cretin, who obviously had no idea who this dog would one
day become. In his younger years, Brown Dog lived free from
the boundary of a human home, coexisting with the people
of the community he had found himself among. And he was
a resourceful survivalist, going at it alone like a desert drifter
for some ten years or more. As he grew older, he did finally,
and no doubt somewhat begrudgingly, decide he could live
with a human companion, a benevolent man who cared for
him in his twilight.
In the last year or two of his life, it is said that Brown Dog
bit a man in the ghost town, but only because that man had
it coming. It turned out that he had actually only bitten the
wallet in the man’s back pocket, but a fuss was raised, and
someone called the cops. Shortly after the alleged incident,
Brown went into hiding and successfully evaded the authori-
ties until the coast was clear, like a bandito from the days of
old Terlingua. It was a sad day for many when he passed on,
and there were even rumors that he would be buried in the
ghost town cemetery, but he wasn’t. These days old Brown is
still remembered in story, a few songs, and even in a film.
The dogs around here are desert dogs, and that means
more than you might know. Some may be more inherently
suited to life in the desert like Brown Dog, but no matter
what the breed, if they are going to survive out here it takes
as much effort as any other animal, human, or plant. That is
something that can’t be learned overnight, or even in a week’s
time. Life in the desert can be harsh, and this land does not
suffer the unprepared lightly.
continued on page 24
Top: Brown
Left: Sissy
Cenizo
First Quarter 2019
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