Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1873-11-29

happy; and mind you don't cry and
trouble, or you'll be having spell Of
sickness in the morning after this night
trip, and / can tell you, I'm mighty
poor nurse" he said, closing the dcor
behind him, and laughing heartily out
de.
Was this indeed the Wild Hunter Of
TIE Blue, about whom such terrible tales
were told, and in whom there was moth
ing. but wickedness? Mary thought she
had never met a more polite or gentle
manly person; somehow her fears had
all disappeared, and she felt singularly
safe and happy. She did not lock the
door, for she felt not the slightest uncasi-
ness; but she peeped from the little win
dow, and saw the tall hunter, with his
gun across his shoulder, walking up and
down before the cabin, like sentinel,
and then she lay down on the bed and
soon fell into a deep sleep.
Next morning, when she awoke, the
sun was shining brightly, aud springing
up, for she had not removed any of her
clothing, she ran to the little window
and looked out. There was the hunter
pacing up and down, just as he had been
doing the night before. 'IIow polite of
him." thought Mary. mot to disturb
me; and how considerate of my comfort
and safety he has been ever since en-
tered his humble abode" She made
haste to open the door, and the hunter
bade 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;
aud, as soon as her simple toilet was
made, set about her work. The hunter
brought the things for her to cook, peel
ed the potatoes, and showed her where
everything he had was kept. Every few
minutes he would burst out laughing,
and say, 'HOw funny to have woman
cook for me!'' Mary's heart was heavy,
and she was constantly thinking of her
mother at home, and wondering where
they thought she was; but her position
was so novel for young girl, and her
companion so cheerful, that she could
not help blushing, and mt times, in spite
of her troubles, her small. steel-gray eyes
would sparkle with mirth. When they
sat down to breakfast, the hunter thought
he had never seen so charming n creature
as Mary, and somehow she never seemed
to mind the great brown eyes constantly
| fixed upon her. Strange she should not
be afraid, for she was alone with the
most desperate man in the est; but, so
far from fearing him, she Thoroughly be-
leved he was her best friend and protec-
tor.
After breakfast she told the hunter her
tale, and again claimed his protection.
He listened respectfully and attentirely,
and, when she had done, said:
" So you thought you could trust me?'
81 did," replied Mary, while the hot
blood rushed to her temples
| For a moment the muscles in the face
of the hunter worked convulsively, and,
rising, he went to small cupboard and
from it took two daguerreotypes-the
one of a young girl, aud the other of
middle-aged woman. Opening them,
and placing them in Mary's lap, while
tear dimmed his eye, he said:
"These are the pictures of my dear
mother and darling sister, and swear
to you by them | will always be to you
as a brother"
Mary held out her hand, and, as he
grasped it, two hearts met i'll that clasp
never to be devided again on earth.
The hunter told Mary that she must
go back at once to her mother, and, now
she had placed herself under his protec-
ton, 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 bur-
den, was disposed to he a little vicious.
Carefully and tenderly, as if she was an
infant, he guarded her until they came
to her fathers house, where they had
scarcely arrived when that most start
ling of cries on the border, "Indiansr'
was heard, and a man dashed up to say,
that the settlement below had been at
tackled and all of Long Ned's stock sto-
len. Waiting to hear no more, Long
Ned, who was still mt the farm, leaped
upon pony and dashed away across the
prairie.
Placing Mary in the arms of her moth
er, the Wild Hunter left her to tell her
own tale, and rapidly followed Ned.
The Indians were driven off and all the
stock recovered, but Long Ned did not
return. Some said he was killed by tn,
savages; Others, that the Wild Hunter
shot him; but be that as 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 himselfto
return it to the farmer, saying he was
Ned's hcir-a decision no one objected
to. What was most surprising, howev.
er, that the Wild Hunter did not drink
any more or quarrel with any one
When pressed for an explanation, he
simply replied: 81 have quit that sort OF
thing.
Little more remains to be told of thi
true tale of border life, and it may |,
summed up in these words: Soon after
the Indian raid there was wedding al
Mr., Thompson's, and the farmer, inhu
enced by his new son-in-law, stopped
drinking and became prosperous and
) useful citizen. If ever you visit the BIG
Blue, just above Mr.. Thompson's place
you will find neat farmhouse, and in
il q brOwn-haiTp1 haDDV-faced woman