Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-11-08

-usuS- hVt W usluTU Iuc ausu HOW cOil-
siderate of my comfort and safety he has
been ever since | entered his humble
abode" She made haste to open the door,
and the hunter babe her good morning,
and hoped she had rested well. Then he
made up the fire, and, bringing Mary some
water in a basin. with comb and brush,
said he would cook the breakfast while she
made her toilet. To this Mary objected
saying she would do the cooking herself;
and, as soon asher simple toilet was made,
set about the work. The hunter brought
the things for her to cook, peeled the potl-
toes, and showed her where everything he
had was kept Every few minutes lie
would burst out laughing, and say, ''How
funny to have woman cook for me ~
Mary's heart was heavy, and she was con-
stantiy thinking of her mother at home,
and wondering .zwhera. they Thought. she,
was but her position was so novel for n
young girl, and her companion so cheerful.
that she could not help blushing and at
times, despite her troubles, her small steel
gray eyes would sparkle with mirth. When
they sat down to breakfast. tho hunter
thought lie had never seen so charming
creature as Mary. aud somehow she never
seemed to mind the great brown eyes con-
stantly fixed upon her. Strange she should
not be afraid, for she was alone with the
most desperate man of the West: but, so
far from fearing him. she thoroughly be-
| lieved he was her best friend and protector.
After breakfast she told the hunter her
tale. and again claimed his protection. He
| listened respectfully and attentively, and,
when she had done, said: re -s'4ar ~
so you thought you could trust me-"
81 did, replied Mary, while the hot
blood rushed TO her temples
For moment the muscles in the face of
the hunter worked convnlsively, and, ris-
ing, he went TO a small cupboard and took
Eom it two daguerreotypes-the one Of q
young girl, and the other of a middle-aged
woman Opening them, and placing them
in Mary's lap, while a tear dimmed his eye,
he said:
+" These are the pictures of my dear
mother and darling sister, and swear to
you by them l will always be to you rs a
brother" 70 r
Mary held out her hand. and, as he
jgrasped it, two hearts met in that clasp,
never to be divided on earth.
The hunter told Mary that she must go
back at once to her mother, and, now she
had placed herself under his protection,
she need not fear Long Ned or any one
else. Placing her on his pony, he walked
| by her side, and led the little brute, who,
not being used to such a burden. was dis
posed to be a little vicious. Carefully and
tenderly. as If she were an infant. he
guarded her until they came to her fathers
house, where they had scarcely arrived
when that most startling of all cries on
| the border, "Indians ~ was heard. and a
man dashed up to say that the settlement
below had been attacked and all of Long
Ned's stock stolen. Waiting to hear no
more, Long Ned, who was still at the
farm, leaped upon n pony and dashed away
across the prairie. f
Placing Mary in the arms of her mother,
the Wild Hunter left her to tell her own
tale, and rapidly followed Ned. The In
dams were driven off and all the stock re-
covered, but Long Ned did not return.
Some said he was killed by the savages /;
Others, that the Wild Hunter shot him:
but, be that rs it may, he was dead, and no
one seemed to care by whose hand he had
fallen. Nearly all the recaptured stock had
once belonged to Mr.. Thompson, and. Ned
Being dead, the Wild Hunter took it upon
| himself to return it to the farmer, saying
he was Ned's heir-a decision no one OBJ
jected to. What was most surprising. how
ever, was the fact that the Wild Hunter
did not drink any more or quarrel with
any one. w utu pItcScu lOT du cNpldIlsl-
ton, he simply replied: II have quit that
sort of thing" ~ rf5
|
Little more remains to be told of this
true tale of border-life, and it. may be
summed up in these words: Soon after
the Indian raid there was wedding at Mr..
Thompson's, and the farmer, influenced by
his new son-in-law, stopped drinking and
became a prosperous and useful citizen.
If ever you visit the Big Blue. just above
Mr.. Thompson's place you will find a neat
farmhouse, and in it a brown-haired, hap
py-faced woman, with four little curly
headed children playing about her knee.
The owner of this farm is quiet, orderly,
well-to-do man; and, if you will wait until
he comes home from the fields. you will
recognize in him none other than g The
I Wild Hunter of the Blue"