davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14
The Laurel

long, long time ago there We're no
laurel trees in the woods, and what we
know as this tree is the enchantment
of beautiful nymph, Daphne. She
was the daughter of the river god
Peneus and roamed contentedly through
the woods. Apollo was attracted by
her charms and sought her frequently,
but she did not care for his attentions.
One time when she saw him coming
she ran from him, and he followed
close behind her Fearing that she
might be caught Daphne entreated
Diana, the goddess of the chase. to
come to her aid. Her prayer was an
swered, and when the sun god caught
the nymph in his arms he found it was
no maid at all, but the trunk of a tree.
Apollo felt that the spirit of Daphne
was in the tree, so he saluted it with
kisses and made a wreath of it's leaves
for his head. 1t is the peculiar origin
of the laurel that makes it an emblem
of victory, and its shelter was believed
in days long ago to prevent one from
being struck by lightning.
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

limb of an oak tree torch to ignite
the neighboring trees with its fierce
glare.
How swiftly the fire rani How rap
idly it gathered strength How it
soon, reaching north and south, made
an unbroken front Of flame and
marched like a battalion of hostile
army through the land
Fire, fire. cried Minnie wildly,
wringing her hands. Papa, oh papa,
the woods are on fire.
She ran from the house toward the
orchard where her father had been
picking fruit She gasped in dread
when she saw that he was not there.
Frantically she called to him, but her
voice was not answered, except by the
echoes that came back from the hills
and from the walls of near canyon
Where had her father gone? This
question the Is year old miss asked
IN agony.
She looked eagerly toward where the
first white blur of smoke had stained
the air and saw that now it was like a
pillar Of cloud-such as the bible his
tory mentions in connection with the
fight of the dsraelites from Egypt
She heard, too, the faint, because yet
distant, cracking of burning under
brush like the rattle of musketry on
a battle front. The wind that blew
across the country to her was tainted
with smoke
1T is time to act" cried Minnie; "the
time to go to the rescue of the people
over the ridge; to warn them and to
save them, if 1 can.'
She hurried back to the house; found
the small sack in which her father kept
his gold coins, placed that in her dress
front and also the picture of her dead
mother-taken from her when she was
a baby; then she was ready to be off.
Jack the roam whinnied as she drew
near where it was idly browsing in a
corral. The intelligent animal was
fond Of Minnie, and while it would not
permit any other person to mount it's
back, was as docile as a kitten under
her sure guidance.
One leap and the girl was at the
roans side. One swift movement and
she was upon his back. She had seized
the spurs that her father left in the
corral and put them on; she had picked
UP a riding whip from the ground
and now she was off.
Off 0n an errand of mercy and of
daringi OF like the wind toward the
gap in the hills where the Wood road
joined the county turnpike. off toward
the endangered farms beyond; off to-
ward the county school house whose
bell, rung with fierceness, like an
alarm, was always sufficient to make
every farmer who heard it drop plough
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

cred as he caught the plaintive note in
Minnie's voice, for he. understood much.
Jack, Jack-nown'
The ascending trail brought horse
and rider to a point where Minnie could
look back a long distance. To her
horror she could see that the flames
behind her were spreading out like a
fan rapidly. They were sweeping after
her now on both wings of the forest
The opening in front between them
where woodsmen had made an open
space was a mile and a half away
Soon, very soon, perhaps in 10 minutes,
it would be like gateway friged by
barriers of flame, through which she
must go or fail. Her life hung in the
balance. She must reach the opening
within 10 minutes or
'I shall make it or de-" she said
aloud, and the hardy spirit of the pio-
neers of 40 was aroused. Now, oh
dear Jack.'
Borne up by the wind, sheets of
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

= ONE girls dislike home study and
y find it very disagreeable and tiresome.
- And yet after a young girl leaves the
primary grades. after she has rounded
the landmark of y or 13, she must
expect to have a certain amount of
home study to be regularly done, If
she is to take a high rank in her
classes. Every school girl knows this.
The study periods which alternate
with recitations cover some portion Of
the work outlined for the next day.
but thezr do not and can not cover
the EFhoLe Of IL. They should be spent
in studying the lessons in which you
are weak and in which you are most
likely TO need some help from your
teacher. In order to- do full justice
10 your school, as well as TO yourself
in order TO maintain the high reputs-
tiOn Of your own class, you must be-
stow the labor Of quiet hour or per-
haps. Of two hours at home on your
books.
Two hours is quite enough, but the
question often is when shall you take
the two hours? It is complicated for
YOU in a. number OF ways You may
take music lessons. or help your
mother in the house keeping, do errands.
set tables. make beds and wash, dishes,
and either way you have less time for
home study than your opposite neigh
Dor, who perhaps has no extra studies
or is not required to do anything about
the house.
; In the first place you must have sys-
tem Tt is unwise to begin to study
the minute you come from school.
First you should eat something, slice
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

in the furrow, pruning knife in the
orchard, ak in the forest Off with
fire, the monster, racing after her as
fast as the wind could drive it through
the dry land!
Half a mile from the corral she
shouted with joy, for her keen eyes
saw in the soft ground the tracks of
Dick" the brother of the roam, and
she saw that it was going toward the
distant town. That explained what had
become of her father. He had, un-
known to her, started for the country
store to get something that he needed.
Thank Godp' said Minnie, and tears
for the first time ran down her checks.
Thank God he is not in the hills. Dear,
dear Popsky; you are safe-and now!"
So began her wild ride. How the
roam strobe onward and upward where
the trail rose, He ran around a curve
by which the chips that had fallen that
day from his masters ak were still
fresh and fragrant. His nostrils quiv-
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

from every cracking and crumbling
tree trunk and limb as they rush to the
end.
Then something cool and deep-oh. so
deep-seems to rise up to meet them.
They sink in its depths until it seems to
Minnie that they will never come up
alive, either horse or rider.
But the horse. led by instinct, swims
upward. for they have fallen into a
reservoir, the waters Of which are held
back by a dam They rise lust as
Minnie. almost exhausted by her ter
rible ride, is about to give up the fight,
the brave night. after all.
They rise and Minnie draws in her
breath strongly. The water has cooled
and refreshed her and given her
strength. She guides the horse to 4.
place where they can land and turn
him loose to look out for himself. She
runs back TO where an iron ladder
leads downward many feet TO a trail.
The ladder is hot. but she does not
shrink from its ardent touch nor let
go her hold.
Down she goes until she can step
on solid land. Then she creeps pain
fully and sore TO where the county
schOoIhOuse stands. two miles from the
town.
Unhesitatingly she breaks out win
dow with stone aud with much pain
and struggle climbs into the school
house With her SCARED and scorched
hands she seizes the rope that is fast@
ened to the school bel and pulls.
Ding, dong. Ding, dong! Dang,
dang, dang.
How the bell sings and huns. How
it roars for help
The town people over the ridge hear.
They guess what the trouble is and
come running with wet sacks to beat
out the spreading fires. They find Min
ME, the little heroine. lying on ths
schoolhouse floor, unconscious but
breathing.
Tender women raise her after lit
tie. She opens her eyes and her first
thought is of her faithful and bravs
horse
save Jack" she whispers feebly and
again faints.
He is safe" is the answer
Twenty-four hours later Minnie re-
gains consciousness and hears. amid
grateful thanks of the young and the
old that her timely alarm has saved
the town.
The county people have raised a
monument by the>cOunty schoolhouse
to tell all passers of the brave deed OF
Minnie and Jack. inseparable compan-
ions. best of friends, bravest of ad-
Venturers.
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

to the roam, and she dropped the reins
almost in despair on the brave animals
neck; but knowing that he would save
them both and the village, if it could
be possible
But what fiery lesions beset her path
on all sides! What Nterrible death to
meet!
The roan's heart thrilled with pride
as he felt the reins drop. for he UNDER
stood that his brave little mistress had
trusted all at last to him.
Into his powerful and steellike mus
cles came suddenly the vigor and
strength of a giant.
He leaped forward, so that Minnie
was almost unseated. Then he settled
into a steady, fierce run, making a race
as brave and perilous as ever horse
had attempted since time began.
To right and to left ahead the bushes
welcomed the clouds of descending
sparks and became blazing fagots The
spirit of the wind urged the breeze with
sudden fiereeness, and see, the gate
way ahead is crossed by the blazing
cracking fiercely, and all escape seems
to be cut off.
What next?"
The horse decides that. He leaves the
road and runs with headIong speed
down a steep bank toward the creek,
far below. He plunges through bushes
and briers, str&ing at them hercely.
He Slides, leaps, goes down like a pro-
jectiIe from a catapult. and the lower
limbs of the trees and the cruel briers
brush against the brave little rider and
tear her hands and face. but she is as
determined to go on as ever.
Let the horse runl Let him leap. roll
if he will, brave old Jack; bravest and
best of horses''-so she bravely thinks.
His feet strike a stone and he falls
to his knees. but Minnie, by force Of
iron will, stays in her seat. The stone
rolls and the horse must slide-slide
downward like a toboggan, through low
hanging and suffocating smoke-sIiding
to what? To death or to delivery2
Ahead of him stones whirl and smok-
ing clods hasten through the bushes
and are lost to view. Then the bank is
perpendicular and horse and rider fall
sheer down. down, dizzily and fear
fully.
What shall save them now2 They are
going through darkness of smoke, in
which neither can see. They are drop
ping, dropping. and the tree tops far
above, waving madly in the throes of
burning and stirred by the wind. which
has been increased in force by the fire,
seem to mock them.
The spirit of the fire shouts at them
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

nv F~HIP and spur and the sting of
M sparks biting the hanks OF
w the stout roam that ran fierce
~, almost blindly. but with
sure feet. over the forest wood road
Cracking twigs caught like tinder
and spread the flames that were rae
ing, driven by brisk wind, toward a
narrow opening, near which two wings
OF the forest converged and where
separated forest fires would soon Join
rs one and then sweep onward roaring
IKE ravening~ lion destroying grow
ing crops and farm buildings, possibly
human life, unless
The unless" was all centered in the
STOUT ngure Of a young girl, who clung
10 the roam lodging overhanging
branches, listening with blanched face
70 the sealike roar of bfllows of
lid'nes that ran along the hillsides and
through the underlying valleys, send
ing up Kissing spray of sparks and
clouding All the air with heavy VOL
umes OF deep smoke.
Minnie Cortland was cooking for her
father in an outside kitchen at. her
ranch home in the mountains in Calf
lorna when. looking westward, she
SSW white blur on the clear air.
with the speed Of swift thought she
1eallzeo that careless campers among
the hills had left smoldering embers
among the leaves and dry grass Of the
Woodlano-and. dreadful fact in the
country where no rain had fallen for
months-the woods We're %afrei
All day the wind that blew in from
the wide Pacific ocean had been busily
rustlng the leaves Of the green vine
yards that adorned many sunny hill
sides and that promised wealth from
Inc rlpening grapes. all day the oaks
ana the madroneS. the beautiful red
woods and the talh gaunt eucalyptus
trees had swayed 10 and fro. The hay
fields that made bright patches OF
golden yellow in the landscape were as
dry as IL they had felt the breath of d
furnace The water was low in the
cried creeks and streams that had
4 awled over rocky beds 4 few weeks
earlier, but now only trickled lazily
over The watersmooth and gray boul-
cers and over sparkling sands that
were shaded by the good greenwood.
When the smoldering brands came to
life the ocean wind was like giant
master to drive the tiny flames TO
which they gave rise. The whips of
the wind smote the small spirals of
flame and they ran before there
lighting a wisp OF dry grass; there
sending hot breath up the sapling, and
again making the moss hung and dead
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

sparks were sailing like fiery gnats as
Minnie drove down the hill beyond the
rise and the changing of the roan's
hoofs was like the beating of battle
drums as they struck the flinty soil of
the roadbed. On her rein hand a
spark fell, scorching her sunbrowned
skin. One dropped on her wavy dark
hair and she picked the live coal out
with her fingers, nor did she cry out
with the pain.
What race! There were now two
fiery battalions marching swiftly on
either hand,s instead of one, each grow
ing more deadly each instant. to bar
her way.
The grass in front of hfr by the
dusty roadside was ag1ow. The dried
weeds and the rails of the fences that
margined the road began to smoke.
The air was sitting and her eyes ached
and smarted SO that she could hardly
see.
Jack. jack" she cried Historically
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14
The Pleasant Life

When I came back to Natures ways,
After a citys i'll spent days,
and saw, in summer, fields of gold
That billowed in the wind and rolled
Against green hedges and the tree.
When all its leaves danced merrily:
And saw the simple cattle look
With eyes whose lashes hardly shook;
And clouds that changed heavens face,
and could
Seem motionless, stare how / would
And all the sweet, wild blossoms seen
In leafy woods and meadows green,
When|1 saw these sweet sights, and
heard
The music made by brook and bird,
The skylarlS's voice that happy hour
He scared up through a sunny shower;
And woodland brook. that raised his
tones
Each time he came to rocks and stones
When l saw these sweet sights and
heard
The music made by brook and bird
Nature l said, take thou my trust
Until this Earth reclaims its dust"
w. H. Davies.
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

We lose many precious minutes by
dawdling- A girl or a woman who
goes on with her work without wasting
time will always keep ahead of her
work. Hurry and worry make home
work dreadful task, and your work
should be carried lightly and not like
painful duty. Remember that school
comes first; before your dress, your
friends, your play; they are all sub
ordinate to the days work, the school
work and the home work as well.
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14
The Thrilling Rescue Of a Mountain Climber by His Dog

to my head and excited me. 1 started
again to walk through the bed of d.
torrent then by a cornice that L
thought i had already crossed. Miraut
made again little opposition, but fin
ished by having complete confidence in
the human genius and followed me
philosophically. The cornice passed,
realized positively that 1 was lost. The
most elementary prudence would tell
me to retrace my steps and to depend
entirely in the future on the superior
instinct of my dog. but the dezaley is
q wine which produces obstinacy and
vainglory. / believed that / could find
an issue and continued resolutely on
my way, which was becoming more and
more difficult. Once or twice I heard
the furious rolling of big stones A
confused discretion began to germinate
in my brain; besides the dezaley was
evaporating and little by little 1 was
feeling a disagreeable weakness in my
articulations. Suddenly 1 found myself
in space.
a wall nearly perpendicular. a hun
dred feet high, hardly interrupted by
few projections, Joined sinister
chaos of stone. All around gray
masses, formidable layers of stone,
peaks, tops, the mountain dug up. torn
to pieces, ruinous: the desoIation and
death. had chill. / thought of
nothing except to return as quickly as
possible. But before starting l exam
ined my outfit, my piolet, my hooks
and especially my good manila rope
/ had detached it and was looking at
it from all sides, when the noise of a
stone made me jump. / will not do
like those duelists VINO enumerate the
attacks and the parties that have pre-
ceded the fatal thrust. I have vague
remembrance that the stone was COM.
ing or appeared to be coming upon me;
that 1 made a false move-and after
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14


Joseph Dilhan, for The Junior Call)
"A O." exclaimed Charles Mont
eeNg fort, with ardor, II don't
NJ make any difference between
my dog and a mani The
death of that Incompatible
creature would make me as unhappy
as the death of my dearest friend, and
even more so. During the eight years
that we have lived together not only
has he been the most perfect compan-
ion, but twice has he saved my life in
circumstances where two, legged
friend would have only had the chance
to die with me.
IF l were to live a hundred centu-
ries could never forget the afternoon
of the 18th of July. 1897. 1 started in
the morning of that day to make the
ascent of the Diablerets. Without being
the Cervin, nor even the Jungfrau, it
is high mountain, and a dangerous
one as we'll There are passes where
stones sometimes rain in sufficient
quantity to annihilate a squadron of
cavalry. / am naturally imprudent and
even reckless, and having three times
ascended the Diablerets 1 flattered my
self that l knew them thoroughly. My
confidence, too, was increased by that
which | had in the instinct of Miraut:
the brave dog is a mountaineer and
he has not only the memory of the
roads, but also a remarkable sense of
direction.
We started from Anzeindaz before
daybreak and reached the crest of the
mountain toward o'clock in the morn
ing. In coming back l engaged my
self, against the opposition of the dog,
in moraine that I thought recog-
nized. 1t was one of those terrible
places with which the mountain
abounds. and where, furthermore, our
contemporaries find, or pretend TO find,
the emotions of the sublime. I crossed
it without difficulty, roasted by sun
more ardent, I should swear than the
fiercest rays of the Sahara. Everybody
knows with what strength the rays of
heat strike in the attitudes; the flesh
of my shoulders and my shoulder
blades was literally burned.
I'VE were happy, Miraut and T. to sit
down in the shade of an enormous
block of stone to recuperate, with the
help of a comfortable breakfast of cold
meat, goat cheese and excellent bread
of the Cotier farm. Only had the i'm
prudence to empty flask of dezaley, a
little white wine of inoffensive appear
ance, but pretty treacherous. 1t went
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

a drop in the emptiness / found myself
suspended by my coat-a strong coat,
by the way-to a point of rock which
emerged from the wall like a great
stone horn.
'I was unhurt, hardly dazed. but I
thought that 1t would have. been as
we'll TO have rolled to the bottom; then
death would have been instantaneous,
while now 1 was going to agonize for
long hours; no help to expect, nobody,
to be ,sure, would pass in that place.
1 deliberated at first if it were not
better to detach my coat from the rock
and precipitate myself into space. but
the instinct of the conservation is
powerful-and, furthermore. I remem-
bered Immediately that was not alone;
my companionS his head projecting
tress.
IF 1 only had my ropel Alas it
was at the foot of the horrid WALL
with my hat.and my piolet.
Here I arrive at the unbelievable
part of my story" continued Montfort
Il must tell you first, however, that
had often rehearsed with Miraut scenes
of rescue in the mountains. He re-
membered certain words, 'piolet,' al
penstock,' rope etc. He had learned
already, more or less adroltly, to throw
me objects from high above, and he
would, no doubt, for example, throw
my rope if he had 1T handy, missing
the throw, possibly But how could he
go to get that rope in the abyss where
1t had fallen?
Let us try I said to myself, with
out any hope, as you may well UNDER
stand. l raised my head toward Miraut
1 pronounced several times the word
rope; I pointed to 1t with my hand,
at the base of the wall. For a moment
Miraut satisfied himself by whining
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

and even II he had understood sud-
denly his yelping stopped. his head dis
appeared. / hung there alone in an
immense and horrible silence, hardly
troubled by the slight creaking of my
coat which was verS slowly giving TO
my weight. How long that lastedi
L do not know, but it was terribly
long.
Finally the barking of the dog
came from under me. Miraut was in
the abyss. For the first time a light
of hope flashed across my mind, I
encouraged the animal with my sweet
est voice. / repeated again and again
the fatidical word. Again silence. a
long. terrible waiting, and again the
barking Of the dog. this time above
me. Then. his head bent toward space.
the rope hanging from his teeth-the
decisive moment, and how terrible.
For, this time. there was no doubt Of
what Miraut would do. To the order
he would do what he had done thou
sands of times in our training lessons.
Only. would not the rope fall back 20
tire foot of the wall. After a minute
of hesitation I gave the decisive COM
mand The rope few into space. For
a mere tri1e. a cenrimeter. a tenth OF
a second, everything would have been
lost, but all went we'll! I was grasp
ing the ropeF I was saved. had only
to pass knot around the stone horn
and let myself go down The abyss
brought me TO a practicable road. and
three hours later we were back to
Anzeindaz.
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

''You will now find it perfectly nat
ural, suppose. that Miraut seems to
me the equal of man. and that hava
for the instinct as much esteem as for
the intelli sence. There is a genius OF
instinct as there is a genius Of reason.
The 18th of July. 1897. my dog. Miraut.
had genius
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14
By David H. Walker

M IHIP and spur and the sting of
N sparks biting the hanks OF
w the stout roam that ran fierce
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

(Translated from the French of ]. H. Rosny b
Joseph Dilhan, for The Junior CALI
The San Francisco call., 1909-08-14

o." exclaimed Charles Mont
fort, with ardor, II don't
make any difference between
my dog and a man. The
death of that incor,a M ,.o h L.