The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-06-19

at last was a firm step approaching,
and the rising moon showed them the
tall, active figure and handsome face
which they all knew and hated.
The savage men clutched their heavy
cudgels and drew themselves together,
like tigers crouching for spring. But
just then there was rattle of wheels
and hoofs in the opposite direction, and
a light dog-cart came rushing along the
highway like whirlwind, evidently
driven by some wild young fellow, who
thought it fine fun to risk breaking his
neck. AT the same moment there APP
peared, slowly crossing the road, right
in the path of the maddened beast and
the reckless driver, the figure of Rough
Jacks little ladl
With cry that made the air ring
the GOLFERS burst from their hiding
place, forgetting everything but the
peril of their little pet. AS they ran
they saw the child stumble and fall, in
trying to escape, and Harry spring for
ward to catch him up; but then,horse
and dog-cart came dashing down upon
them both, and everything vanished in
a whirl of dust.
But as the dust cleared away Harry
Forester was seen rising slowly to his
feet. There was a thin streak of blood
stealing down his smooth, white fore
head, and his left hand was sorely
bruised and cut, but his right arm was
still firmly around the child, who was
looking up in his face with round, won
dering blue eyes, as if hardly knowing
whether to be frightened or not.
Jack sprang to his child like tiger
whose cub has been wounded, and find
ing him quite unhurt, took the tiny
face between his huge, black hands
and kissed it passionately again and
again.
"God bless thee, my little lad, )" said
he, in broken voice; "God bless
thee!n
Then his mood seemed to change,
and, tlinging his cap on the ground at
Forrester's feet, he folded his arms on
his brawny chest and looked the young
man full in the face.
"Look'ee here, Mester," said he,
firmly; "we COON out this meet night ]
to beat and hammer thee-may hap to
kill the outright; and thou'st nigh
killed thyseP to save yon little lad, as
L 81 =.
Now here l stand; knock me down if
thou wilt, or gil me over to the police,
or what ye loike. I'se meier lift hand
to stop thee, for l ha' done a craddently
[cowardly] thing"
And so say we a. livery mon of u.s. -
cried the other men, gathering round
their leader.
1t was strange scene upon which
the full moon fell in all its brightness
the wild waste of dark moorland in the
background; the slender, handsome,
gayly-dressed young man, with little
Jim's tiny face nesting against his
shoulder; the sooty skins and savage
faces of the grim giants around him
and in front the mighty figure of Rough
Jack, silently awaiting his sentence.
But the sentence came in a form
which Jack little expected. With one
hand Forester put the little boy into his
fathers arms, while with the other he
gave the GOLFERS great black band a
cordial grasp.
"If you've been wrong, my man,
dare say I've been wrong, too" said he
heartily; "but, luckily, it's not toe
late yet to set things straight. We
must just try and understand eact
other a little better after this, and
please God, Wen do it, with the helr
of this little peacemaker here"
He spoke truly, for from that day
there were not three better friends in
all England than Harry Forester
Rough Jack and Rough jack.
little lad. "-Darid Ker, IN Independent