Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-08-15
Saved by a Flash Of Lightning.

My name is Hunt. Yes, Sir; Anthony
Hunt. | am a settler on this Western
prairie. W,lds! Yes, sir; its little else
than wllds now, but you should have seen
it wien and my wife first moved up here.
There Was not house within sight tor
! miles. Even now we have not many
ncshburs; but those we have are down
right good ones. TO appreciate your
neighbors SO YOU ought, sir, you must
live III these lonely places, j lar removed
from the h,,unt5 OF man.
What an about to tell of happened
ten years ago. -! was going to the distant
town. VI settlement, to sell some fifty
head Of cattle ---iiuc creatures, sir, as ever
you saw. The Journey was y more rare
event with me than it is now; and nv
wife had always plenty OF commissions
| to charge me with il the shape Of irv
goods and groceries. and such like things.
Our Youngest child was a sweet little
gentle thing, who had been mamc,! after
her Aun- Dorothy. We called the child
Dolly. This time my commission includ-
ed one Tor hcr----a doh. She had never
bad a real doll: tllat Is, a bought doll,
only the rag bundles her mother made
for her. For some days before nv dc
rarturc the child could talk OF nothing
eisc----ur We, either, for the matter of that
-tr size was great pet, the darling OF
us all. 1t was 70 DC big, big doll: with
golden hair and blue eyes. | shall never
forget the chiids words the morning l was
starting, as she ran after me to the gate
or the pretty picture she made. There
are some children sweeter and rrettier
than others, sir. as you can't but have llo-
ticc1, aud Dolly was one.
"A very great big Doll, please, '};s1Av>'
She called out atte. We; land please
bring it very sooE.'
turned to nod ''yes' to her as she
stood III her clean whitley brown pinaore
against TIE gate, her nut-hrown hair tail
ing in c;,r!s about her neck and the li!ht
breeze stirring them.
~ brave doll" answered, ''for ny
little onc-almost rs big IS Dolly.
Nooouy would believe, dare say, how
iil!i my thoughts were OF that promised
dol, as I rode along, or what a nice one
I meant to buy. twas not ottcn ! spent
money in what my good, thrifty wife
would call waste: but Dolly wac Dolly
ana meant to do it now.
The cattle solo, / went about INV pur-
c:i;~>cs. and soon ,llu no ej,,i q parcels to
- D .c@>; il tic s;tldlc-DaGs. Tea SUI
gar, rice. candIcs-hA1 weed not weary
7r,1, sir, with telling Of them. together
with the calico for shirts and nightgown's
and the d4laine for the clldren's new
trucks. Last Of ali. went about the dell
ami found a beauty. t was not as big
as Dolly, or halt DIS big: nut il had taken
curls and skvhiuc c,t>: I'D u tiint OF
pulling: y wire vow could open Or shut
the cyos At will.
do il up carefully" sad to the
storekeeDer. My little daughter would
cry sadly if any :uIm comes to it,
The day WIS pretty we'll ended before
AL my work WAS GOne: and, Just for 4
| nlrH'cnt or two. I hcSitatal whether
should no! stay III the town an'; start Tor
| home in the morning. 1t "uuit! have
been tile more prudent course. But
thought OF poor Doily's anxiety to SGT
her treasure, and Of my ovn happiness
in watching the rapture IN her deli :htad
eyes. SO with my parcels packed in the
horse and started. It was as good and
stc;a.!y = lors>, IS Jou ever rode. ~ir: bat
night began to set IN before Wa sci!
a mile away from the town it seemed IS
If it were going to be an uyiv night. too.
Again the thought struck me --shouIu
turn back and wait till morning: / had
the price OF tie cattle, you see, t;r, in
my breast pocket; and r"bi>crirs, sir.
aye. and murders, also. We're rot Q>,itc
unknown things nn the prairie. But |
ha! my brace Of sure pistols with }ne
;a!:, decided to press onward.
Tie night came on IS dark as pitch,
ana part u the way my ROAD would be
pitch dark beside. But ca that score I
haU 10 fear: knew the road sell, every
inch of it, though could not ride 50
| fast as I should have done in the light
[ vas about six miles from
one less welcome: Was it a trap to hin
der me on my way and ensnare me.
There might be midnight robbers WHO
won'1 easily hear of NY almost certain
ride home that night, and Of the money
I should have about me.
] don't think, sir, | am more Il Aid
than other pcopIe----not 50 much so per
| =
maize me uneasy. Ny best plan was t.
ri,|c On as fast as could, and get out Of
the mystery into safe quarters. Just here
wa: about the darkest bit of road in all
the route. Mounting my horse, / was
about to urge him on when the cry came
again. 1t did sound like 8 thiI:i's-t.l,
plaintive wall & c;!i'd nearly exhausted.
"God Guide metz I said, undecided
what l., DO. As I "a: al,ntl~r moment
listening, | once more heard the cry
fainter and more faint. threw myself
Oft my horse, with Ill exclamation.
'''c it ghust Or he It ro|>htr. Au1il,:.,y
| Hunt is moi one 20 abandon a CHILD to ,Eic
without trying 10 save it,
But how was to save it.-hnv ii,u
it, The more searched arout tn" less
could my hands light en- anything, save
the sloppy earth. The voice had quite
&C :sed now, SO had 10 guide from ,Ila7.
| While stood trying to p .er into the
darkness, all my ears alert, {: flood of
sheet lightning suddenly illuminated the
plain. 1T little distance. just beyond
kind Of ridge or gentle hill. | caught a
glimsc of something white. 4 2.ls dark
again in a moment, but lu;.ic my way
| Will uNcIiluS lHSiitiC.. 'NlEt PEtuGn,
there lay q poor little child. Whether
boy or girl could not tell. II seemed
to 5e three parts insensible now, as took
it up, dripping with wet, from the sloppy
earth.
"My poor little thing I said as I
hushed it to me. we'll so aud iud
nanny. You are safe now"
And in answer the child Just put out
its feeble hand, moaned once, and nestled
close to me.
| With the child husncd to my breast
rode on. Its perfect silence 5000 showed
me that it slept. And, sir, I thanked God
that he had let me save it, and thought
how grateful some poor mother would be
But was full Of wonder for all that,
wondering what extraordinary fate had
taken any young child to that solitary