The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-10-22

Now they were in the DEPTHS of A..
forest, wandering about. tired hSas sne
and frightened. For two NIGHTS : Say
had cried themselves to sleen in ano oy
others arms under the black traas.
and as the wind moaned throuob H.
branches, Winnie had PRAYED Cod ~, nc
save them from the wolves. and EttSo
Nat had screamed: Papa! MammarS
sobbing as if his heart would braai.
All they had found to eat was fon.
sweet red berries that grew close to NV
ground. Every hour the poor cbiIdrnn
grew fainter and fainter, and at last
Nat couldn't walk at ALL, ''
I'm too tired and sick.'' ba so;a
"and my feets all tut. My toos and
'toc&ies is in the boat. o Winnio,
Winnie" he would cry, with a eraet
sob, "why don't mamma M nana
Gomez Oh, if mamma ID only coms
and bring me some breadr'
Don't cry, dear-don't cry" Win
ME would say, over and over again
at IL find some more red berries soon.
and God will show us the wav home
snoac He will. Only don't cry, Nat bo
cause it takes away all my COURAGE y
All your what?p asked Nat, look.
ing wildly at her, as if he thouobt
courage was something they could sat
s. All my courage, Nat" And then
after searching in vain for more red
berries, she would throw herself unon
her knees and moan: dear Father in
Heaven, l can't find anything more for
Nat to eat. Oh, please show us the
way homer
What was that quick sound coming
toward them? The underbrusL was So
thick Winnie could not see what caused
it, but she held her breath in terror.
thinking of wolves and Indians, for
there were plenty. OF. both, she knew,
lurking about in these great forests.
The sound ceased for moment.
Selling Nat in her arms, she made one
more frantic effort to find her way to
the stream, then, seeing strange look
in the poor little face when she put
him down to take a better hold. She
MAT! Nat! Don't look so! Kiss
''Hello, therer' shouted voice
through the underbrush. and in another
Instant great, stout man came stamp
ng and breaking his way through the
pushes. HfHaH "Iu.
Hello, there! What on airth's up
lowe Eff old Joe ha'n't come upon
queer game this time. Two sick young
ters-an' EFF they amt a-starving!
Here, you younguns, eat some NV this
ere, and give an account Nv your
selves"
With these words, he drew from
among the heavy folds of
lis hunting-dress a couple of crackers.
The children grabbed at them fran
,ically. I-..-
"Hold up! Not so sharp!' he said;
you must have q little at time for
an hour yet. Here, sis, give me the
bahby-pll feed him; and as for you,
jest see that you don't more n rtbbler'
"Oh. give me q drinkr cried Win
ME, swallowing the cracker in two
bites, and for an instant even forgetting
Nat. "'tH'. as '''N,
The man pulled canteen or flat tin
flask from his belt and gave her swal-
low of water; then he fastened to moist.
en- Mats lips and feed him crumb after
crumb of the broken cracker.
g Another hour" he muttered to
himself, as he gently fed the boy and
smoothed back the tangled yellow hair
from the pale little face" another
hour and he d'a' been past mendin'."
Winnie lacked up quickly.
{. Is he going top she asked.
mot he" said the man; he'll come
through right end up yet. He's got
fever on him, but we Il soon knock that
uuder. How'd you get here, little
gal'"
Winnie told her story, all the while
feeling glad certainty at her heart
that their troubles were over. The
strange man carried gun, and he had
a big pistol, and an ak, and knife in
his belt. He looked very fierce, too,
yet she knew he would not harm her.
She had seen many a trapper before,
since she came to the West, and, be-
sides, she felt almost sure he was the
very trapper who had been at her ia
theirs cabin few. weeks before, and
taken supper, and Warmed himself be-
fore the fire, while he told wonderful
stories about Indians and furs, and
about having many a time had :" fifty
mile. o traps out on one stretch"
She remembered, too, that her father
had told her the next day that Urap-
pers lived by catching with traps all
sorts of wild animals, and selling their
furs to the traders, and that this par
ticular trapper had been very success
full. and had great influence among the
Indians-in fact, that he was one OF
the big men of that region, as he said.
These thoughts running through ner
mind now as she told how they had
been lost for two whole DAYS and two
nights, and the sight of Nat falling
peacefully asleep on the trappers
shoulder, made her feel SO happy thsI
she suddenly broke forth with: 80 MT,
Trapper! ] can run now. Let's go rgn'
homer
The stars came out one by one that
night, and winked and blinked az
strange figure stalking through the LOT
est. He had sleeping child on each
arm. and yet carried his gun ready 70
fire at an instant's notice. IrudginS
on, he muttered to himself:
"Well, old Joe, you've bagged al
sort O. game in this ere forest anu
trapped most everything agoin'. pu,
you amt never had such rare bit
luck as this. No wonder stood there
on the edge of the timber-land, listen