American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-10-23

No." said Jim, with an OATH "Drive
her along; we have rightto what comes
to us. It'll be so much more in our pock-
cts when we get to Garry"
Max said no more; but while Jim was
lighting a fire and getting supper be-
hind little hill he said he would see if
the drove was all together, and, contriving
| to separate Ralleen from the rest, he drove
her furiOusly back about two miles in the
direction in which they had come. Poor
Ralleen was tired and perplexed; but she
was made to gallop forward in most I'M
dignIfied manner, until good natured Max
thought there was no further danger of
her finding the drove again before their
early start the next morning.
| There, Bossy, turn your nose south
when you begin to eat tomorrow, and
| keep it pinted straight all day." was his
| parting advice, with a crack of the whip
that caused her to plunge forward with re-
doubled speed, while he wheeled his
horse round and was halfway back to
might stop and rest if she liked.
l s'pose | shall have to tell Jim /
counted wrong if he asks for that critter
in the morning." Max chuckled to him.
| self as he rode up over the little hill TO
| the bright fire and savOry supper, and an
nounced everything snug for the night.
That same evening little N els Oleson, ten
years old, was sent out from home to bring
| in the COW to be MIXED. Usually she was
not more than mile off; but that night,
| as we know, she was miles away. Nels
! thought he should find her every time he
| climbed little hill and looked around,
but every time she wasn't there. You see
| these swells of land on the rolling prairie
| hide anything near very easily.
At last, after going long way, he was
| discouraged and made up his mind she
haA f6<ap 90
| north, which was the direction he had
taken when he started from home. His
brother Hans had gone off south to look
for her, and he, no doubt, had found her
before this.
He was just going to start for home
again when he saw pair of tall cranes
marching along, side by side, little way
from him: They are about the funniest
birds in the world. Nearly as tall as g
man, while their bodies are no bigger
than goose's, they consist almost entire
| ly, as you see, of legs and neck. Their
legs are SO long they can't sit down, and
their necks so long they can't swallow
without tossing their food in the air and
opening their mouths as it comes down
letting it get good start down their
throats, don't you see?
Well, Nels forgot the COW and home
and everything but the cranes. If he
could only find their nest, wouldn't the
other boys be wild to see it? He crept up
as near as he could to them, and they
marched on. 1t was growing dusk, and
he could not see quite so well. He tried
to get little nearer, when all at once the
tall creatures raised their wings and
SCARED up and out of sight in minute.
Poor little Nels looked after them bewil-
dered. The stars had begun to twinkle
family. He looked around him. He
could see nothing familiar He did not
even know which way he had come. It
looked just alike in all directions. Lit
tie hills and valleys, and now and then a
slough, as far as he could see; which was
not far, on account of the gathering dark
ness. He had an impression as to which way
his home lay; SO he turned and ran as fast as
as he could. His impression was exactly
wrong, as it is very apt to be in such
cases. He ran till he was too tired to run
further and then he laid down on the
ground. The night was warm, he had
had his supper and was very tired; so,
although he did feel frightened and lone
some, he made the best of it and went to
sleep. He was a brave little chap and
had been used to hardships, and he knew
it was of no use to cry or shout. If they
could have heard his shouts he could have
seen the house. Perhaps they would
come and find him; but he was sure he
could find it himself IN the morning.
He slept soundly and sweetly till the
very earliest dawn, when he walked sud
denly and saw big, dark object close to
him. He rolled over two or three times,
away from under its nose, and came to
his feet with u jump. wondering confused
ly if it was a deer, or a buffalo, or bear,
or a timber wolf; but before he had time
to be fairly frightened the big, dark OBJ
ject said: Moo"
Sure enough, it was Ralleen, and joy
full meeting they had. Nels patted and
Rugged the good creature, and she seemed
fully as glad to see him. Then they both
laid down again, Nels cuddling up to Raj
leen's warm back, for thelpight had grown
chilly, till the sun rose bright and warm.
Nels had some of Ralleen's good milk,
which size was glad to spare, for his break
fast, and then he began to look for home.
He felt cheerful and hopeful at first; but
as the day wore on and nothing familiar
appeared he began to be forlorn enough.
The next night they slept on the ground
again, close together; and the second day
passed like the first; and SO on, till, on
the morning of the fourth day, they came
upon trail-which is what they call it
out West when they have started road
and are waiting for it to grow.
Nels was delighted to see this. He
knew it must lead somewhere, and he re-
solved to follow it. 1t was only a faint
the grass few times. Sometimes 1t was
so faint he thought he had lost it; then he
would see it again little ahead. So he
pressed on, driving Ralleen. And they
had not gone far when he spied some
thing ahead of him where the trail passed
over lot of gopher-mounds. 1t proved
to be a monkey-wrench. Some wagon
that had helped make the trail had lost it
in jOlting over the gopher-mounds. The
lonesome little boy picked it up as eagerly
as you would letter from your mother.
You see it was almost four days since he
had seen anything that suggested the
presence of human being. 1t seemed to
him a year.
But his trouble was nearly over now. In
five minutes from the time he found the
wrench he saw horse and wagon
coming down the long slope toward him.
He knew them in a minute. 1t was young
Mr. Terham, who had taken a claim last
summer within five miles of the blossoms
and was considered near neighbor. He
was coming back to look for his monkey
wrench. He remembered the jolting over
the gopher-mounds, and knew he must have
lost it there; and so, as he had not gone more
than half a mile when he missed il, and
as such things arc hard to get IN a new
country he turned back for it. he was
careful Young man and never went on any
trip in his wagon without putting in his
wrench. a piece of rope and a few nails.
:. If your own team holds together you
never know whom you may find broken
down ten miles from anywhere" he would
say as he put tn en- in.
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