Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-03-28


ikelv."
All night long these two men, with
the help Of all the other men in the set
Element, 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 en- 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 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 a 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 off 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"
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
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 foot
prints 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. Sud
denly Peter stopped, with a smothered
cry of alarm.
ooh, Lord On, Lord! Look at that'
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 foot
prints of a mountain lion"
It was true. There was no installing
the nature of those later tracks.
You and me know what them marks
mean for both ov u.s." said Peter, putting
his hand on Mr.. Fromer's shoulder.
Ether hain't no hurry now, fur we're
too late So afore we go on to look fur
our children's bones [ want you to apol-
ergise to my Rilly. Right here! Right
now! Yer thought in yer heart as she'd
led yer little teller off. [ knew she
didn't. She'd give her life tryin' to save
him fur ye. 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, nd Rilly was alone
when he seen her nd told her bout it.
An moren all that, while [ was out o.
the cabin after Bill Brown seen her she
was there nd 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 apoler-
gise fur that insult ye thought I'll kill
YEP
Without speaking Mr.. Fromer looked
into the other mans eyes and held out
his hand. The look and the gesture
meant more than the words he could not
control himself to speak, and the apology
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 mount
ain lion. At the same moment a faint,
weak whine of recognition sounded close
by, and then there was happy but very
feeble cry Of welcome, and the two
fathers knelt beside their living children.
~ 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 nd Ranter KEEP him
off the kid, md Ranter killed him. The
baby's all right. Didn't lind MIN till last
night And 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 a triumph in
his face that was good to see.
81 knowed we'd find them two kids
together" he said. can't knowed ye'd
change yer p int of view bout my gal"
philadelphia Times.