The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-03-04
The Drover's Story.

My name is Anthony Hunt. | am
drover and live miles and miles away
upon the Western prairie. There WASH t
house in sight when / first moved
there, my wife and l, and now we have
not many neighbors, though those we
have are good ones.
One day, about ten years ago, went
away from home to sell some fifty head
of cattle-fine creatures as | ever saw.
was to buy some groceries and dry
goods before [ came back and above all
doll for our youngest, Dolly. She had
never had a store doll of her own-onlv
rag babies her mother had made her.
Dolly could talk nothing else, and went
get big one. Nobody but parent can
understand how full my mind was of
that toy, and how, when the cattle were
sold the first thing hurried off to buy
was Dolly's doll. found a large one
whose eyes would open and shut when
you pulled wire, and had it wrapped
up in a paper and tucked under my arm
while had the parcels of calico and de-
laine andtea and sugar put up. Then,
late as it was, started for home. 1t
might have been more prudent to stay
until morning, but | was anxious to get
back and eager to hear Dolly's praises
about her doll.
was mounted on steady going old
horse and pretty well loaded. Night set
in before l was mile from town, and
settled down as dark as pitch while |
was in the middle of the darkest bit of
road know of. could have felt my way
through, remembered it so we'll; and
when the storm that had been brewing
broke, and pelted the rain in torrents, l
was nve mffes, or maybe SIX miles from
home
l rode as fast as l could, but all of a
sudden heard a little cry like child's
voice: / stopped short and listened.
heard it again. called and it answered
dark as pitch. l got down and fet around
in the grass-called again, and again was
answered. Then began to wonder. I'm
not timid, but | was known to be dro-
yer and to have money about me. 1t
might be trap to catch me unawares,
and rob and murder me. am not super
stitious, not very, but how could a real
child be out on the prairie on such night
at such an hour? The bit of coward
that hides itself in most men showed it.
self to me then, but once more / heard
the cry and said:
eff any mans child is hereabouts
Anthony Hunt is not the man to let it
de-
l searched again. At last bethought
me of hollow under the hill, and CROPPED
that way. Sure enough, found little
dripping thing that moaned and sobbed
as | took it in my arms. | called my
horse, and the beast came to me, and
mounted and tucked the little soaked
thing under my coat as well as | could,
promising to take it home to mamma.
1t seemed so tired, and pretty soon it
cried itself to sleep on my bosom.
1t had slept there over an hour when
| saw my own windows. There were
lights in them, and l supposed my wife
had lit them for my sake; but when l got
into the doorway l saw something was
the matter, and stood still with dread
fear of heart for five minutes before
could lift the latch. AT last / did it., and
saw the room full of neighbors, and my
me she hid her face.
ooh, don't tell him." she said, sit
will kill him.
"What is it, neighbors?" cried.
Nothing, now, hope. What's that
you have in your arms?'
ga poor lost child" said /; "I found
it on the road. Take it, will you, I've
turned faint" And l lifted the sleeping
thing and saw the face of my own child,
my Dolly.
TWAS my own darling, and none other,
that | had picked up on the drenched
road. My little child had wandered out
to meet papa and the doll, while the
mother was at work, and they were
lamenting her as one dead. thanked
Heaven on my knees before them.
1t is not much of a story, neighbors,
but think of it often in the nights, and
wonder how could bear to live now if |
had not stopped when heard the cry of
help upon the road, hardly louder than
a squirrels chirp.
That's Dolly yonder with her mother
in the meadow-a girl worth saving
/ think (but, then, Pm her father, and
partial, maybe, the prettest and sweet
est thing this side of the Mississippi
PHILADELPHIA Nelcs.