Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-04-07

IN m .v.;l.aI EnI,ul
-The-oountry- theres6Uuss- WIS wffu
and desolate, with ehere and there q
fssn-ho~ssy--Oe-O- Aittae -setsaemvut OF
buildings, and Iwids.ywi stretches Of
forests around, whore foxes and wolves
crept about, panthers howled at night,
and bears wers shot every little while.
And il one OF these savage creatures
were to encounter little Betsey. maxi
ing her bewildercd way, through the
woodsi Oh. IL made Mr.. Hafhsway's
blood curdle to think of what would DO
her fatel
The .nsighbors. separated, into little
bands. each taxing some particular
route, with lanterns and sticks, to
search for the lost child; and FArmer
Chase went with Mr. Hathaway into
the ..Rattlesnake -Woods," SO called
from the fact that wears ago those ven-
omous reptiles made their nests among
the wild masses of rocks which were
piled together in fantastic shapes in
these woods. Dl.fslf 10 ~ u
1t was lonely place, upon the side OF
mountain. whore people seldom cared
to 90. but it could be reached BY a foot
path from the mill. and Mr.. Hathaway
knewthat little Betsey had always longed
to stray into the wildernesses and look
into the mysterious caverns among the
rocks. -i'a isiitA Hut t a.
..Perhaps there arc fairies living
there" little Betsey had said. solerinly;
.'or dear little squirrels or raccoons. !
should like raccoon. To make apetof-
Before they had gone very tar. they
came to the marks oil. tiny footsteps. OBJ
liberated here and there by the drifting
~ l. lx.A tfaa1f fhant
With cry Of joy they followed up the
clue, which, falling them ever and
anon. was still pretty steady. curving
trunks of huge trees, and over piles 81
Jagged rocks, until suddenly IL stopped
mt the mouth of a black and yawning
aperture in the rocks, where a little bit
OF Betsey's scarlet hood futtered on
brandy, low-growing bush.
The two men stopped and looked ut
each other, with pale faces.
...She is hererf said Mr.. Hathaway,
hoarsely. .'Give me the lantern. Twill
follow her." -,...
..Stop," said Farmer Chase; "the
opening is SO low and narrow that you
cannot pass. !" .rg - ..tL..
wherever my little one ha, gone"
exclaimed the bereaved, father. Il viii
go. Also" ~, ,-...,.-...t -.
But as he was snatching the lantern
away Farmer Chase pointed TO some
thing wedged up against the side OF
the Jagged rocks-a whitening bone
MAN, are you mad?" he cried. "As
sure as you are alive that is the den of
the very bear that Hunter Gabriel sawr'
"All the more reason that i should
follow my little Betsey," persisted Mr..
Hathaway. resolutely. 80 D. .L.s-.
"Let me. fire into 1t, first" said
Farmer Chase. II the creature should
be there" s--r ..t. ...
But Mr.. Hathaway struck the barrel
of the gun aside.
..And suppose little Bctsey should be
there, also!'' he exclaimed. gasping for
breath. s-r ,.,t mn .b-.r
. But the gun went of with prodig-
ious report, which echoed among the
hills and rocks. The trigger had
struck against branch OF n tree, thus
producing the very signal upon which
they had agreed in case little Betsey
should be found alive and well. And
before the echoes had ceased to boom
back and forth there came the sound Of
shrill, childish cry inside:
"Papa! Papa"
anu tnen, Also. tnere was low.
muffied sound like the growing Of some
animal.
Flinging himself on his chest, and
pushing the lantern In front Of him,
Mr.. Hathaway made his way into the
lair of the wild beast. j, n4
1t was only for q short distance that it
was so narrow. and then il became q
rocky chamber of considerable size,
with its uneven floor strewn with dry
vines. and two young cubs crouching
i'm the corner. while little Betsey was
coiled up between them. her yellow
curls mingling with the reddish. brown
of their fur. 400, .... .,.-.t
Little Retseyr' cried Mr.. Hatha-
way, in breathless pause. "How on
earth came you here ~
lit was so cold and dark" said lit
tie Betsev, simply: land crawled in
to get warm. and 1 Rugged up against
the dear little bearies, aud we have all
been asleep together. Papa. can't I
take one OF 'em home with mep''
Mr.. Hathaway. as can easily be
imagined. lost no time In rescuing his
little darling out of the hideous cavern,
with its strange companionship of wild
beasts, who were. luckily, too young
to harm the confiding child who had
invaded their haunt; and, as they car
red her down the mountain.side,
wrapped in the shawls which Farmer
Chase had brought. they met Hunter
Gabriel sliding over the snow. with
thrown over his shoulder.
He said: ..-s,....I,., r.f-Il
Have You found your childp''
N"Yes-yes" they both answered,
joyfully.
$50 have I found something" said
he. displaying the head and claws OF a
huge wild animal Il found this. bear
on Rocky Peak, and I've killed her,"
II was the very She bear In whose
den little Betsey had sought refuge.
and II It had not been for Hunter Ga
briefs tfusty knife. little, Betscy's
bones would soon have mingled with
the rest that strewed the cavern floor.
So little Betsey Hathaway was found
toward midnight Of that bitter Decem-
Der night. .nfo'i p 80 i9.tI
az didn't mean to fircofr that signal
" r.. I<~1