Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-08-15

IAN, ne VIII, TOO, 1or know ne must
be awful good. Mother wouldn't talk
about him so much, and cry over his pic
turc and old letters every day, if he
wasn't the best man living. He is good,
! amt hei"
Brandy stammered, hesitated, and
grew red in the face, but made no reply.
After little while the girl repeated hei
| question.
7"Why, sartinly, O. course" Brandy
said.
"And you'll help me find i'm, tool"
"Yss, we'll help you. Sam, you stay
here with the child, an the rest of usT
look round little fer Ike" T. d.
Sam understood old Brandy's meaning,
and nodded assent. The Others drew away
and walked some distance down the
gulch, where they came to halt.
,"Now," says Brandy, "you have all
heerd the gals tale, an ,ye all know old
Ike. Whut ye got to say to iti"
| For minute no one spoke, then Jerry,
stepping forward, said:
"Brandy, you've allus been sorter of 8
leader here, an I'd like ter know what
you've got to say, yerself." s.
Brandy stood for a moment silently
rasping his jaw with his nails.
"Wal, boys" he said at last, 'you all
heerd me taIkin' up thar while ago,
bout wife and gal I've got back East
didn't ye7" "A
They nodded their heads. .
"Wal, I'll tell ye, boys, s'pose that
wife an that child'ud git notion into
into 'em to come a-huntin' me up out
) yere, an s'pose bout the time they'd
found whar wuz I'd done somethin' an
the fellers'ud string me up. It'ud be
, purity doggoned hard on the wife an gal,
wouldn't itG"
, 'tBet it would" Jerry replied; San
I'd be in for lettin' you go if you'd stole
ever cent O. gold dustin the mountings." !"
''Them's my sentiments, boys" Brandy
said, in conclusion. SHOW, what do
the rest of you sayf" r..
'Let i'm go! Turn i'm loose!" they
all cried. ...t
: ''Then he goes" said Brandy, and the
miners broke loose in wild cheer that
, echoed and re-echoed through the gulch
and far up among the mountains.
s'They've found 'im-they've found
'im!" the child cried when she heard it.
stI dunno" Sam said, "whether they've
, found i'm yet, but they will find lin
: purity soon. He was here to-day, and he
can't be far off. Is your ma much sick?'
"Yes, sir; she's awful sick, and don't
4 know nothing that goes on. She just
talks all the time about pap, and begs u
! to fetch him to her," e.
: "Then she didn't send you up here
= after 'im?" ' x
''No, sir; I come myself. I had jus
n enough money to pay my way" A.
n 81 reckon you'd like to go back to
night, wouldn't you3" Z.
s'If could find pap would, for Tn
y afraid mother amt goin' to live long
Maybe not till morning"
~ "There amt no stage down tonight
\ an it's long ways to walk"
tc "Oh, 1 wouldn't mind that, if onl,,
h had pap to go with me. Do you reckol
they'll find him soon9"
- eyes, s'pect so"
a Just then they heard the miners com
a. ing back, and the girl waited almos
,s breathlessly for their approach.
IA "Wal, little gall" Brandy said, "we'v
h found your pap, an he'll be here in
: minute. The boys is fetchin' i'm VI
,s from his cabin"
In little while Ike Samson came up
ID and after gazing at the child an instant
N opened his arms, saying: "My Jane, m
~ child"
q She few into his arms and they close'
a, a, about her, as the father and daughte
sank down to the ground weeping to
ID gether.
~ The men stood around in silence an
Is not word passed between them, thoug
,d more than one coarse sleeve was draw
ID across pair of wet eyes. Directly Brand
whispered to Jerry, and a moment late
be there was clinking of gold and silver 6
~ a hat passed about from one to ar
n. other.
: 'sThis is fer you an yer ma" Brand
% said, as he tied the money in bag an
handed it to the girl.
or "And for pap, too" she asked.
as eyes, for him, too."
ed 'sNow, boys" Sam said, ''Ike mu'
a, be got down to the fort tonight, for th
gal says her mothers bad off an mayn
be live till mornin', an she's jist aIbeggil
at for Ike all the time. He must git ther
ire right off"
IN. ''That's what he must" Brandy r
let piled, San I'll go dollar on hirin' il
yas Barker's wagon an team"
''No, you DON'T" Jim cried; ''n
nd team II take 'em 'thout cent O pay"
en- In short order the the wagon W
his brought around, and when they were Sc
;he tied in it, Jim cracked his whip al
as away they bounded down the gulch, fc
lowed by one long, continued cheer fro
the miners of Rattail Gulch.
ng They never saw Ike again, but "
aid years latter they heard of him living
quiet, sober life back East, happy in
dy good home with the love of his wife al
out daughter. Frank Leslie's.
A Fish Horse.