Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-03-14

Yet the Maverick was n great pet on
the journey, Every one liked her, aud
welcomed her bright presence to their
wagons. Around the camp fire, even
the men gathered to hear her slug the
quaint old hymn, her grandmother had
Taught her. She held tired babies till
her little arms were numb, She told
stories to weary children, aud was a
ministcring angel at every wagon-at the
last ono in the train most Of all.
This wagon had ioincd the train IN
Missouri, and belonged to an unfortunate
family that Chase called "PikcS' y The
father, sulcn, sickly man, drove the
-four lean oxen. the mother ha,f dead
from malaria, seldom lifted her head from
her bed and the nine children, practically
orphans, took care of themselves. and OF
a little, mothcrless girl, sent to her father
in Denver.
This baby, Rose, was 4 merry little
creature OF three, beautiful and winning,
aud much liked. But the days were toll
some ones, and as the Browns had charge
Of her, no one inteFlered, though many OF
the party wondered who could have
trusted her with them.
The two younger Browns, homely,
faded little souls. were faithful guar
diauN over her. The other children were
unruy and rude, but these two seemed
like some good old folks who had lived
out wcll-roundcd lives ard been trans
lated back to earth to begin over again
To these children Jancts presence was
the one happiness OF their day, nor
could she could tell stories enough to
satisfy them. Once Janet, coming un-
observed, heard the youngest Pike tell
ing baby Rose, who was cross, one Of
her own stories.
You Sorerful little things" cried
Janet, "can't you make 'cm up your
selves Of your own
For week, at night, the sentry at the
stockadr saw far.of, black, moving
spccks on The horizon, and weary
and anxious were the hours of dark
ness, early the start, eager the hope
to get on without the attack. Each man
would muttcr in the gray dawn, as bag
gard and white, he harncsScd his team,
Thank God, another night of peace, no
Indians yet"
"Janct, said Chase ono morning
when she came to watch him harness his
team, "ct them lrjuns comes an gifts
the better o us you git on that ere lcctlc
gray pony, Nance, thar, an take Rose m
set out fur them low hills cross thar"
"Nancc likes me" smiled Janet, "l
feed her my bread. y
".NlI of us like yc, ye Maverick, yer SC
chipper allus,' Chase said, admiringly.
THE Injuns shaut git yc CT we kin hclr
7 it"
That day young wife was sick, and
all the long hours Janet tended the wall
ing baby its mother was too i'll to care
for. She looked back at the line o
wagons and thought of baby Rose, that
she loved best of all.
"Those good little Pixies will see tc
her, she thought, hopefully But the
two little Pixies were weary that day
they lay i'll strange stupor, those pa
thctic guardians -a and no one noted
them. Locked in each others arms they
lay unheeded, and one was drifting away
beyond earthly aid.
At the night halt Janet, freed from
her charge, ran for Rose. Then the newi
flew from wagon to wagon, the child wa
gone and no one had seen her al day
Miss Reed remembered seeing her run
ming among the sunflowcrs at breakfast
time.
"Ain't nobody going for herr" crict
Janet, in agony. She ran to each wagon
to be met with the same answer: II
cannot be done
"You see, Janet, said Chase, a sob il
his voice, "thcros fifty women an chill
drcn here an only thirty men TO guarC
EN-; there may be hundreds of Injuns on
there. We daren't leave camp or they'll
know it, an we've searched all the plain
with glass an there's no sign o
her"
'But ter-morrer--" chokcd Janet.
"She'll not be a-wandcrin', missy
don't arsk me to tell yc, but there's In
juns an perario wolves" "
"We must only tell her father sh
} dicd-never the whole truth, said Mis-
Reed, coming to the wagon for her rub
bcrs, which she wore on the drycs
nights.
Chase walked away and sat down by tn
fire. "No, don't talk no more, Janet,
as the child went to him, 'it aren't N