The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-03-22
az war home lest afore that. Left

81 war home jest afore that. Left
right afterwards.
All the next day the search was kept
up, and without success. AT night the
men were exhausted and had to rest.
But the second day the search was re-
newed with more vigor than ever.
The two fathers kept together through
a kind of sympathetic understanding.
They were widely separated from the
other searchers when they came upon
the tracks made by little feet.
A moment later they found larger
footprints and those of dog close to
them. The men looked at each other
with tears of Joy running down their
faces and neither was ashamed of his
weakness. They dashed forward over
the soft, moist ground of the little
hollow they were in, not losing sight of
single track. Suddenly Pelter stopped,
with smothered cry of alarm.
so, Lord! o, Lord! Look at that!" he
groaned, pointing to the ground, where
the tracks of another animal mingled
with those of the dog. "Do ye know
what them is? Thems the footprints
of mountain lion!"
| 1t was true. There was no mistaking
the nature of those later tracks.
"You and me know what them marks
mean for both ov u.s." said Peter, put
ting his hand on Mr.. Fromer's shoulder.
ether hain't no hurry now, fur we're too
late. So efore we go on to look fur our
children's bones l want you to apoler-
gise to my Rilly. Right here! Right
now! Ye thought in yer heart as she'd
led yer little feller off. / knew she
didn't. She's give her life tryin' to save
him fur we. How do I know? Cause
that's natural to Rilly, fur one thing.
Mother thing, them little tracks was
made afore the bigger ones md the dogs.
Mother thing, the baby was alone when
Bill Brown seen him, and Rilly was alone
when he seen her nd told her bout it.
An more n all that, while was out O. the
cabin after Bill Brown seen her she was
there nd carried off grub enough to last
her nd the baby-if she found him alive
till she could git him hum. An now,
Jake Fromer, if you don't apolergise fur
that insult ye thought, I'll kill vel"
Without speaking Mr.. Fromer looked
into the other mans eyes and held out
his hand. The look ard the gesture
meant more than the words he could not
control himself to speak, and the apollo
gy was made and accepted. The two
clasped hands, and then went forward
in fear and trembling.
Presently they stopped, having almost
stumbled over the dead body of noun
tain lion. At the same moment a faint,
weak whine of recognition sounded
close by, and then there was a happy
but very feeble cry of welcome, and the
two fathers knelt beside their living
children.
II knowed ye'd find us, dad!" said
Rilly. "My legs broke, md we had to
wait. He broke it," pointing to the dead
beast; ''but me md Ranter KEEP him off
the kid, nd Ranter killed him. The
baby's all right. Didn't find him till
last night. An wasn't he hungry!"
With great rejoicing the lost children
and poor, torn Ranter as well-were
carried to the Fromer cabin. AS Mrs.
Fromer was lavishing her tenderness
and gratitude upon Rilly, Pete Pelter
came and stood beside her with tri-
umph in his face that was good to see.
Il knowed we'd find them two kids
together" he said. "An' / knowed ye'd
change yer PINT O. view bout my gal."-
James G. Purdy, in Philadelphia Times.