The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-01-09
A BABY MARTYR.

The stage was descending a sIoping hill
side on the road between Santa Ba rbara and
the DIAL, the horse walking with pa inful ex-
actnesS in the middle of the deep rats, and
glancinP with occasional nervous distrust at
the border Of rank looking grass on either
side Of the way. The constant rains, alter
nating with fierce suns. had rendered the
whole soil a continuous, puffy, spongy mass,
and more than once they bad passed by the
decayiDg, half-sunken carcasses of stock
mired within easy reach of the drivers whip.
As the stage took an extra heavy rut a
faint whimper, from a bundle carried by
woman on the back seat, reminded the pas
sengers of a baby
"That puts me in mind" said an erect,
gray whiskered man in the front seat, ''of a
queer experience lot of US fellows had with
baby away back in-in-''
I'm 81, Major" put in a handsome young
lady OF about 20, who sat beside the speaker,
and who had received the undivided atten-
ton of a couple of drummeIs on the back
seat, they evidently taking her for the old
gentleman's daughter.
Wont you tell us about it, sir? 2" said
one Of the pair, InPratiatingly all the lady
passengers, married and single, indOrsing
the request.
We'll" said the major, with a RETROSPECT
tive smile, ''you see l was stationed at Fort
Laramie at the time, and was sent with a
detachment of twenty-five men to escort
Gen. Whipple, who was visiting the fort.
and his staff to another post about 400 miles
further north. The country was full of Iu-
dians, on the war path, but we didn't mind
them so much the weather, which was
simply fearful. Snow breast high, and a
steady norther blowing that would cut the
eyes out of you. We struggled aloI-g some
how for couple of days, bat finally the
snow began to fall again and we lost the
trail. The whole party was just on the
point of giving up for good, when one Of TIE
scouts came in to report that he had found, a
few miles further on, certain log house
and stockads that we had been aiming for
CT c urse, that braced us up once more, and
we soon reached the house and started NJ 4
roaring fire, you may suppose. As the men
were bringing in their last armfuls of wood,
they heard faint call for help on the wind.
A forlOTn hope volunteered to go out and
see what was the matter and pretty soon
they brought in an emigrant family whose
teams had got showed in, and who had just
about lain down to die some half mile from
/ the house. There was the father, three
/ boys, a little girl carrying kitten, and the
mother with a small baby wrapped in doz-
/ en- shawls.''
''DeaI, dear me- exclaimed the lady pas.
/ sengers in chorus.
''The log house had a small room in one
corner and we gave that TO the poor family
and made them comfortable. That night il
blew a gale, and the wind swept the trail so
clear that the emigrants decided to push on
south. Our party concluded to wait another
day for the weather to settle, and well
enough 1t was, as the snow began again
/ Some time during the next evening, one of
the officers happened to go into the room
that had been occupied by the emigrani
family, W hen he heard sort of low cry, and
going towards bunk, something move In.
side bundle lying there wrapped up in an
old red shawl
"a blue shawl, Major" interrupted the
young lady, merrily.
$50 it was,' said the old officer, glancinG
fondly at his companion. "He was brave
fellow, that lieutenant; but he ran out TO u:
as pale as death 'GentleRen,' said he, 'iI
the excitement of getting away, those peo.
pie have left their baby
"You never saw such scared lot of meI
in your life. There we were, showed in
300 miles from civilization, with a baby =
a grizzly bear would have been more wei
come"
"Ob you hOrrid thing" shifted the moth
er on the back seat.
"You don't seem to grapple with the pro
position, ma am" explained the major. "OI
canvassing the matter, we discovered tina
there wasn't but one married man in tn,
whole command, and he, as luck would hav'
it. had never been blessed with baby. w
didn't have any more idea how to take car,
of baby than the man in the moon. oh
IL was dreadful and the major wiped The
perspiIation from his face at the mere recol
lectioR.
Had the poor darling been all that da,
without anything to eat ?'' indignantly In
quired young bride who sat up with tn
driver.
ITO drink, you mean" said the major -
''That was just it. There wasn't even a cal
of condensed milk IN the outfit, so we wen
into council of wal as to the proper thinl
to give it to eat. One officer said -four aDC
water was the correct thiEg. Capt. Brown
insisted on milk Boggs thought that mea
chopped up fine would answer Somebody
else argued that the proper ration for bab,
was sugar tied up in rag somehow. I
young ensign believed they sucked tho iuic
of piece of rubber, so to speak. while ol
Whpple stuck it out that babies were fe,
exclusively on paTegeric. You never hear
such a wrangle."