Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-10-21

/ the air had made me throw all my
windows wide open just at sunrise
and [ sat wrapped in a motely bath
robe in one corner of the couch where
| / could see through the east window of
the shack. The dog stretched his
! long yellow limbs and stared with lazy
brown eyes at me from his sleeping
place behind the stove. Then he rose
with a yawn and came over to lap my
toes gravely as a good morning greet
| ing.
The first little pink ripple of sun
rise was just showing on the buttes
and pulled the dogs great head close
up to mine that we Nigh watch to-
gether the coming of the day. He sat
quite still and every time l comment
ed on the sunrise | was rewarded by
lap, bestowed indiscriminateIy on
nose, forehead or whatever part of
my face was handiest. The pale glow
| in the east began to tremble into
tiny ruffies of vivid rose color and a
clean sweet breath Of morning came
over the hills like a sigh. The curls
Sky were bordered by the palest Law
ender and then suddenly with no more
warning a gush of yellow warmth
came over the buttes and the sun had
risen. piercingIy sweet note from
some lonely meadow lark burst forth
at the moment as if at the signal OF
an orchestra conductor.
The only way in which one can keep
| selfish and material and narrow in
Dakota is by never looking at a sun
| rise. At this moment l felt like be-
ing charitable to the whole world.
| There was no one to take advantage
of the mood, so I embraced the dog.
| He evidently shared my uneXpIa1n-
| able feeling, for he was suddenly
seized with an irresistible desire to
| chase something. | opened the door
and he ran out to pursue fence posts,
the waving grass and finally, his own
| plumey tail. Finally he grew so ex-
uberant that he dug up two dead
prairie dogs which he had carefully
planted in the garden the day before.
Then with a wave of his tail he was
off over the buttes.
I began my dressing. The magic
of the new day had made my solitary
breakfast an actual pleasure and I set
about it's preparation with a song. AS
! I went up the coulee for a pail of
fresh water l heard tar up the trail
the rumble of wheels. The early hour
made the sound a bit surprising for
! DakOtans are not as a rule early traV-
! elers. There may have been bit of
trepidation in my mind for I remem-
her tripping in my haste to get back
| to the shack and the absence of the
dog did not add to my unconcern. /
set the pail down hurriedly and came
back to where 1 could see farthest up
the trail. In the meantime I Whistled
to tho dog and he came rollicking
/ back over the buttes. At this in.
$ ant his ear caught the rumble OF
the wheels and his head went up to
listen while he growled low I dragged
him into the shack by his collar while
he protested vigorously every inch OF
our progress.
From under the curt ain I peered up
the trail as far as my eye could see
and in a few seconds wagon came in
sight followed by several vehicles OF
! various descriptions. Plaid shawls and
bright blankets proclaimed the fact
that our early morning travellers were
! Indians. The wagons and buggies
4 held the squaws and older braves
while the youths we're mounted on
sturdy ponies and tratled alongside.
AS they drew closer to the shack
could see plainly the tiny faces Of the
i papooses with their little eyes like
black shoe buttons, peering over the
shoulders Of their mothers.
AS l sat looking at them a figure or
horseback flashed past the window, 81
close to me that I drew back quickly
to avoid his counter observation. L
was young brave and he was hot or
the trail Of three stray mounts which
had veered off from the party on re
cOnnoitering expedition of their own
He circled skiIlfully over my fire
: break, lasso held high above his head
and a stream of lurid profanity flow
ing from his lips.
In my excitement I had forgotten
the dog. As the young Indian gal
Ioped wildly around the shack the
dog could endure it no longer. The
door of the shack stood slight,
aiar and before | realized it, ht
gave it a push with his nose and {
, frantic shove with his great paw anC
with one hoarse cannOnade of bark:
was out into freedom. The storm O
i curses outside ceased suddenly while
The Indians galloped on.
} Now the dog rejoiced in a Siou2
; name which had been bestowed upor
him by a teacher in the Indian schoo
/ at Chamberlain. He was a big fel
low collie with wistful, brown eyes
4 hence she had christened him ''Zizi,
meaning in the Sioux vernaculal
, thou yellow one" As he sped ou
after the young Indian and his stray'
rushed to the door and called quick
, ly:
'Zizi, come back. Zizi."
, Just at this moment wagon, its
seats filed with greasy, bright eyet
squaws was passing. As / set up my
shout to the dog all of the dark face!
were turned toward me for an instan-
and as the Indian syIlables fell upor
I al