The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1889-06-28

| lo1 AhN oAiA
had gone down. 1t was completely
dark. He was lost on the prairie,
and he was only four years old.
When the ranchman rode home
that night, in company with his
men, he founu the mother ANXIOUS
about her boy. He had often
wandered off, being an adnentur-
Gus child, but had never stayed
so long away before.
"We'll soon find him, mother
the cowboys cried cheerily, and
without waiting to eat their sup
per they jumped on their ponies
again, and, taking different direc
tions, sailed out to find the
wanderer. They had no doubt
that they would bring him in with
in an hour at most.
'.Such a bit of a kid couldn't get
far" they said.
After awhile, when it was quite
dark, one rode back.
"Haye they brought him in yet@'
he cried as he dismounted.
The disappointed mother only
shook her head. One after another
teey came in, all without the boy.
They looked very grave, for there
are some ravenous animals about
that eountry-coyotes and a few
wolves and mountain lions. Cow
ardly brutes they all are, but the
child would fall asleep when tired
out and he could not even light 6
fire for himself.
Last of all came the father, who
was so fond and so proud of his
little boy. He looked very muci
worried, but cheered his wife will
a caress and a few words, and then
after cup of coffee and a bite o
meat, they took fresh ponies and
all rode out into the night.
With the morning they came
back again, but-without the boy
Then the poor mother becam'
!. helpless from doubt and grief ant
they were unable to conquer he
alarm, for the men themselve
were now almost worn out
, About days march from the
ranch lies a military post called
Fort Supply. At it there wer
> three troops ofcavalry. A cowbo,
rode off to- the post to ask th
soldiers to help him. Another in
S formed neighboring ranch of thei
loss. Very soon, considering the
!. distance, detail came from tn
/ post and more COW boys from tn
: other ranch. Meanwhile the fathe
: still roamed the prairie, huntip;
1 every ravine and wildly cryin!
aloud for his boy.
Y Two of the officers wives alst
4 came out from Fort Supply, ant
e relieved the child's mother iron
g all trouble about the needs of tn
0 house. The poor woman was b.
this time yerging on insanity. Al
It that day and all that night Tia
,, prairie was secured. Soldiers an
y cowboys We'd with each othe
e who should be first to restore til
h child. All that day and all tha
e night man after man came Fldin
n into the ranch for things they need
d ed and from each the hysterica
eI mothers eager queries We're me
lby the same grave shake Of tn
ofhead. Perhaps they had riddle
<. within few yards Of him. The
8. could not tell. It's SO easy for
h little thing to lie hidden and Ill
It noticed among tile bluffs of tn
!. plains. He was now too weak
d cry out, they argued, and, probabl
was dead.
ar But the weather showed signs (
id fchanging from warm to cold, fro
leI sunshine to wind and snow.
yoI last, desperate effort must /
It. made before the coming blizzal
i'd would render it impossible
Every available man
te the cavalry, about one hundfe
H. amounted on horses at 8 o'clot
d Iof the third night, and under cor
ed Imand of an officer, rode out to- Il
-