The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-04-03

MI L CRlJ.liiitd III ttStoIfSiiIIitIit.
Il was just coming TO ask you to help
find ours. He's gone, God knows
wherei"
He stopped speaking with that break
in his voice which it Is always so hard
to listen to. Even in his own grief and
trouble Peter Pelter felt keen sympathy
with this other bereaved man. aud was
about to say SO. but an exclamation
from Mrs. Fromer checked him.
That girl!'' Jerry's mother cried
out. And it was easy to know from her
tone what she was thinking of.
Her husband laid his hand on her
shoulder and stopped her from saying
more. Pete Pelter heard the words
and noted the movement, but he only
said:
'1'll help ye to hunt fur yer child. |
kin hunt for mine later. Or mebbe we'll
find 'em together reckon that's most
likely"
All night long these two men, with
the help of all the men in the settle
ment, searched the forest with torches
for their lost children and found no
trace of either of them. One little bit
of information was given by a man who
came to join the searching party.
In the afternoon, while on a shoulder
of the mountain near the settlement
he had stopped to look down at the
houses and the road. He saw a little
child going along the road toward the
forest. He thought that was not safe,
SO he started down the slope to capture
the little rover. He was good while
getting to the road, and when he got
there he saw only Rilly Pelter and her
dog. He asked her about the child he
had seen. but she only looked at him
and started off toward her fathers
house. Thinking he had been fright
ened without reason the man had gone
his way without giving any alarm.
What time might that ha' been?"
asked Peter Pelter.
Bout 3 o'clock, reckon"
II 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
Il 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 a smothered cry of alarm.
'sOh, Eord! Oh. Lord! Look at that?n
he groaned, pointing to the ground,
where the tracks of another animal
mingled with those of the dog. ''Do
We know what them is? Them's the
footprints of mountain lion!"
1t was true. There was no mistaking
the nature of the 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
''Ther hain't no hurry now, fur we're
too late. So afore we go on to look
fur our childrens bones want you to
apolergise to my Rilly. Blight here.
Right now! Ye thought in yer heart
as she led yer little feller off. | knew
she didn't. She's give her life tryin' to
save him fur ye. How do | knows?
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, md Rilly was alone when he seen
her nd told her bout it. An more'n
all that, | was out o. the cabin after
Bill Brown seen her she was there md
carried off grub enough to last her md
the baby-if she found him alive-till
she could git him hum. An now Jake
Fromer, if you don't apclergise fur that
insult We thought I'll Kill ve!''
Without speaking Mr. Fromer looked
into the other mans eyes and held out
his hand The look and the gesture
meant more then the words he could
not control himself to speak, and the
apology was made and accepted. The
two cIasped hands and then went for
ward in fear and trembling.
Presently they stopped, having al
almost stumbled over the dead body of
"a mountain lion. At the same mo-
ment faint, weak whine of recog
milton sounded close by, and then there
was happy but very feeble cry of well
come, and the two fathers knelt beside
their living children.
Il knowed ye'd find us, dad!' said
Riley. 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, md Ranter killed him.
The baby's all RIGHT. Didn't find him
till last night, An wasn't he hungrym
With great rejoicing the lost children
and poor, torn Ranter as well-were
carried to the Former cabin. As Mrs.
Fromer was lavishing her tenderness
and gratitude upon Rilly, Pete Pelter
and stood beside her with triumph
in came his face that was good to see.
.Iknowed we'd find them two kids to-
gether," he said. An knowed we'd
change yer pint O view bout my gal"
james c. Purdy in Phitodelphia
Times.