*san juan river, colorado

We would sit on the banks of the San Juan and watch the Indian women bathe their babies in the water. We would play on the banks and watch all kinds of things float down the river. We had a dog. "Old Shep" we called him. He would swim out in the middle of the river and bring sticks and everything he would give to us.

old shep
We would play along the banks of the river and into the seaweed with Old Shep going along in front scaring out the rattlesnakes. Sometimes at night, he would come in with his fours swollen up where the snakes bit him. He would get them between his teeth and shake their heads off.

sick hen
Mother had a sick hen and told Don to kill it, but Don didn't want to kill her. He thought it better to drown her in the river, so we three, Don, Daphne, and tag along Kate went down to throw this old hen in the river. We got back about half way to the house, and here come the old hen. Down to the river again we went with the little red hen; throw her farther into the river; well, she sure can't get out this time. Sure enough here come the hen. "Don I thought I told you to kill that hen," mother said. "Well, I tried to drown her," said Don. "You kill her," said mother. Don chopped her head off and we took her on top of one of the sand hills and buried her. Along about dark,
we went and climbed the sand hill and dug up the grave, but the little red hen was gone. Can you imagine what three children thought? I think after so long a time, Don figured the Indians saw us bury her and dug her up.