The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-04-16

| well, slT, j bpcUcui my tytS, anu tutI
standing beside my face was four-year'ol
girl holding Nep by the ear with one han
and shaking the forc.finger of the other han
al me, repeating:
Ono; 90 mus not make such big noise
II was not, nor never had been married U
to that time, and didn't know much abou
children, but began right there TO feel like
father 1 took the little blue-eyed, red checked
whitehaired plumpness, and sitting her upo
my breast, | was just going To commenc
talking to her, when she said, pointing:
Look AT 90 dog
"And, sure enough, there was that fool do
lust atearlng around camp awoloping hi
ltail on the ground and every now and agaii
Jumping high over me and The young one, n
If he had plumb lost his Material senses. III
vas the gladdest dog ever see.
New ! said 10 the young lady, what
lyour nameT
"'Ianey.'
"'Where do you hve:'
ain ow wagon
"Wherc does your mamma liver
"'Oh, my other mamma, she's dead the bat
Ingins killed her Now mes got another
mamma
"Where does the new mamma liveE
| "'ln Ow wagon
| "Where Is the wagon:
!
Down whcrey said |, rising with the child
IN my arms,
Down there pointing again.
"Oh, no; there int any wagon down there
That's away OFT the road
"No, 90 ask u dog. He knows'
| Il looked Inquiringly ut Nep, but he hac
fallen INTO his old, solemn, sleepy looks again
"Wherc did you sleep last night"
400 know. | sleep wiz 90 and e dog
II held the child in my arms, and looked
all about the sage-cOvcrcd plain, and up ana
down the lonesome desolaIc dustlne or road,
bat | could see no sign OF camp smoke, MOI
any object Indicating civilization
| How far did you walk 10 come herer
"Oh! such long. long wayne and t
dog. so tired | 20 to sleep, and e dog tiss
me in e face and wake me up; then-then-
we walk Il long way some more, and come
here To sleep VIZ 90.
| "'Well, now, Miss Lainey, You set right
down here on the blankets alongside Of the
dog, until get Us some breakfast and | put
the child out of my arms.
"'Me vewy hungry
IAN right! Wen soon have some break
fast Which do you like, MIS-, Lainey, tea or
cofiee?'
"'TofFee, and heaps of sugaw.'
And SO, chattcrng along to the child,
ready in the midst Of the wilderness.
She was very hearty yonng lady, and did
justice to my rough efforts to please her pal
ate and after breakfast she insisted on large
pan of hot water Ia 'wass e DISCS but ~
could not afford that luxury III the midst oi
perpetual drouth, we compromised the matter
| by my agreeing to let her ride on l0p of the
pack animals pack. This arrangement de-
lighted her 10 lutte for while, aud also suit.
ed me tirstrate, until she got into the idea OF
standing up like circus rider. She never
had much sense OF fear. / argued ana even
scolded against tins Circus business, hut 1t was
no use, and finally gave her ropes end in
each hand, which suited her mighty fine, I'M
I'll she got To being sleepy and laid down on
top of the pack ana fell fast asleep, while /
walked beside the jack to see that She didn I
fall off
II didn't reckon we'd go far without hearin'
inquiries for II lost child, yet, as passed inmi'
grant wagons and was passed by other lmmi'
grant wagons they had none OF them lost Il
child or heard Of child being lost
My little procession wasn't quite so solemn
| after we rot I.ainey, 'caus the dog, ilsud OF
waking behind with his tail dropped, now
marched IN front with tail ana head up; and
Canary, calculating to keep up with the dog,
stepped heap more lively than he did before
and ye-hcehawed splendidly. Add now ifyou
think that when Lainey WAS standing up on
top ui Canary's pack that we wasn't some CIR
Gus, we're mistaken.
81 don't know what the immigrants AMI
lstagc.drivcrs took me ior-whelher they thut
was Il Mormon running away from too much
wife, or wlddrrcr in distress, or man what
lad killed family IN order ~ steal a gal-bahy
and IA lack aud black dog--nul | took myself
Tor man with "a powerful responsibility on
his hands,
The first two or three days ! was awful
feared wouldn't find any one TO take Laincy
of my hands. Then, by jng, began TO
dread meeting or finding any one who would
take her. And, at last, Ia tell ye the truth,
left the reg'lai stage road and Snegkcd oil over
the Sierra into California 10y an old Swallowed
route.
II got some changes OF clothes for Laney
here and there from immigrant women. piece
at time and by the time got down INTO the
coast counties-'cow counties some calls 'em
i WAS mighty handy in taking care of tina!
young lady.
II got down to my stopping place well on
| into November, turned my Jack out on "a
ranch rented little cabin III II little town
| not such "a very liue town--and went 10 Keep.
ing house and attending 10 my boss specnla-
ton | hired an old Mexican womsn To look
after Lainey VIXEN wasn't NJ home.
AT last 1t came Christmas day, and ! had
| Lainey Ivy the hand, going up stree, ~ big ~
could be, To nil her stocking, when We meets
lady, and down drops tha, lady on her knees
ON The board walk right in front Of US, and
reaching out her arms, she said
"Lainey Woods! Lainey Woodsl Thank
God have found you nj lastp
"And lha, lady took my baby into her arms
and hegnn kissing her.
i We'll, it cut INC so Ia the quick that start
ed away without saying one word, and would
have l,f but the little one woulln't stand nc
such nonsense. and came acrving and tearing
after me, drar ging the woman with her by tn,
hand. t.|
Hes my papa-my newt spa. won'tstay
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