The Hickman courier., 1869-05-08

My name is Anthony Hurt. am q
droyer, and live miles and miles away
upon the Western prairie. There wasn't
home within sight when we moved
there, my wife and I, and now we haven't
many neighbors, though those we have
are good ones.
One day about ten years ago, / went
away from home to sell some fifty head
of cattle-fne creatures as ever saw.
l was to buy some groceries and dry
| goods before l came back, and above all
doll for our youngest Dolly she had
never had store doll of her own, only
the rag babies her mother had made her.
Dolly could talk of nothing else, and
went down to the gate to call after me to
buy a big one Nobody but a parent
can understand how full my mind was of
that toy, and how, when the cattle were
sold, the first thing l hurried off to buy
was Dolly's doll. found large one,
with eyes that would open and shut when
you pulled wire, and had it wrapped
up in paper and tucked it under my
arm, while L had the parcels of calico,
and delaine, and tea, and sugar, put up.
Then, late as twas, i stsftsd for hone.
Ii might have been more prudent to stay
until morning, but felt anxious to get
back, and eager to hear Dolly's prattle
about her toy.
was mounted on steady going old
horse of mine, and pretty well loaded.
Night set in before / was a mile from
town, and settled down dark as pitch
while was in the middle Of the widest
bit of road / know of. could have felt
my way, though, remembered it so we'll,
and it was almost dark when the storm
that had been brewing broke, and pelted
the rain in torrents, five miles or, may be,
six, from home yet, too.
/ rode on as fast as / could, but all of
a sudden heard little cry like child's
voice! | stopped short and listened.
heard it again. called it, and it
ans sered me. couldn'tsee thing. All
was dark as pitch. l got down and felt
about in the grass. Called again and
again was answered. Then l began to
wonder. I'm not timid, but I was known
to be drover and to have money about
me. 1t might be trap to catch me un-
lwares and rob and murder me.
/ am not uperstitious-not very, but :
how could real child be out on the
prairie in such night at such an hour.
It might be more than human.
The bit of a coward that hides itself
n most men showed itself in me
hen. and | was half inclined to run avay.
but once more I heard that cry. and I
aid I:
"If anv mans child ia hereabouts.
Anthonv Hunt il not the man 10 let Il
lie"
searched aeoin Atlast hetbo,r
ne of a hollow under the hin euv
cropping. that way. sure enough I foa-,iz,
! little drippinp thing that moaned e5{
'obbed as I took It in nv arms. I cali
a my horse and the beast came IN ~
md / mounted and tncked the E,l1]
aaked thing under NV coat as we,s-sz
:duId nrom;sino 70 taka Il
ssamsar 4. .t;;re.lxuz-.z<...
3ee bosor, -; -
Z Fl n had 1lspt fRere over en- boar vhen
.>=ss'''ss1sv. 49, rbare were. :.
lights IN them, and supposed my
had lit them for my SAKE, but when
got into the door yarq l saw some.ntns
was the matter ana ! s'ooa sun 49,
Tread tear at neart nve minutes peiore
could hit the laten. AT las, diols; ano
saw the room full OF neighpors' ana my
wife amidst them weeping.
When she saw me she ma her lace.
Oh, don tell him' she saio, III VIII =
Kill him.