The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1885-05-01

out. At her still continued cry for her
father, some startled deer would pause
with foot uplifted and ear alert, 10
catch the meaning of this strange, new
voice Of the night, before bounding
away in the darkness; and the fright
full screech Of the owl, always hideous
and strange to stronger nerves, was a
response that would cause the child to
crouch and cover in alright.
To Christine's distorted vision came
every fancy. Each dark shadow was a
hidden beast to spring upon her, and
cleaning eyes Iurked in every bush.
Did she really have q father andmoth-
err who loved her, or was she a
child of the woods, always to
go in this terrible way? With
each wild fancy, Christine con-
tinued her hopeless wandering through
the long hours of that dreadful night,
occasionally breaking the deep solitude
Of the forest by the heart broken cry,
Papa o papa! where are you?" .,..
Long and weary had been the night to
the weeping mother, for sorrows are al
ways sharper and burdens heavier dur
ing the fsleepless hours; but hope re-
vived when, with the first gray dawn of
the morning, the colonists gathered by
twos and threes, bringing guns and
dogs ready TOR q search after the lost
child. There were middle aged men,
heavy and stolidin features, with tarnish
ed knots of silver IN their ears and wear
ing immense wooden shoes, long waist
coats and leather breeches. There were
Young men and boys full of excitement
and each being first to discover the lost
girl. 1t was decided to follow OLSON
to the clearing, form in line, and at a
given signal advance into the woods,
each man keeping in sight of his neigh
Dor, so as to cov all space, and when
the child was found, fro a gun twice in
rapid succession.
The only one OF the boys who, carried
q gun was Peter Swenson, who walked
very erect and exclaimed boastingly:
If | see q bear l shall shoot him skare
between the two eye" And all the
boys looked on admi.ingly but Nils
Peterson, who whistled to his large
yellow and white spotted dog, and
said, quite as boastfully: IL wouldn't
give my dog for the best gun in the
crowd. He isn't afraid of the biggest
bear you ever saw" which wasn't so
much Of a boast after all, as none of the
boys had aver seen a tame bear, much
less a wild one. ..,......
On reaching the clearing, a line was
formed along the edge of the woods;
and Of the given signal all advanced to-
gether, beating the bushes, firing guns
and ~hallooing, and the search was kept
up in this n until the MONDAY,
when q pause was made. ALI Of Carl
Olsson's bright hopes of the morning
were DESERVING him. So J~nt>a.-at. i.
Christine couldn't have wandered so
far, " he said. D. "Mypoor child has been
deyoured by some wild beast" And he
sank upon the ground and buried his
face in his hands. a'.' r..".H~a >"
But bark! Did his ears deceive him?
That surely was wo reports following
each other. Wildly he sprang to his
feet and rushed in the direction of the
alarm and the shot. Christine is found I
Christine is found!" ran all along the
line. Nils Peterson greeted them, ex-
claiming excitedly, Twas my dog that
found herI" And / heard him bark;
and when / saw twas Christine I fred
the gunt" cried Peter Swenson, close
behind.
Joyfully they gathered around Chris
tine who vas standing dazed and be-
wildered, in an almost impenetrable
swamp. h.. a. 4,
Tightly clasped in her hand was the
pail she had carried allthe while.
Many anxious days and nights OF
watching by Christine's bedside fol-
lowed, for a long fever came upon the
~overwrought system. In delerium she
once more bent over the babbling brook,
drinking, but with thirst never satisfied.
Again, the black form of the growing
bear stood before her in the path. from
which she was ever fleeing, calling in
heartrending tones for her father, who
sadly stroye to soothe the troubled
mind of the sick child. bAp 4.
At last one morning when she awoke
the wild, frightened CLEAN in her blue
eyes was gone, and In its place was the
old love light.
AS her mother bent over her she
whispered: "Oh, such a dream as /
have had; / am glad the morning has
come.p
aCarl, our Christine has come back
to us. Let us thank God, " said the
mother, softly and there, by that hum
BILE bedside, the grateful, happy par
ents gave thanks for the Fathers loving
care bestowed on them.
uI4 t44 H4EAN2M 4ef4M #4fEtE NJ