Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-09-15
ON TIE RORDER.


Esther, Esther, say where are we rdug' ,,
Turn, for your head Is not withe'bound ike
The grass Of the prairie seems gliding, green Gid
Away like long serpcnts beyond the straight
The horses hoofs keep; is his head to the west
I see but his feet. oh. iIsten and hear
The very grass growing, the very air glowing,
For John may be riding hard, hard In our rear
After us, after us, swift as the wind Is
Over the plains. Yes the children had gone
Away TO nelghbor's-the wealth Of the Indies
I'd give just to know they are safei They have
drawn 49,,
The wt6cing SO tight that my wrists are'all bleed
'Tis nothing; don't turn, but keep listening,
Is naueht coming afterf That horrible laughter
The redskins are laughngl Esther, the fear
Is numbing my hcart-for you see that fierce old
The chief on the right with the scolps at his
belt -
Such look he Just gave usi felt the swift cold
All over my body-though icebergs might melt
Beneath this red sun, the sun OF the prairies.
Don't cry, dear. the redskins won't stand II.
NV babyi cried so when poor baby died--oh
N0w am glad he is under the sod,
In his green little grave in the garden The others
Had gone to neighbours Oh, what Will John
When he finds the house empty, no voice but poor
Poor bedridden mother-lo answer Oh, pray
Pray Esther pray. rs we ride, that he may not
Come after alone in his rage; for Il one
One Of us. Esther. must die, 10 were best for
The children-oh, yes dear-it should not be
John.
But maybe he'll rally the neighbors I pray IL;
They're FIVE. and I'd stake them ~ easy as not
Gainst fifty Comanchesl And then, though say
There's no aim like Johns. But, dear hearth
forgot
They'll use us for cover-theyl put us between
To keep of the bulets-our bodies for shield
Fen that than their reyels is better, though-dey-
Yes, devils of redskinsl Twas never revealed
Why God made the Inuns; wildcat is kinder,
Aprizzly more human. Say, dear, do you think
The children are safef My eyes have grown
I'm tied SO. head downward; it's over the brink
OF a red gulf hang-but don't mind me; keep
Those small bits OF cloth when the redskins
don't watch;
All goneY Then my hair here-keep dropping it
You think on the tall grass It's curled ends might
catch,
And hangs for John knows it-fnows every hair
Poor. dear old John-how proud did feel
When he said twas prcttyl Itook such good care
of IL
After and now the poor curls may reveal
That we have been here. Can you catch at the
If we could but bend theml The prairies SO
wide
The horses leap over broad spaces. They cover
Our track dear. They're stopping they've seen
usl they hide
All signs of our passing; their swift crafty fingers
Bend back our bent grassesl Godl is there
Hope for u.s. hope for usY How the day fingers !
Seems though the sun unwilling to go,
And leave us here gallOping over the prairie
Alone with the devilsh COmanchesl My heart
Is breaking, dear, breaking Is that the ground
shaking
Behind us, or only my pulsesS They start,
They wheel to the south-I feel the horse turn
ing
That old chief il startled-I see him look back -
Why, dear, there's life in you yet-you are burn
ing
One look, for Gods sake, only onel It's the
track
The track, that's the thing-can they find it, ol
keep itY
The pralrie's so binding You see them
WhatY On
The left, the oak.openingf There? But the hop'
may bring
But swifter death Godl we're savedi-John
o John
-ConStdnce Fenimore WooisoR, IN AppletORs
journal for September.