The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-12-19

"say, gran'pa, suppose we stay
here's
every well, dearie, just as you say
just as you say. Heart alive, what a
cute little maid 1t is!"
The last rays of'sunset had left all
but the tops OF the taller pines and the
highest crags of the surrounding rocks.
The place the little girl had selected as
a resting-place was a sort of an alcove
formed by the rocks. with a grassy
sward and a little spring bubbling up,
aud open only to the highway-the
stage road that led to DcadwOod City,
more than twenty miles away.
A strange pair they seemed TO be,
travelling alone IN that solitary road.
The old man was very old, indeed, his
figure bent and bowed, with long,
white hair and trembling hands that
seemed to be always cropping for some
thing In a nervous sort of way, While
the girl, a child of ten or twelve, with
a most engaging face, surrounded by
curls the tint of sunshine, set ut once
buslly to work gathering some sticks
| with which to make a fire.
In Il very little while it was burning
briskly, and then, seating herself be-
sides the old man, she opened a basket
nearly as large as herself, which the
| two had carried between them, aud
taking from it some bread and cheese,
divided it between her companion and
| herself.
snow, grau'pa," she said, when
they had finished their frugal meal
and washed it down with some clear,
cold water from the little spring,
"you must be awful tired. You just
60 TO sleep willie I put some sticks on
the fire to keep away bogies. Amt it
splendid--just like a p~ic-nic!"
"Yes, yes, dearie," answered thebld
man, in his imbeeilc way; but they'll
be terribly mad when they come home
land find it out. Dear heart alive, what
a cute little maid it isl"
"NOw You Just had better be asleep,
gran'pa, when leone back, or Tll-l1l
never kiss you any more"
And, kissing him again as she spoke,
with one little finger held up in a conf
cal, warning way, she set about re-
plenlshing the fire.
The old man obeycd her implicitly.
and. laying back on the soft sward, by
the time she returned Kas fast asleep;
and kissing him she bhttoned his coat
| close about his throat. Then she knelt
down, and saying her prayers, looked
about her in a fearful sort of way, for
il had grown quite dark and weirdly
still, and then nesting her he'd on his
breast, in a few moments fell asleep.
She woke up with a splden start to
see herself surrounded by a dozen or
more dark, rough-looking men, with
broad-brimmed, slOuch felt hats and
heavy knee-boots, while each had one
or more reviewers and a bowie knife
stuck in his belt.
"Wall, Pm derned, done up and
busted" said one. who seemed to be
their leader, eff this aif@ a racket,
Here's an old billed clam aud a kid all
alone in the wilderness without SC
much as u shOOtin' iron. What hev
they got in that thar basket, Bill any
h0w?' -
One of the gang re4Ehed over to look,
but the little girl in spite of her terror,
'o sN 70 ;'' She e." said. "yoS can't have
any of it, if you please. 1t is all we
have to take us all the way TO Dead
wood"
"Wall, now" said the leader, adj
miringly, "you hev got grit, too. Put
it down, Bill; and so yer bound fuI
Deadwood, eh?"'
Eyes, sir, because fathers gone
there, and mother she died, and / had
to 30 and live with Aunt Maria, and
she and Uncle Abe were very cruel tC
NE and gran'pa, and SO we ran away
while they were up to camp meeting,
and we are going up to Deadwood be-
cause fathers there. We lived up In
Illinois, which is ever so far away, bur
Il splendid looking gentleman, dressed
better than even Il new preacher a
the camp meeting, that was throwing
three cards between his fingers, bought
us a ticket right on to Cheyenne, ant
then we started to walk; so you see yor
mustn't take the basket, or we won
get there after ALL"
avail, now, boys SAID the leader
tgRrhsg. QIqre turning to his gang, sc
! =; !; :.