The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-06-04

Pretty boy happy now" said the
Indian woman abruptly, yet with q
certain grave satisfaction in her harsh
tones. They were the first words she
had uttered, as she stood silent and
dr4:eyed among all those happy, tear-
fu1swomen, and as she spoke she turn
ed as II to 60. but Mabef's voice stop.
pedher.
rWhy did you bring him back to
mel she asked, hol ing her boy tight
" t0her breast passionate wonder
that any woman having once possess.
ed him could give him up again over.
corping all her shrinking horror.
Him pretty boy, but not mine, Z"
the Indian answered. And then, lay
ing one hand on her breast, "Aie not
want white mother to feel ache here,
like me teel; so me bring her boy back
to hef.'' '
nt why did you take him, thens"
not take him, she replied; and
very briefly, in her imperfect English,
she told them what had happened.
On her return to their camp the
day that she had first seen Trottie,
sheshad told her husband that he re-
minded her of their dead boy, and her
husband, believing that the child would
comfort her, had gone to the fort the
next morning, without saying any
thing to her of his purpose, and had
managed to get Trottie under his
blanket when he was playing quite
alone on the parade, and had per-
suaded the child, who was as little
afraid of All Indian as of n white man,
that if he would keep quite quiet he
would take him to see a very wonder
full sight. In this way, after having
thrown Trottie's fez down the bluff to
avert suspicion, they had passed the
sentry without difficulty. When he
brought the boy to her, and she tried
to make him understand that neither
she nor Trottie would be happy to-
gether, he had ordered her to be silent,
forbidding her to return the child to
the fort. The camp had been broken
up at once, and through oil their march
that night lie had kept such strict
watch of her that she could not carry
out her plan of escape. But when, hav.
ing reached q hiding g-place he thought
safely distant, he left her, to hunt
some game, she seized her opportuni
ty, and taking Trottie on her back, set
out across the prairie.
Short as she made her story, Trot.
tie, tired out with so many griefs and
joys, was fast asleep OH his mother
breast; but when the Indian paused
and turned again in her swift, silent
fashion to leave the room, Mabel rose
and came toward her with him i'm hcl
arms.
"God bless you, you good woman'
she said, softly. Then with all hel
voice shaken with tender Joy, and
tAr manner of one who would fail
81 ARE it if she could, with this other
desolate mother, to whom no ono
would ever bring her child again Of,
this side heaven: "See how happy llt
looks. You may kiss him; he will not
wake"
II
They kept her few hours; they
made her rest and eat u little. But
when Tom Hcriot, in the first Joy o
his return, would have bestowed upor
her all sorts ofkind rewards, she would
take nothing.
Ale want.nothing white mother cal,
give" she answered, grnvely, as she
had answered Mabel on the day that
had first seen her. And then waving
her hand toward the prairie: "Nle 90
back to him out there. Him very
good man to NO."
And so she left them.-Nellie Mac.
kubin in Hnrper's Weekly.