The Colfax chronicle., 1890-05-24

Her husband laid his hand on hel
shoulder and stopped her from sayine
more. Mr.. Pelter heard the words ani
noted the movement, but he only said
TN help ye to hunt fur yer child.
kin hunt fur mine later. Or mebbf
well find 'em together. reckon that's
most likely"
All night long these tw0 men, with
the help OF all the other men in the
settlement, 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 shoulder
of the mountain near the settlement, he
had stopped to look down at the houses
and the road. He saw little child GO
ing 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 get
ting 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 of toward her fathers house.
Thinking he had been frightened with
out reason, the man had gone his way
without giving any alarm.
'What time might that ha' been?"
asked Peter Pelter.
"'Bout three o'clock, reckon
Il war homo 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
q 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.
30, Lord! o, Lord! Look at that!' he
yroaned. 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
)f mountain hon!'
1t was true. There was no mistakinp
he nature of those later tracks.
"You and me know what them marks
mean for both ov u.s." said Peter, put
ing his hand on Mr.. Fromer's shoulder.
'Ther hain't no hurry now. fur we're too
ate. So afore we go on to look fur our
hildren's bones want you to apoler-
Use to my Rilly. Right here! Right
low! Ye thought in yer heart as she'd
ed yer little feller off. | knew she
idn't. She's give her life tryin' to save
lin fur ye. How do know? Cause
hats 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
'ill Brown seen him, and Rilly was alone
1hen he seen her md told her bout it, |
IN more'n all that, while was out o. the
abin after Bill Brown seen her she was
here md carried of grub enough to last
er md the baby-if she found him alive
till she could git him hum. An now,
AXE Fromer, If you don't apolergise fur
hat insult ye thought III kill yer
Without speaking Mr.. Fromer looked
ito the other mans eyes and held out
is hand. The look and the gesture
leant more than the words he could not
,ntrol himself to speak, and the apollo
y was made and accepted. The two
asped hands. and then went forward |
! fear and trembling.
Presently they stopped, having almost
'mbled over the dead body of noun
lin lion. At the same moment faint,
eak whine of recognition sounded
ose by, and then there was a happy
ut very feeble cry Of welcome, and the
vo fathers knelt beside their living
,ildren.
81 knowed ye'd find US, dad!'' said
lily. my legs broke, md we had to
ait. He broke it, )" pointing to the dead
'ast; sbut me md Ranter KEEP him of
10 kid, nd Ranter killed him. The
sby's all right. Didn't find him till
st night. An wasn't he hungry"
With great rejoicing the lost children
and poor. torn Ranter as well-were
rried to the Fromer cabin. As Mrs.
romer was lavishing her tenderness
ID gratitude upon Rilly, Pete Pelter
me and stood beside her with tri-
nph in his face that was good to see.
81 knowed we'd find them two kids
gether," he said. AN knowed ye'd
ange yer p'nt O view bout my gal."-
mes c. Purdy, in Philadelphia Times.
Making Unpleasant Remarks.