The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-05-13
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ITS tile only language he hasn't for
gotten. Dan rejoined
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. and 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 out 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 and in whose
corner the sumac with its red blossoms
and the elderberries with their purple
fruit were standing thick.
Letting down the bars, be stuck his
thumb into the lean ribs of the donkey
and when that resentful creature rear
ed and kicked chuckled with q bound
less joy. 1
you're spizzerinktum 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 medfta-
tive eye. What his reflections were a
man may only guess; but judging from
the expression of his countenance, they
were q 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 be 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 APP
petite he looked about A fock of
sheep We're 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
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 a loud. triumphant honk as the
frightened FLY squealed and started
down the pasture on run? OF all the
inarticulate and untranslatable 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 floating around
the school yard there was one. about
old Jehu's honk. The teacher 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
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 1t suddenly assumed a different
tone. Not only did it become more fire.
quent, more insistent and more remote.
but had plaintive and a pleading
quality that had never been heard in it
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 ROSTERS.
cattle. sheep and farm machines Jehu's
voice was mingled and lost. When it
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 to
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 mex
plicable as this seemed at first, she
quickly found the reason why. Just
inside the bars there was an old well
which had mysteriously gone dry and
been covered up by heavy panks
With start of terror. she observed
that this covering had been broken
through and that in the splinters of
the boards We're long tufts Of Jehu's
almost snow white hair
Help, helpv she screamed, putting
her pretty hands to her lips and shout
Ing to her brothers in a neighboring
field.
whats the matter" they inquired.
throwing down their hoes and starting
on run.
"Jehu's fallen in the we'll! Quick!
Quickn' she cried In a few moments
the news had travelled all around the
farm. and the different members of the
family came running from the fields.
the barn, the. house, to find Susie
wringing her hands In helpless grief