Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-08-09

"Well, | never!" he exclaimed. "Droll-
est thingr'
why, what is it, Doctors" we all de-
manded.
"Just you come out here to the
swampw cried the Doctor. "Come
quickW And, catching up one of the
blankets, he strobe off again. The spider
was hastily set aside. We resumed our
snow-shOes, and followed after him as
fast as possible but he had gained quite
a start. We did not come up with him till
he had entered among the cedars, and was
coming out upon one of the open holes,
which looked still broader and muddier
since the thaw. On the very edge where
the icy snow bordered the black muck,
the Doctor drew up. There J" he ex-
here !" pointing to the mud. Them's
what gets me Little baby's feet!"
We all started. Sure enough, there in
the mud were some little footprints not
more than three or four inches long, toes
and all, as plain as could be, patted down
into the soft muck. Some little foot had
evidently run along there not many min
utes ago. "Just made too !" continued
the Doctor. Then, after hurried glance
around, he stopped to examine them.
Wash winked to me, then to Raed and
Wade, who were regarding us with curl
GUS looks. We all choked down great
grin. Unless we were much mistaken we
had "soft thing" on the Doctor. swell,
If this don't beat the Dutch J" resumed
the Doctor, standing back step. "There
isn't house within fifteen miles, that l
know of. How the little thing ever got
up here is more than l can guess; but
(stooping down AGAIN. it's a baby's foot
fast enough"
at may be that an Indian family is
camping about here, not far off," sug-
gested the hypocritical Wash. perhaps
this is little papp0ose."
Barefooted t0O," observed Wade; 'or
else nothing but very thin moccasin.
Look at those little toe-marks Can't be
over year and half or two years old"
"Poor little thing, it must be lost ~
remarked the Doctor, refiectively, and
with touch of feeling which did him
credit, but came near making us shout
with suppressed merriment. And,
boys" cried he, with sudden gravity,
"we must try to hunt it up. Poor baby,
can't be far of, either"
"If it's lost child, we certainly ought
to hunt it up" said Raed.
"And, if It's little pappoose, should
like to see it," remarked Wade.
"Mere common humanity demands
that we find the lost baby" Wash af-
firmed.
So we all began to search along the bor-
ders of the muck-hole with affected zeal !;
but the Doctor was in earnest.
"Ah! there's where he stopped to play
In the mud. See where his little fingers
clawed it up there!" said he. Sand
here's where he clambered up on to the
snow; and out here is another track.
He's left the hole, and gone off into the
woods"
Here and there we could still see the
little footprints close together on the
damp snow as we hurried on.
"See where he broke off these tender
sprouts I" Wash noticed. "Little cub
Isn't it curious? 1 wonder where his
mother is. I've heard of children being
carried off by wild beasts, and so grow up
| to make wild men. Perhaps we've stum-
bled upon an example !"
"Like enough" said the Doctor.
Luckily it was getting too dark for him
to see our faces.
81 declare. he walks well for little
one! " said Wade after a while. why,
we've come as much as aquarter of mile
from tne muck-nOle."
A few moments after we came out to a
large yellow birch-tree, or rather STUB /;
for it was all decayed, and evidently hol-
low, having a great open hole In the
trunk at the roots. The little foot-marxs
led directly towards this hole.
You don't suppose he's crawled into
that hole, do you?" asked the Doctor.
81 declare, he has !" continued he,
L inf 70 In, fhn
within the aperture. "Gone in there,
as live!"
We all took look.
The inside of the tree had rotted away ;
and the hollow cavity extended both up
ward and downward into the root beneath
the ground-a dark hole indeed.
"Fell in there. Pm afraid !" exclaimed
the Doctor. "Baby, little chuck are you
down there? Likely as anyway there's
water at the bottom! If it were MT so
dark down there! Gotany matches, boys?
Let's make torch"
pulled off crispy roll of the curled
bark, and, lighting it, let it down into the
opening. The Doctor had not thought OF
looking up the hollow trunk. Nobody
would expect baby to climb tree, OF
of course. But, the moment we put in
the fire, there WAS a great scrambling
overhead on the inside; and shower Of
dust and punk came rafting down.
"GraciOus !" exclaimed the Doctor
"The little rascal is up, instead of down
don't believe it is child. But that is q
baby's foot fast enough, (" said he, stepping
back, and again examining the track
Yes, little brat! Scared, l suppose
How he can climb! They say little ba.
bies can swim, too. l shouldn't wonder
if they did make wild men in just thi;
way"
Then, in a coaxing voice, "Come, baby
come down. We won't hurt you. Oh
no! We'll take you to your mother"
| But the baby gave no indications o.
coming down; and, despite the dus
which filled the aperture, the Doctor agair
peked in his head to see If he couidn'
discern him.
"Lght another piece of bark, Kit" sait
he, "and let me take it. / can see some
thing up there but I'll be skinned If Il
looks like baby!'
got the bark; and, putting it on the
end Of stick, we thrust itup the hollow
and saw, up some ten or twelve feet, no
exactly baby, but big raccoon, peer
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