound of a steam whistle which al
ways blew at noon. One day it blew
too soon. she thought. but closed the
recitation. opened the door and let out
the eager throng of little people, only
to learn that it was the voice Of Jehu
she had heard!
More than once during the morning
Jehu lifted up his deep. incompre-
hensible and farreaching voice. but
had the jenkins family not been COM
pletely absorbed in their tasks they
would have noticed that in the after
noon it suddenly assumed different
tone. Not only did it become more fire.
quent, more insistent and more remote
but had a plaintive and a pleading
quality that had never been heard in II
before. And. worse than this. it final.
ly had ceased to sound at all.
But in the multitude of sounds that
fell upon the family ears from roosters
cattle, sheep and farm machines Jehu's
voice was mingled and lost When II
ceased, it was not missed. No one had
bestowed a thought upon the old gray
donkey until Susie and little Bob Went
hand in hand down the long lane tt
drive the cattle home
where's my Zehoo?" asked the
child. whose sharp eyes detected his
absence FROM the crowd of living
things about the bars.
Casting her eye over the pasture
Susie saw that he was gone. Inex
pIicabe as this seemed at first. sht
quickly found the reason why. Jus
inside the bars there was an old vel
; which had mysteriously gone dry ant
been covered up by heavy planks
With start of terror she observed
that this covering had been broker
through and that in the splinters O
the boards were long tufts Of Jehu':
: almost snow white hair.
Help. heIp!' she screamed. putin:
her pretty hands to her lips and shout
ing to her brothers in a neighbnrin.
Z field.
"Whats the matter?'' they inquired
, throwing down their hoes and startin:
on run
"Jehu's fallen in the we'll. Quick
Quick!' she cried. In few moment
the news had Travelled all around tn
l farm, and the different members of TIN
family came running from the fields
the barn, the house, to find Susi
wringing her hands in helpless grie
: and little Bobbie bowling through hi
tears, "My -in-ze-
well; ze-naughty- wellr'
1t is one thing to discuss the prot
lem of what to do with an old an,
= faithful servant like the donkey whel
he is alive. and it is quite another t
e stand by deep well into which he ha
3 fallen and where he may be suffering
t agonies from broken bones.
$ "'Ere's pretty 'ow-de-do!" piteousl
exclaimed the kind hearted Yorkshire
p man, who that very morning had pre-
t posed to shoot him in cold blood.
"Who knows how much you are t