The Red Cloud chief., 1885-07-17

able { o have much respect for one who
was a man. vet could not protect them
from poverty and suGerin. and hunger.
In his orer-wroughi state OF MIND II
seemed to him that his home WAS Al
ready gone. and he would not have
been surprised. could he have been sud-
denly transported TO his cottage. TO have
found il . mass of ruins. with the rose
vine dead above the porch. and his vine
ward, and orchard. and fields covered
with . mass of debris from the mines
He paid his bill q; the boarding house
without seeing the party - whom bo
paid il, watered his horses Ind hitched
them TO the blackboard mechanically.
and turned their heads homeward with
a look Of snch absolute hopelessness
that ever Johnny was silent. his young
spirits overcome by the weigh, Of his
fathers o
Several times during the first half OF
the homeward journey the boy tried TO
arouse his father by pointing TO some
bird, or flower. BY the roadside. but If
ne heard al all John Parsons replied TO
the lad only in monosyllables. or a.
random. and again relapsed into the
silence which was 30 depressing 10 the
child.
When a little more than half way
home, as they were winding around a
hill upon the edge of a deep gorge. two
deer which had been sleeping in a
bunch of tall grass By the roadside sud-
denly sprang up and bounded across.
almost under the noses Of the horses.
so unexpected were their presence and
their movement that the horses hem
selves. half asleep and jogging along
under a loose rein and with ears
dropped forward. took fright and Jumped
quickly sideways, overturning the
blackboard and throwing its occupants
out with considerable force.
Clinging TO the lines. n he instinct
lively did. prevented John Parsons from
going over the bluff, and after being
dragged a few rods he brought the
horses 10 a stop and arose TO his feet
unframed, excepting a few scratches
md bruises about the face and limbs.
But Johnny. having nothing 10 cling 10
except the back of the seat, which WAS
wrenched from his grasp in the fall.
was thrown violently over the bluff,
and rolled halfway down its steep
side, being caught At last by a huge
bowlder which had itself fallen down
from above al some previous period.
Mr.. Parsons first thought when he
arose was OF Johnny. and H. looked
around. hoping 10 see him unhurt and
scrambling up the bank.
But. no; he was nowhere in sight
His father called once; then again
( then he hastily tied the now perfectly
quiet animals tn a stunted manZenita
tree BY the roadside and ran back to
. look for the boy.
Not seeing HIM from the point on the
road where the blackboard was over
turned. he rushed over the bluff. nearly
pitching headlong in his haste. and
scrambled down its side, coming upon
the body of the boy where it lay. with
ewes closed and one arm bent under in
a way in which it could only be if
broken. and with blood issuing from
nosc and ears.
For a moment John Parsons stood
with a look Of awful horror on his face,
and then his strength left him. and he
staggered and leaned upon the rock
against which the body lay.
The next instant his strength re-
, turned. and with great beads of per-
spiration standing out upon his face, he
knelt down and placed his hand over
the lads heart.
There was a faint fluttering there.
and raising the body in his arms he
worked his way up to the road. coming
out Of the gorge several rod IN advance
of where the horses stood hi.ched TO the
manzenita bush.
Still holding the body in his arms he
attempted to unsnap the halter strap
with which they were tied. int nding to
leave it hanging to the bush; but the
horses were frightened at sight of the
limp body and the scent of blood, and
drew back.
He might have united the strap from
the tree without difficulty, but if this
were done il must be allowed IL drag
on the ground and might cause the
horses to stumble and again throw him
from the blackboard. which had righted
itself after having thrown its occupants
out. He laid his burden carefully on
the ground. united the strap and Sc
cured it in its place. again lifted his
child in his arms, got upon the buck
board and drove with as much speed as
he safely could down the hill. and then
turned off to the left into a by-road
which he knew led to a settlers shanty
not more than u quarter Of q mile away.
BY the time he reached il. johnny
was showing signs oil returning life.
and a hope that he might not be so
badly injured as at first appeared was
beginning To find Judgment in his
fathers breast.
As it CHANGED. the only occupant OF
the shanty nj the m was a
woman. her husband being in the field.
and the children At a neighbor's on an
GRAND.
Through the open door she saw q
stranger approaching with the limp
body Of a child in his arms. and under
stood at nee that an accident had hap
pened. Catching the dinner-horn from
the nail where it hung. she ran TO the
back door and blew several loud and
sharp blasts. Their rushed back. and
without stopping to ask any questions.
or ever for him to reach the door. called
to Mr.. Parsons to ''come right in" ut
the same time arranging the led to re-
ceive the body.
John Parsons looked his thanks and
laid his burden down upon the place
prepared for il. the woman assisting
him. and placing the poor broken arm
in rs natural = position as possible. As
she did so. the sufferers eyes opened
and closed. then opened again. Then
his lips parted and 8 low moan eScaped
them.
John Parsons saak down by the bed
side and looked At his boy with agony
Denoted in every lineamen; of his face
more terrible than tina; of his child-S