Imperial Valley press., 1945-01-03
NUBBINS
BY
BURRIS JENKINS

We used to have a boy at our
house about ten years old. He should
have been a Boy Scout but somehow
never joined up with them. He loved
TO do his hiking and camping all
alone except for old SnOoks, "A most
undignified name for a handsome
and tiignified black and white shep-
herd. We bought him when he was
quite young because he retrieved
ducks so well from water or long
grass; but we could see the winter
DAYS were too hard on him to stay
wet all day 50 we turned him over
to the boy and they grew up to-
gether. Every where one went the
other was sure to go, and nothing
delighted either one of them like a
week end miles away in the country.
Friday afiernCO on, Therefore, either
summer or winter, anytime of the
wear, and never mind the weather,
Dad had to take the pair of them
in the motor car ten or fifteen miles
outside the city and leave them un-
til Sunday afternoon as late as pos
sible. Sometimes there would be
snow on the ground and other times
the worst that would happen was
rain or mud. Some times the two
of them slept in pup tent to-
/ gother; and sometimes they didn't
even have the tent.
/ One lovely summer afternoon Dad
! ,tn ftHn nfxra
/ and left them in bend of the Blue
river across the stream from the
road. Dad didn think much of the
place: il was too low and flat in
case of inundatiOn; but the boy
liked it; he had particular syca-
mere which bent way out over the
water, under which he liked to
open up his bed roll which he
promptly did.
That night the family, coming in
rathe- late, remarked on the beauty
of the mOOniit night, adding, "A
fine night for the kid cut there near
the Minor place
Suddenly ut midnight, or well af
ter, Dad sprans upright in bed
as a crash of thunder split his car
and a deiuge CT water rOared falling
outside Dad saw that his own light
was not the only one turned OH and
heard movement in the adjoining
room. Pretty soon timid voice be-
gan talking about the kid out there
in the storm. He tried to reassure,
saying that the boy knew how to
take care of himself and nothing
could possibly happen to him. After
an hour or so of uneasineSs, he fin
ally said to her, would you like
for me to go out and look for him.
Infinite relief US in her voice
as she answered., "Oh. wish you
would" Sc, with slicker and hip
boots, Dad made his way down to
the car and began his long junket
in the rain. lie came to the red
bridge, then across and perhaps half
a mile down the river sounding the
horn all the way. No response. No
! light. At the point where the ford
had been there was HOW 4 rushing
! ficOd, but man could get across
in hip boots if he was careful. A
/ boy probably could not and the boots
would be dangerous in that flood.
Shouting and whistling, Dad went
over to the old sycamore, found the
little roll of bedding rolled up in a
soggy mass underneath. He shouted
all over that meadow, even going
up and going around the haystack;
but no response. ~.
At last il occurred TO him that the
boy knew where the w. f. Minor
farm lay beyond that timber and
over those cliffs; SO taking the
motor car again, he drove into the
Minor barn yard, pushed open the
big doors, and called out in the
pitch darkness to the young camp
er. A sleepy voice replied, an electric
torch flashed and a dog came look :.
! ing down while his brush began
! spreading the hay all about from
the loft above while he whined an
invitation to come up and join the
party. On the contrary, Dad made
them come down.
so you got here all right? Did
you have to wade the river in the
flo0d?" "NO sir, it wasn't flooded
when l crossed" ANY trouble get
ting old Snooks up that ladder?"
One could see now in the torch light
how crazy and rickety il was. "And
don't you think you had better
come back hOme?"
"Ah, no, Dad. This is Saturday
and tomorrow will be Sunday"
"All right. I'll come back ard get
you Sunday afternoon at Minors
house if that's all right"
On the way back to town and at
little coffee stand, Dad registered
a great vow, even a big swear, that
as long as he lived no matter what
happened, he would never go out
again TO look for that kid, and he
never has. The kid has wandered
pretty much all over the world,
making his way or beating his way,
but he has always come back.
That's one way, and at our house
We think rather the best way, to
bring up a kid-plenty Of rope, and
long invisible hold or the rope.