Las Vegas optic., 1914-08-20
CHAPTER XIV.
Snow and Dogs and Things.

Snow and Dogs ana lnin9s.
AS Pedro emerged into the street,
that snowy white carpet which ap-
pears SO magically lay soft and muf-
fling over the pavements, deadening
the sound of such little stir of life as
was still abroad at this most silent
hour.
A distant chime struck the quarter,
and proclaimed that two o'clock Of
new morning was at hand. The wind
was biting and Pedro, plowing along
ankle-deep In the shifting mass, shiv-
cred beneath the insufficient covering
afforded by the old green coat.
With head bent and shoulders
hunched, Pedro had gone past his cor
ner by mistake, and suddenly realizing
this, he glanced up to find himself con-
| fronting a building that had often at
| tracted his passing attention. 1t was
before the old First Presbyterian
church, with its snow-laden trees, and
white-mounded garden, that he paused
and turned his back to the lashing
| gale. Just as he began to retrace his
steps, allowing the wind to push him,
he heard low moan, as of some one
| In pain.
The sound seemed to come from the
front portico of the church. Going up
to the iron gate, he found it open, and
| peered inside. Apparently no one was
1 there, and he was about to leave, when
within the dark central doorway some
thing moved, and CLEAN of white
flashed out of the gloom.
In an instant Pedro had bounded
across the snow-illed space between
| gate and door, and was kneeling on
the tagging of the vestibule, cropping
about. Then something warm and
| moist touched his hand, and he discov-
cred the sufferer to be large black
dog with white star on his face, who
lay as though one of his hind legs had
been crushed-perhaps by some pass
ing automobile, earlier in the previous
day. His coat was coarse and short,
and his tail, In direct contradiction,
long and bushy, with white fringes.
Like half-moons his eyes rolled at
Pedro, and without hesitation the long
muzzle was laid into his hand. At the
touch Pedro's heart leaped.
Good dog!" he said huskily. what
shall we do about it, old fellow, eh?"
| The dog whined a little, and snug
gled closer. Pedro put an arm about
him.
Come on, boy!" he said.
The dog made pitiful effort to rise
and follow him, but failing, sank back
upon the steps with whimper. Pedro
looked about him despairingly but no
help was in sight With a sigh he
stopped and lifted him into his arms, a
by no means easy accomplishment, for
the dog was at least half his own size,
and heavy at that.
1t was heavy task he had under
taken, and several times he was
obliged to pause and seat himself in
some doorway for a moment or two
and before he had arrived halfway to
his destination it began to seem to
him that he could get no farther. Then,
as he arose for a final effort, he
raised his eyes to the building before
which he had last rested, and recog
nized it as Leigh's dwelling place.
Furthermore, there was light in the
sculptor's window. With breathless
exclamation he elambered up the steps
and pounded onsthe door.
| II was several minutes before the
janitor responded, and when he found
that he had been summoned from his
comfortable basement chamber for the
sole purpose of admitting that dago
boy an fierce old cur" he fatty re-
fused to help in the animals removal
to the upper regions. SO Pedro did
it alone, and reached Leigh's door
breathless and exhausted. At his
|