Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-11-25
Their Mountain.
Visitors
BY Franklin welles calklns

"a sOStVsO
VI By franklin Welles Calkins \
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Only occasionally are families hon
ored with such confidence-such ter
rible confidence-by their visitors as
were my friends. the Crawfords. in
their mountain home near the Chi
huahua boundary.
Stephen Crawford had owned a. SUI.
gar plantation-bought after the wal
lin southern Louisiana. where he liy.
ed until malarial fevers reduced him
to little more than a skeleton.
HIS physician ordered him to the
Southwest. and brother who had
owned a cattle-ranch near the Rio
Grande was able to furnish just the
domici!e' at Just the altitude need.
ed. His abandoned and roomy log
ranch, girt by chaparral.grown ar.
roycs and backed by lodges of painted
rock, stood overlooking the Mexican
village OF Oraibe.
Mr.. Crawford's family was small
consisting of a grown daughter, Eu.
nice, two little girls, Essie and Pearl
and an old domestic, of pure su.
danese extraction. known as Aunt
Silver.
Euntce. the housekeeper, found her
new quarters spacious enough excep,
Dor 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 storage-room, which ad.
Joined and opened into the bunk-room
This became the bedroom for the
little girls. \.
It had no window except square
hole at the back, where the logs
had been sawed, we'll up toward the
gable. and through which it receiv
ed some light and ventilation. Plan
ming to have windows In this room
as soon az sash and lights could be
secured. Eunice covered the opening
with notwithstanding. which was
H~1'o Noseiin6 ehouSH 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
chtl which ID felt by all outdoor crea-
lures IN that latitude.
Thus 1t was that Eunice and her
father had no particular surprise when
Essie and Pearl complained that "old
Guy" had come In at their window
and insisted upon sleeping on their
oed.
Old Guy was deaf and superan-
nuated hound. A kennel had been
iama-ned outside for him, since he
mad been privileged member OF
the family As the outer end of tho
little girls apartment abutted agains.
eone high rocks. there was nothing
out the mosquito-bar to prevent his
jumping into their room. And as the
nfosquto-netting was found to have
peen 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
rfd1ng-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
TO Oraibe; but as the road was long
and rough. his strength did not per
init HIM TO return that night. as he
had planned.
Eun1ce. expecting her father &c
come home. sat up until nearly mid.
night, In order to prepare a warm
supper for him upon his arrival. She
Dus!ed herself writing letters In her
room.
AT about eleven O'Clock, as she sat
writiag, she heard scratching sound
from the children's room, followed
BY muffled Jar, as II some crea-