The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1861-04-04
strange story Of q stray Child.

!
Late last Autumn, farmer living
near the Adirondacks, in New York
State, went out to cut timber on 4
mountain in remote and solitary To-
cality. He took his son along with
him, little boy about four years OF
age. After having been employed for
= short time, he missed the child, who
had been amusing himself in chasing a
kid which he fonnd on hill, and lie
became alarmed lest he should have
fallen into. one of the many ravines, or
stumbled over some Of the rocks or
precipices with which the place
abounds. No trace Of the boy, how.
ever, could be found. In VAN did he
call upon his name, for no answer was
returned. The anxiety of the father
led him from place to place with the ut
most rapidity, sometimes finding the
print Of his sons little feet on the
leaves, but he never dreamed Of cross
ing deep gorge which runs on the
south side of the locality alluded to
down the steep and rocky side Of the
mountain to the margin of the Hud-
son.
| Over this gorge he conceived it i'm.
possible for child to make it's way In
the evening lie found means to send to
the settlement an account Of the cir.
cumstances, and several humane per-
sons, accompanied by the distracted
mother. came to aid his search for the
poor child in this wild and rocky re-
gion. One Of them happening to
cross over the gorge alluded to.
perceived there the impression of the
boys footsteps, and these were occas,
ionallv traced all the way down the
margin Of the Hudson, where they lost
AL trace Of the unfortunate little wan
iercr, and were filled with the most
painful arprehcnsions that lie must
have been carried off by the stream
Going along it's banks, and crossing ra-
vines and sleeps, which they conceived
it almost impossible the child could
have passed and climbed, they again,
found the print Of his naked feet on the
soft sand Of small riyulct and by ap-
plying 4 measure which they had taken
Of the former impressions, they found it
c xactly to correspond.
They were therefore induced still to
go forward. though they had now pro-
ceedcd upward of four miles from the
place of their setting out; and they con-
,inued for the space Of about another
mile, accompanied by the anxious IA
,her and mother, without finding any
other traces Of the boy. Night was
now coming down on the forest: and
as the search had continued eleven
hours, over a rugged space of FIVE
miles, they thought Of rctracing their
steps in despair-the distracted moth
er tearing her hair, and starting at eve
ry white stone, and figuring to herself
tho spectcr Of torn corpse Of her son at
the bottom of every cliff or stream
which they passed.
Al this time one Of the party, who
had been before the rest, on looking
into the stream Of the Hudson, found a
handkerchief round stone III the chan
mel Of the river, which he recognized
to be that of the child, and had now
little doubt that he would be found
drowned near this place in the stream.
He called the rest of the party to ap-
proach, when little further down the
bank he perceived the boy with his feet
in the water, and his head resting on =
stone in quiet sleep. "Johnny"
.John!" cried the trembling father,
'.are YOU alivc?' The little pilgrim,
lifting his head from his rocky pillow,
exclaimed, ooh, father, is it you? Why
didn't vcu come to help me catch the
little kid?" The little fellows cap was
filed with pebbles, with which lie had
pursued the kid from rock to rock,
from hill to hill. and through the ra-
vines for upward Of five miles, bare
footed, over one of the most rugged
tracts in the State, and had been tor
twelve hours without tasting NOR
sci of food. The sudden JOY Of the
mother had nearly cost her,he. life, but
the young wanderer was found not to
have suffered injury from his long pere-
grination.
--------anaH 49,
H<n trho fol1,. Co. ~ -,