Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-08-20

over him. But in few moments he re-
turns, and calls his family into the house.
He has plan; he will appeal to his neigh
bors to come and help him. one daughter
shall 90 in one direction the other shall
go in another; he will go 70 town and
they will rally all the help they can. lie
is man of Puritan descent, faith and
practice; and, without stopping so much
as TO mention his plan to his family, as
soon as they have come into the house, he
says, "Let us pray" In their presence he
explains his plan TO God, and invokes his
blessing upon it.
The Amen is no sooner said than the
daughters, without waiting for direct or
ders, hasten away TO rally the neighbors.
He saddles his horse, and rides to town fast
as spurs and whip can drive him. "Is
Deacon Keyes going for the Doctor? and is
his house on fire? Or is he crazy2" asked
the people to one another as they saw him
come into the village. 1t did not take him
long TO tell them what was the mater, and
what he wanted. Would they come and
help him2 Yes, indeed, they would And
as the farmer had left his plough in the
furrow 10 hunt for his lost child, so the
neighbor the blacksmith leaves his iron in
the fire, and his neigbbor the minister
leaves his sermons half finished, and his
neighbor the storekeeper leaves his store,
and brings along his customers too, TO help
the farmer find his child. An hour before
sunset at least fifty men have already ar
rived at the house Of their distressed neigh
Dor, and more are coming.
Among the first to come is Robert
Ke yes's near neighbor, John Littlejohn.
True, The two neighbors have been for
long time on bad terms; and hard words
have passed between them only the day be-
fore. l. iltlejohn is profuse in offers of SYM
pllhy and assistance. zone touch OF ma
tura makes the whole world kin )" and ev-
identity the calamity of the Keyes family
has affected their cid neighbor like all the
rest. lie offers his advice about methods
of hunting, and proposes TO act as guide 10
the child. hunters. lie is an old hunter,
and knows the mountain like book has
hunted foxes and partridges, and game OF
all sorts, including wolves, bears, and Wild
cats, all over it can find his way by night
over every foot of it just as well as by day.
So says Littltjohn. And as hunting was
kn own to be his chief occupation, and he
was believed 10 have moro knowledge of
the mountain than any one else, he was Sc
lected to act as chief director of the whole
party, and for the occasion called the cap
tain.
The captain divides up his force into
squads, or small parties, and sends one
squad in this direction, another in that,
and another in third, ahd so on, giving
each his instructions. This squad will find
such and such paths, rocks, and blaZed
trees; Let them search them. Another
squad will find other paths, bouders and
trees let them search them and therea-
bouts. He iii establish headquarters in a
central part Of the forest, near a fallen tree
that lie knows of, and after dark will build
big fire there, so that they shall know
where to report If they find the child, or
make any discovery that seems to throw
light ON her disappearance. And, before
light of day is gone, the child hunters, un-
der I he direction Of Lttleiohn, are scatter
ed all over the eastern slope of Wachusett.
Lucy now? "Of course we shall fiud her."
said the people. But bark" says one,
edo you hear that barking? Is it dogs or
wolves ?"-"It is wolves" says the cap
tain. The short twilight is attended with
the deep gloom peculiar TO mountain forests,
and IS very shortly followed by total ark
ness. The squads collect material for
lights, and continue the search by the aid
OF lighted torches carried in the hand; and
after a little while the captains big fire be.
gins TO be visible. Soon a cry Of "chid
fuundr' is raised, which causes rush of
all The hunters 10 headquarters. But ii is
a mistake, due TO some one's over zeal
and the squads all depart again with in
structions to build fires all over the noun
tain. The fires will show what ground they
have been over. They will light up the
woods; and perhaps the child will see
them, and come TO them. Ard they will
scare away the wolves.
The tedious night wears slowly away,
and morning comes at last; but no light
dawns yet upon the mystery OGthe lost child.
Wolves have not only been heard growing
and barking in the distance, but actually
seen skulking away before the advance of
the hunters, and lurking around as near as
they dare TO the fires. The opinion gener-
ally prevails that the child has been de-
voured by wolves; and the captain thinks
it is certain. The evening before, some
persons had urged Littlejohn TO get his fox
hounds, and see if they would not take
scent from some article of the child's cloth
ing, and trace the direction that she took in
the woods. "That would never do" was
the reply. In the night they would soon
get out of sight, and he would lose control
over them. They were savage dogs and
it would be dangerous TO let them loose on
the child's track, unless he were close with
them. Now that morning has come, he
thinks it will do no harm to try them, and
goes for his hounds.
After a brief absence in the morning, to
get break fast, and attend 10 such domestic
affairs as need some brief daily attention,
the child-hunters returned again, with
re-enforcements. Littlejohn, also, soon re-
turns with his fox-hounds; and all the
Keyes family watch with gratitude and
hope his attempt to make them trace the
little steps. The intelligent brutes evident
ly understand well enough what is wanted
and do their best TO find them. They fol-
low the scent easily enough little way in
the woods, and then appear to lose 1t (; nor
are they able TO recover ii again, though
making many Intellectual attempts to do so.
Whereupon Littleiohn announces that he
has changed his mind from the wolf theo-
ry 10 the Indian theory. The reason why
his dogs cannot follow scent farther is be-
cause the child was lifted of the ground,
and carried of in some ones arms. Mean