The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1861-10-29

utterly pioaTaleu, anu not ahotner Soul
near to give me aid and sympathy. l
could not stand it long !; | at once hur-
ried to the nearest neiyhbor. The man
Immediately set off to rouse their neigh
bors, and his family accompanied me
home. By midnight quite a party had
assembled at the house here, but it was
decided not TO begin the search for Hat
tie until the following morning.
AT day break seven of us went off in
quest of the poor child, taking along a
couple of dinner horns and some three
or 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 the swamp
thoroughly in the vicinity Of the bridge.
The pasture was hily and much covered
with trees and bushes and We were sew
eral hours getting through with that ;
then we spread off in different directions,
and occupied the day without success.
Oh, what a horrible night was that 10
me which followed.
For four days we secured the country
i'll 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 lost; and, com
pletely worn out and heart broken, |
threw myself down, wishing for death to
relieve me of my misery.
1t was on this evening that a young
brother, who had been away on a jour
ncy up the country, returned with Bru
no, who had been his sole travelling com
panion. The sight of the dog. whose
sagacily had long been the wonder Of all
who knew him, excited FAINT hope in
my breast that he might yet find his
young mistress, either living or dead
with this idea uppermost in my mind,
halfinsane as was, | talked with him on
the sad affair jus, as if he we're blessed
with understanding of u human being
Never shall | forget the sorroNlul but
singularly comprehensive expression Of
his brown eyes, as he kept them fixed
upon mine all the while was speaking
10 him and when had done, he turned
away with a low muuering whine, and
suddenly disappeared.
Eally the next morning my brother
shoulIered his rifle, aud announced his
intention Of trying bis fortune in fresh
search for the poor child but all the
men had gone home, ard | was too much
broken down with grief TO accompany
him ; and so, calling for The dog, and
not finding BIN, be set off alone.
Il was somewhat about the middle OF
the day, that was sitting by the bsd of
my nearly distracted wife. trying to con,
sole and soothe her as best | could, when
suddenly Bruno. whom | had entirely
forgotten in the meantime, came bound
my into the room, looking soiled aud "a
tigued, as ii from a journey and al once
began 10 bark and whine in a strange.
peculiar manner, running to and fro be.
tween me and the door,
:" do believe the dog has found the
child, exclaimed |, starting to my feet
with II new hope.
God grant it," cried my wife, wiring.
ing her hands,
Try and be calm. az least till | re.
turn, said |, feeling a new lie in my
veins.
| hurried out, the dog preceding me
aud barking joyously. He then strnek
of in direction different from any We
had taken in our search for tie girl. bark
ing excltcdly, looking back every few
steps ; and thus seeming TO urge me to
follow him. This | did, AS fast as the
nature Of the ground would permit, run.
ming most Of the way. Into and through
the deep, dense wood, down a gloomy
hollow, and up the steep sides OF wild,
rocky mountain, the faithful dog led me
n distance OF three miles keeping just so
lar in advance. and always timing his
gait 10 mine.
Al length We reached aspot more wild. !.
rocky and gloomy than had yet seen
and, climbing 10 tho top Of sort Of
cliff, Bruno gave vent 10 series o!
strapge sounds. something between a
bark, "a howl. AMI wall, alternately look
ing back to me and down mt some object
evidently far below him. Pressing for
ward, with emotions that have no Ian.
guage 70 describe. but which seemed 10
still the very beating Of my heart, and
rendered me sick and iuiui. | gained a
footing beside tie dog, and looking down
into pit or basin surrounded on all sides
by precipitous roeAs--a strange lorma