The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-08-16
SOMEBODY'S CHILD.
A Skeleton That Was Found ON the
pIaip

A Skeleton That Was Found on the
Dreary Plains.
We had been riding for two long days
over the dreary plains-the same monot-
onous scenery always In view-rough, ster-
lie ground, outcroppiDgs of rock, a lone
tree or brush at long intervals, the ground
baked and cracked under the summer sun,
writes contributor to the Detroit Free
Press. The prairies were made 10 enrich the
farmer-the plains to revenge on man and
bird and beast. Only the serpent can live
there. Over these barren stretches no bird
fiies-on them no wolf can find living. The
m0notony is maddening, the Sterility ap-
palliDg.
The sun was only an hour high as the
column oblieued more to the left in search
of a camping ground. Those of us in adj
vance were just ascending swell covered
with large powders when a trooper sudden
ly cried out in alarm and pointed to some
thing on the ground at his horses feet.
We gathered around him, and for minute
no one spoke. There. cuddled against the
rock, was skeleton-a clean-picked,
bleaching skeleton, with never bone miss
ing from its place. 1t was. as all saw at a
glance. the skeleton of child not over or
Z years Of age. The shoes, which had
rotted from the feet, the few bits of cloth,
the buttons lying about, proved it to be the
skeleton of a little girl. 1t had sought what
little shelter the rock afforded, and it had
died thefe-dled as if the grim messenger
had come in its dreams. 1t lay on its side,
its head resting on the right arm, and the
limbs were as composed as if death had
brought no pain.
"Whose child?" asked Sergeant,
"whose child. and when?"
Ali Who could answerp Fifty miles
away was the immigrant trail. One, two.
three--perhaps five years before, wagon
had left the convoy for some reason and
became lost on this desolate expanse. A
child had wandered away from camp in
search of fl0wers-had fallen from wagon
and been stunned-had been left sleeping
in the grass by accident. No one could tell
how it happened, but every one could i'm
agine what followed. A child OF left
alone in this awful region, where the voice
of a bird is never beard-where rattle
snakes sun themselves on every ledge
where the starving wolf fits by like a
shadow as he bastens to other fields. Inc
very terror of it would strike her dumb.
She would stare about her with an awful
wiidness in her eyes-her lace would be
whittier than snow-her lips would part, but
no word could pass them. Then she would
flee, attempt to run away from the loneli-
ness and desolation. She might live two
ays-three-four. Then hunger and thirst
and mentak torture would overcome her.
and she would lie down to die.
Whose child, and when? asked the
the bleaching skeleton.
This time Captain answered. bronzed-
faced, gray-haired man, who had seen many
mysteries of the kind Removing his cap.
he turned his face TO heaven and answered:
God only knowsW
Hearts had ached-hearts may have
br oken-hearts might be aching then and
for long years to come
We sent to the wagon for spades and
head-board. "A few feet from the rock we
Il tt. Arl-A lA&s 70.
derby lifted up and deposited therein, and
as the earth covered itnup a score of men
uncovered their heads and the Captain
said:
Earth to earth-ashes to ashes-dust
to dust! The mystery is with thee, .
LordW
And on the head-board we carved the
legend which men may read to-day.
SOMEBODY'S CHILD
GOD ALONE KNOWS.