Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-09-05
Saved by Lightning.

Saved by Lightning.
My name is Hunt. Yes, sir; Anthony
Hunt. / am a settler and drover on this
Western prairie. Wildsl Yes, sir, it's
little else than wilds now, but you
should have seen it when and my wife
first moved up here. There was not a
house within sight for many miles.
Even now we have not many neighbOrs
but those we have are downright good
ones. To appreciate your neighbors as
you ought, sir, you must live in these
lonely places, so far removed from the
haunts of man.
What am about TO tell happened ten
years ago. L was going to the distant
town or settlement, TO sell some fifty
headi of cattIe-fine creatures, sir, as
ever you saw. The journey was more
rare event with me than it is now; and
my wife had always plenty of commits
sions TO charge me with in the shape of
dry goods and groceries and such like
things.
Our youngest child was sweet little
gentle thing who had been named after
her aunt Dorothy. We called the child
Dolly. This time my commission in
cluded one for her-a doll. She had
never had a real doll; that is, bought
one; only the rag bundles her mother
had made for her. For some days be-
fore my departure the child could talk
of nothing else-or we, either, for the
matter of uhat-for she was great pet,
big doll, with golden hair and blue
eyes. | shall never forget the ehild's
words the morning l was starting, as
she ran after EIe 10 the gate, or the
pretty picture she made. There are
some children sweeter and prettier than
others, sir, as you can have but noticed,
and Dolly was one.
"A very great big doll, please daddy"
she called out after me, land please
bring it very soon."
turned to nod yes to her as she stood
in her clean whitley brown pinafore,
against the gate, her nut-brown hair
falling in curls about her neck, and the
light breeze stirring them.
"A brave doll )" answered, ''for my
little one-almost as big as Dolly"
Nobody would believe, dare say,
how full my thoughts were of that
promised doll, as | rode along, or what
a nice one meant to buy. Ii was not
often l spent money in what my good,
thrifty wife would have called waste;
but Dolly was Dolly, and | meant TO do
il now.
The cattle sold, L went about my pur-
chases, and soon had no end of parcels
TO be packed in the saddle-bags. Tea,
sugar, rice, candles-but | need not
worry you, sir. with telling Of them
together with the calico for shirts and
night-gowns, and the delaine for the
children's new frocks. Last of all
went about the doll-and found a
beauty. Ii was not as big as Dolly, or
half as big; but it had fiaxen curls and
sky-blue eyes; and by dint of pulling
wire you could open and shut the eyes
at will.
'Do it up carefully" l said to the
store-keeper. my little daughter
would cry sadly if any harm came to
it."
The day was pretty well ended before
all my work was done, and just for
moment or two L hesitated whether l
should not stay in the town and start
for home in the morning. Ii would
have been the more prudent course.
But | thought of poor Dolly's anxiety
TO get her treasure, and OF my own hap
piness in watching the rarture in her
delighted eyes. So with nay parcels
packed in the best way they could be,
mounted my horse and started.
Ii was as good and steady horse as
you ever rode, sir; but night began TO
set in before / was well mile away
from the town; il seemed as if il were
going TO be an ugly night, too. Again
the thought struck me-should L turn
back and wait till morning? L had the
price of the cattle, you see, sir, in my
breast pocket; and robberies, aye, and
murders also, were not quite unknown
things on the prairie. But L had my
brace of pistols with me, and l decided
10 press onwards.
The night came on as dark as pitch,
and part of the way my road would be
pitch dark besides. But on that score
| had no fear; | knew the road well,
every inch of it, though L could not
ride so fast as should have done in the |
light. | was about six miles from home,
suppose, and knew the time must be |
close upon midnight, when the storm |
which had been brewing broke. The |
thunder roared, the rain fell in torrents; |
the best | could do was to press onward |
in it.
All at once, as rode on, cry star
tied me; a faint wailing sound, like the
cry of child. Refining up, l sat still,
and listened. Had been mistaken?
No, there it was again, but in what di-
rection l could not tell. couldn't see
a thing. 1t was as L have said, as dark |