Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-05


quest of the poor child, taking along a
couple of dinner-horns and some three OF
four rifles, in hopes of reaching her by
sounds louder than our calls and shouts
We took the regular cow-path to the pasture,
and searched through the swamp thoroughly
in the vicinity Of the bridge. The pasture
was hilly and much covered with trees and
bushes, and we were several hours getting
through with that; then we spread off in
different directions, and occupied the day
without success. Oh, what horrible night
was that to me which followed
For four days we secured the country
in every direction, without getting any
tidings of the poor child and then ALL
even the most sanguine in finding her,
gave her up as utterly loss; and, COM
pletely worn out and heart-broken, threw
myself down, wishing for death to relieve
me of my misery.
at was on this evening that younger
brother, who had been on a journey up the
country, returned with Bruno, who had been
his sole travelling companion. The sight Of
the dog, whose sagacity had been the won
der Of all who knew him, excited q faint
hope in my breast that he might yet find his
young mistress, either living or dead and
with this idea uppermost in my mind, hall
insane as / was, talked to him on the sad
affair Just as ifhe were blessed with the un-
derstanding of "A human being. Never shall
l forget the sorrowful but singularly com.
prehensive expression of his brown eyes, as
he kept them fixed upon mine all the while
l was speaking to him and, when had
done, he turned away with low, mourning
whine, and suddenly disappeared.
Early next morning my brother Shout
dered his rifle, and announced his intention
of trying his fortune in fresh search for
the poor child; but all the men had gone
home, and was too much broken down
with grief to accompany him and so, call
ing for the dog, and not finding him, he set
off alone.
alt was somewhat about the middle OF
the day, that l was sitting by the bed Of
my nearly distracted wife, trying to soothe
and console her as best 1 could, when sud
denly Bruno, whom had entirely forgotten
in the mean time, came bounding into the
room, looking soiled and fatigued, as il
from journey, and at once began to whine
and bark in strange, peculiar manner,
running TO and fro between me and the
door.
"'I do believe that dog has found the
child exclaimed l, starting to my feet with
new hope.
"God grant it'll cried my wife, wiring,
ing her hands.
H'Try and be calm, at least till return,
said l. feeling new life in my veins.
"I hurried out, the dog preceding me and
barking joyously. He then struck off in 6
direction different from any we had taker
in our search for the girl, barking excitedly
looking back every few steps, and thus
seeming to urge me to follow him. This
did, as fast as the nature Of the grount
would permit, running most of the way
Into and through the deep, dense wood
down a gloomy hollow, and up the steel
sides Of wild, rocky mountain, the faith
full dog led me distance Of three miles
keeping just so fur in advance, and Away
timing his gait to mine.
"At length we reached spot more wild
rocky and gloomy than l had yet seer
and, climbing to the top of sort of cliff
Bruno gave vent to O series of strang
sounds, something between bark, howl
and wall, alternately looking back a
me and down at some object evidentl,
far below him. Pressing forward, wit
emotions that have no language to des
cribe, but which seemed to still the yer
beating of my heart, and rendered me sic
and faint, 1 gained footing beside tn
dog and looking down into pit or basin, SUI
rounded on all sides by yprecipitious rocks
strange formation indeed beheld m,
poor child stretched out on the earth, mo
tionless and, as 1 then believed, dead. NJ
brain reeled at the sight, and it is q won
der did not fall. Perhaps l did; for how
got down to her never knew; but my mex
remembrance is of sitting on the earth
clasping the poor bruised, starved creatur,
in my arms, thanking God with all my
heart that held my living, breathing
child.
~ took off my coat, tore it into strips
lashed the child to my back, clambered W
the rocks, and thus conveyed her home
and tainted with fatigue and emotion just
inside the doorway.
"Ihat she eventually recovered you have
an evidence in her presence here tonight.
"In searching for the missing cows, she
had lost her way, and becoming frightened
she had wandered off, she knew not whittier,
and had fallen over the rock during the
night, injuring herself so severely as to be
unable to escape from the pit, where she
had remained five mortal days without
food. Only for this noble ANIMAL her
bones might have been bleaching there to
this day, and myselfand wife been crushed
with calamity that would have left US child
less. BY what strange instinct, reason,
sagacity, or what you will, the dog had
found her, l am unable to say; but the
fact itself would have been sufficient, had
ever been a doubter or skeptic, to have
made me firm believer in the watchfu
care and inscrutible ways of q Divine
Providence. Do you wonder, now, sir, tina
no money can purchase Bruno ?"
The next morning, when the stage CAM
along in good repair, and took leave o
the worthy farmer and his family | he'll
out my hand to the noble dog, who, placing
his paw in it with dignifed gravity, CAV
me a parting look of intelligence tina
haunts me to this day, and which, were
an artist, should long since have beel
drawn upon canvas. Had that animal
mind and soul2 Sometimes, when CON
pare him with the human brutes / meet a
1o;1 L 4aI Ia a; ho ho