The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-06-22

YOU SnOVeQ3 Tue uSlIum over To LuE 4
left. Sta'boad an port was the terma
as I recolIects EN- It's jest the sauna
with burros, you takes 'em by the
tiller, that's by the tall, git good
tight twist on it an eft you want him
to head to the right, slew his stern
sheets around to the left, an you got
to be keerful you don't git no kick
back witch eff it lands on you is worse
n the ree-coil Of a mule"
Arthur faithfully followed direc-
lions, narrowly escaping the outraged
brute's small but sharp pointed heels
on occasion His efforts not being
productive Of much success, finally IN
his despair he resorted to brute
strength; he would pick the little ami.
nal up bodily, pack and all-he was
man of powerful physique--and swing
him around until his head pointed tn
the right direction; then with a prayer
that the burro would keep it there for
a few rods anyway, he would set him
down and start him all over again.
The process oft repeated became mo-
notonous alter awhile. Arthur was a
slow thinking man, deliberate In 'ac-
ton; he stood 1t as long as he possibly
could. Kirkby, who rode one morse
and led two others, and therefore was
exempt from burro driving, observed
him with great interest. He and Brad
shaw had strayed way behind the rest
Of the party.
At last Arthur's resistance, patience
and piety, strained to the breaking
point, gave way suddenly. Primitive
instincts rose to the surface and over
wheImed him like food. He der
liberately sat down on fallen tree
by the side of a trail, the burro halt
ing obediently, turned and faced him
with hanging head, apparently con-
scious that he merited the dIsappro-
baton that was being heaped upon
him, for from the desperate tender
| foot there burst forth so amazing, SO
| fluent, so comprehensive a torrent OF
assorted profanity, that even the old
past master in obiuration was aston
ished and beWildered. Where did
Bradshaw, mild and 1noffensives get
1t? His proficiency would hays ap-
palled his rector and amazed his fcl-
! low vestr3Tnan Not the Jackdaw os
/ Rheims himself was SO cursed as that
| little burro Kirkby sat on his horse
] Ii fits OF silent laughter until tbs
/ tears ran down his cheek, the only
outward and visible expression OF hi
mirth.
Arthur only stopped when he hat
i thoroughly emptied himself. possibly
i of an accumulation Of years OF TepreS
sion.
aWall, said Ktrkby, you sure d.
4 overmatch any one ever heard WEI
it comes to cursin'; wy, you coult
gimme cards an spades an beat me
an was thought to have some gil
that-a-way In the old days."
.I didn't begin to exhaust myself,
answered Bradshaw, shortly, ant
what did say didn't equal the sibsa
ton. I'm going home"
Il wouldn't do that" urged the Oh
man. Here, you take the horses 81
I'll tackle the burro.'
GLADLY" said Arthur. I woul
rather ride an elephant and drive
herd of them than waste another mtr
ute on this Internal little mule"
The story was too good to keel
and around the camp fire that nigh
Kirkby draWled it forth. There Wss
freedom and easiness Of intercourse
the camp, which was natural enough
Cook teamster, driver, host, CUES
men. women, children, and / had o
most said burros, stood on the sam
level. They all ate and lived togethe
The higher up the mountain range 70
go. the deeper into the wilderness 20
plunge. the further away from tn
conventional you draw, the MOI
homogeneous becomes society and tE
less obvious are the irrational and u
scientific distinctions Of the lowland
The guinea stamp fades and the ma
and the woman are pure gold or bas
metal inherently and not by any
) tificial standard.
George, the cattle man, who cooke
and Pete, the horse wrangler, who
n sisted Kirkby in looking aftss Il
g stock, enjoyed the episode upros Fis'u
y ". and would fam have had the axe
9 language repeated to them, bur ee
Robert Maitland demurred, much
n Arthur's relief, for he was thorough
r Inundated by the whole performanc
l. It was very pleasant loungll
5. around the camp fire and one got
d story easily led to another.
b at was In these very mountains
D said Robert Maitland, at last, when b
% turn came, that there happened o.
l. OF the strangest and most terrible
b.. ventures that ever heard OF. ! ha
ID pretty much forgotten the lay OF t
y land, but think 1t wasn't very I
n from here that there is one OF t
TT most stupendous canons through
y range; nobody ever goes there; dol
suppose anybody has ever been the
e. since. It must have been at les
e, i've years ago that 1t all happened"