Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1882-01-26
Betsey grasped her skirts and accepted

| the challenge.
The spatting of their feet in the soft
road might have startled the farm horses
to faster gait than walk, for no hand
held the lines which were wrapped
around one of the standards. and no
| father was to be discovered on the load
or hidden anywhere among its knots
and sticks. though Betsey craned her
neck in such search
Whoa cried Paris, when this fact
struck him.
The horses stood still, and untying a
hitching strap, Paris turned them out ol
the road and tied the near horse to
/ tree.
Betsey began to cry. Not in loue
and helpless manner. but as if the sturdy
heart under her straight waist wa
startled.
80 Paris, where's pap?'
II don't know replied Paris. qua
vering. We've got to hunt him.
Il know he's fell in the creek.
He could swim out. He can swim
in the deepest hole that ever was.
A snakes bit him, Mebby h
chopped tree down a1d it fell OF
himr'
"Mebby he did" quavered Paris, a
they ran. Lets look where he wa
chopin"
When they came to the cleared place
painting. the scant light showed mum
Der of stumps with glaring white top
in the general dimness. and piles o
brush, and n log or two yet unsubdue'
by the az But there was no lately-felle'
tree. and no father anywhere.
Down the slope. cross-laced by inter
vening limbs, they could see Mud Cree
Bayou, which the freshet had eXpande'
to lake Away on the other side. bal
screened by islanded trees, was Mu
Greek proper. the milldam. and Milford
The bayou had the gurgle Of runnin
water. In some places it was swift a
a mill-race. Whenever Mud Creek rose
it made this bayou broad yellow flood
and loosened half the trees in the bot
tom-land.
, II tell YOU" said Paris rs the
! paused staring at this expansive stair
"Fll 90 along beside the by-o; you 2
look t'other side Of the road. y
"Iheard something" whispered Bet
sey: s'listenr'
! ats Just screech-owl."
1t sounded mournfully indeed; a pro
. longed I" oo-oo-oo!' ~
{ 'S-somebody ycllin'r' said Betsey
She clinched upon the bottom of Paris
short coat. They've got pap dow
poundin' him to DEATH
: This was u dreadful state of affair,
| In what remote spot they had him {
: who they might be, Betsey in her terro
| took no time to conjecture. Giganti
, figures, tall as the trees swarIne
through her mind. and she remembers
that Joseph's own brethren put him int
: a pit!
: The children ran toward the Gale
Paris was unmindful of Betsey. and whe
e she fell over log or stuck fast in
t brier thicket, pulled her up or out an
4 dragged her ahead. Their rough lit
hands stuck fast together.
: (which way are you?'' called Pari
' when the voice stopped, and they stoo
5 bewildered in lonesome dark pla6
near the bayou.
Directly in front of them they heard
| croaking exclamation for help.
t Help! Will somebody help me out?
r But Just here the children pause
5 longest That voice sounded strang,
t The minute was so silent they hear
t only the breathing OF the water and tn;
other respiration peculiar to woods
e night.
= Paris! Are you up there? Didn't
hear you?'
: To atone for his hesitation. Par
4 plunged down a slope. and Bctsey, han,
ing to him like a faithful Gill, wei
e plunging after.
5 Watch out there! Don't you con
: any nearerr' shouted their fathe