Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-11-29


and there was the distance from
the market, and there was the mar
row three-cornered window point.
ing to the prairie, still without o
word.
John, and Susan and Tam, and
Titus, and Betty and the new baby,
and the newest new baby (when II
came) got along pretty well with
everything else; but it wasn't
pleasant to see an Indian come
walking by with a tomahswk just
as you were quietly sitting down
to supper; and they got q little
tired Of sleeping with one ear open,
listening for the awful echoing
sound of the cruel Indian war-cry :
and whatever might be urged
against life as coachman in England,
at least it was life in which ones
attention wasn't called so frequent
ly to the top of ones head.
"Mine is farely sore," laughed
Susan, with thinking how it would
feel to be scalped,"
But Susan was such a brave little
womanl And if there. is anything
very much needed in the world, it
is brave woman.
an have a gun," she said. So
she had gun. "I'll be a good
shot, "she said and quickly she be-
came as good a shot as John. And
when John was at work in the
woods or the garden, Susan gather
ed her brood about her in the house,
and lynx-eyed as a sentry, and fine
cared as a mother, mounted guard.
Now there came time when no
body had seen an Indian for 80
long a while, that even the wise
head of the mother forgot to feel
keenly aboutanything in this world,
IL we do not see it,-an absent duty,
or On absent terror-all alike they
grow trile dull.
And one day when Titus and
Tam said "Just one gallop on the
prairie, mother, with old Jerusa-
lem," their mother said, swell, l
don't know" and their father said,
II guess I'd let 'em; and the link
eyes, and the keen ears and the
wise head of the mother said her
,ot nay-and SO it happened.
Old Jerusalem was the big white
,orse; the faithful, ugly, grand
I'D horse, that took steps almost as
ong as q kaDgaroo's and was more
.fraid Of an Indian than Titus or
Tam.
So Susan kissed Titus good-by
enderly-for he was the good boy
4 those remarkable twins--and
hat was why they called him Titus,
md kissed Tam q little more ten
lerly still, because he wasn't so
,ood as Titus and so had got called
Tam and she said, "Hop on tightT
nd John came out and said, "Come
,ome pretty soon;" and Tam got
IN first, and Titus got on behind
i'm. Jerusalem gave one great,
,ound and away they shot, cling
ng with shining bare feet to Jeru-
alem's white bare back-for they
we're magnificent little riders, seven
ears old now, and brave as cubs.
Susan stood watching them after
ohm had gone back to his work
TODD watching long after they had
wept away in the great, green,
sea Of treacherous prairie
.rass.
Uneasyi Not exactly. Sorry
he had let them got Hardly that.
,he was Q sensible little woman,
nd having done what she thought
,as right, had no idea Of being
roubled by it, till the time came.
,ut still she stood watching. her
and above her eyes--this way
nd she did not go into the house
III the newest baby had cried at
east 1--WE minutes at the top Of Its
ew little lungs.
Titus, and Tam, and Jerusalem,
ot pretty far out on the beautiful,
crrible prarie. How beautiful 1t
wasl It did not seem as II 1t
ould be terrible, IL it tried. The
'reen waves OF the soft grass rolled
nadly. The wind was high. The
un was so bright they could not
ook at It. The horse, strong,
sounded with mighty leaps. The
'oys could feel the muscles quiver-
pg and tense in his soft, warm
,ody, as they clung. 1t was like
.a;oo q horsa vooraelf Thev did |