The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1884-03-04
W. A. Baiilie- -0rohman
BABY TENDING IN EaHE GEOCNH
MOUNTAINS.

MOCNTAHNS.
There was nothing very particular
about the appearance of this bahy. Not
overburdened with garments, it was
strapped Indian fashion to board about
two feet long aud one foot broad. The
board and the baby were leaning against
shady side. There was nobo,iy near
and as had heard good deal about the
cute dodges employed by Westerners
when pre-empting" new locations, the
letter of the land laws obliging them to
mark possession by some visible and an
mistakable "squatter's sign" imagined
this possibly might be a new way of
demonstrating ownership to would-be
"claim-jumpers," always ready 20 pounce
upon unprotecte property. The baby
seemed very happy; its little srrns free,
and kept up constant movenaent---the
only sign of life on the dried. dusty
plains, that surrounded the miserable sod
rooted shanty with oppressive vastness.
Urging my horse a little closer, | re.
marked that some strings were dangling
about the baby's neck, and that one was
tied to the big toe Of one of the rosy lit
tie feet of the infant.
l was puzzled Dismounting from my
tired "saw-buck," proceeded to examine
the arrangement in tape. The Chilli was
complacently sucking at bit If raw
pork, about the size Of large walnut,
tied to one end of the string, while the
other was fastened, as have said, to the
little foot; a second piece of tw!ne, not
ted to the board over its head, prevented
the piece of meat falling to the ground,
should the child loosen it's clutch Nine
men out of ten would, fancy, haze i'm
mediately detected the connecting link be
tween the toe and the pork. | wss, how
ever, the tenth, for at that time yoE could
not have seen anywhere more brilliant
specimen of the genus tenderfoct" than
| was. SO what wonder that even that
baby began to wax wroth at the density
of perceptions, and with the typical
Western love Of displaying the greatness
of the "biggest country in the world,
sir" it forthwith proceeded to give
me that first genuine impression Of
which have spoken. It's face sud
denly got very red, then BLUSH, it's
eyes filled with tears, and its little feet
beat the air with frantic energy. 1t
gradually dawned upon me that the baby
might be choking; at least, had grown
up person evinced such symptoms, GER
tainly would have commenced humping
him on the back Ny native cautious
ness stood a sore trial for l had heard
that to tamper with mans land claim
was an offence visited by shooting on
sight" But nevertheless that baby acted
its part in such a ife-like manner that,
had not at that moment the mother raade
her appearance, think | should have
risked rendering assistance.
" "The baby is choking, madam |
cried.
"No, he amt, and he can't" replied
she, tersely, and for her, truly, for at this
instant the infantile legs also began TO
work-one kick, two kicks, and there on
the bib lay the obstruction, the piece of
pork, jerked from the baby throat by the
judiciously applied string to the jndi.
ciously kicking little leg. Twas vastly re-
lieved, but also vastly impressed.
" Amt you ever seen this afore, mis-
ter" queried the woman-as true a spec
linen OF the lady of the Rocky Mountains
a survival, not of the most beautiful, !
but certainly of the fttest, as ever have
had the pleasure of meeting.
To my quavering " No-o-o," she an
swered
"Then kind O. remembrance it may,
haps yer wife won't go back on it," and
noticing smile on my face, she added:
But | reckon you amt married, sny-
how; wa'al, it'll keep, you bet" And
keep hope it will, for others as we'll as
for me- If there is anything that could
possibly tempt the most mysogynistie old
bachelor to enter a more blissful condi
ton, it would, should say, be the hope
of by-and-by rigging up such an arrange
ment in strings, and seeing it work in his
own nursery.
Several years have passed since hat
day l have seen, to speak metaphors
cally, that baby in hundred different
guises, all displaying the keenness of
Western intellect, and from sheer habit it
has become with me sort of standard
wherewith to gauge novel and striking in
stances Of the three great qualities of
Western men-self:help, self-con6dence
and adaptability.