Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-07-18
A "SQUATTER'S" FATE.
The Report Made by a Delegation
Of the "Union League"

All night long the low summer wind
had famed the dewy grass, and stolen
with subdued murmur around the
the high grass on a broad stretch of
level prairie; and now a great lumi-
nous star which had risen from the
prairie sea and from blue waste of
sky, shed its white rays down on the
world beneath.
As it rose higher in the heavens, its
feeble rays stole in at the open window
of the settlers cabin and touched the
tangled cloud of sunny hair that clus-
tered about the head of a little girl of
ten years-the only child of Amos Lee,
the settler.
The Pickering light of small kero-
sene lamp shed its feeble rays around
the room, revealing rude bed at one
end of the apartment, on which lay the
form of man, his face flushed with
fever, his eyes wandering vacantly
about the room.
Papa" said the child. bending over
phO SiSh haii, you iuuS0 nave lucul-
cine and a doctor-what must l do?
What can l do?"
She clasped her little hands appeal.
ingly, and tear trickled down her
white, troubled face. water! water!'
cried the sick man, gazing blankly
about him.
The child hurried to the other end
OF the room, and fetching some water
in a tin cup. held it to the sick mans
lips
He drank the water eagerly. and
sank back on his pillow. where he lay
quiet for some time. Then he opened
his eyes and murmured:
I'VE must 60 way from hyar-they
air talkin' Nv hangin' me if l stay
and mebby-mebpy-we'd better be
movin', for they'll come again. Hit.
hard ter halter leave our own home
but-but -"
His mutterings grew indistinct. ant
he again closed his eyes.
'Oh. papa! my dear papa!' cried tn,
child. mo one is going to hurt you
am here with you-shall 60 for doc
tor? Oh. papai what must do?" an,
she buried her face in the bed clothe
and wept bitterly.
The father made no reply. save som
incoherent mutterings.
Presently the little girl arose an,
wiped the tears from her eyes, lool
of determination on her young face
She then took little straw hat fror
apeg on the wall and placed it on he
head. She approached her father, an
bending over him, kissed his hot, fe
verish cheek
Papa" she murmured. her fac
close to his. IL am going for docto
be good and lie still till ! com
back. I'll run all the way"
She then turned and went out int
the night. and ran swiftly down tn
dim prairie road. her little bare fee
falling noiselessly upon the damn
dewy ground.
The nearest village, Neutral CITY
lay five miles away. across a stretc
OF wild. unsettled prairie. Here til
only doctor in that part of the cou,
try resided. and towards this plat
the little girl hurried. She knew tt
road. having passed over it before
,he wagon with her father. 1T
not long till daylight" she though
as she hurried forward. glanciu
about her. as Il expecting to see SON
xild animal spring upon her from Il
surrounding darkness Onwar,
Asng tns dim path. that lay aero
the&great stretch of prairie she fe
whiAe the big white star rose high,
and higher in the heavens; and Il
dexy breath of night, laden with Il
perfume of sleeping flowers. sways
the long grasses and rocked the to-
of the sumHchs to and fro. as it stirrt
their slender leaves into Q tremulo,
murmur.
The barking of coyote came fro