The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1876-10-12
ON THE BORDER.

sY CONSTANCE TENIMoRE wooLsoN.
run. Tor your head is not withe- bound like
me grass n,as' of the prairie seems gliding. green
avsv liEs Ike long serpents beyond the straight
e,e horses @ hoofs keep; is his head to the west
r..e INT his feet. Oh. listen. and hear
.ats Tery grass growing, the very air glowing,
Tor John may be riding hard, hard incur rear
.,.o, us after us, swift as the wind is
A nSer he plains. Yes-the children had gone
.vsv to . neighbor's the wealth Of the indies
Td eve Just TO know they are safe' They have
qsis Withe-ing SO tight that my wrists are all
Ills nothing; don't turn, but keep listening,
.,,shf %Snl canning after? That horrible laughter
RE redskins are laughiDgi 0 Esther the fear
spanbing my heart-for you see that fierce old
The 0cS Chief on the right with the scalps at his
Delt,
such look he just gave us! / felt the swift cold
Alloyer nv body-though icebergs might melt
Beneath this red sun, the sun OF the prairies:
svbsby! Icried so when poor baby died-oh,
now am glad he is under the sod.
n his rssnlitle grave in the garden. The 9TH
Had gone to d neighbor's-Oh. what win John
when b finds the house empty. no voice but poor
mothers-
Poor, bedridden mother-to answer? Oh,
Pny, Essher, pray. as we ride. that he may
Come sitsr alone in his rage, for if one.
<),e d u, Esther. must die, it were best for
ma children --oh, yes, dear-it should not be
81 Johni ~
Bdt maybe hen rally the neighbors-I pray it
Tfey'fe i've, and I'D stake them as easy as not
'Gainst fifty Comanches! And then. though I
Elsss no aim like Johns. But. dear heart. 1
qssyii ase us for cover-shey'll put us between
10 keep Oh the bullets-our bodies for shield
Een dat than their fevels is better, though
Yss sssVi ssvils Of redskins Twas never revealed
Why Godmade the Injuns; wild cat is kinder,
7AgIi.zly more human. Say. dear. do you
me children are safes Ny eyes have grown
binder,
I'M tsd %, head downward; it's over the
otarsdgan Ihang-but don't mind me; keep
Thoss s1ll snail bits Of cloth when the redskins
Il don't watch;
All gonel Then my hair, here-keep dropping it
You think on the tall grass its curled ends
might catch,
And hang; for John knows it-knows every hair
oft.
Poor, dear, old John-how proud did feel
Wnen 20 said that it was pretty took such
good care Of it
Afer, and now the poor curls may reveal
That We have been here Can YOU catch the
live could but bend theml The prairie's SO
ne horses leap over broad spaces. They cover
Our track, dear. They're stoppingSthey'ye
seen usl they hide.
Alhgns Of our passing; their swift, crafty fin
Bend backepr bent grassesl OGod! is there NO
dSpe imus, hope fmus? How the day fingers =
seems uough the sun was unwilling to go,
anu NaVe US mere galloping over the prairie
1 ,.ae Aaone WIN the devilish Comanchesl My heart
'e uss,.nas, aear oreaking- Is that the ground
Behind US, Or only my pulsesl They start.
1Hy wheel 70 the south-1 feel the horse turn
rl That "a chiei is startled see him look back
4. ing w "Ae 'uAn
one look, for Gods sake, only onei It's the
lae tack that's the thing-can they find it, or
'1e parties 80 binding You see them:
ial. me oak-opening? There?' But the
nope may bring
But sWfftcf death. Co7, vra,ro soroa Ioh~,
4 q J0hni .44 oAA
Appletons' Journal for September.