The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-05
'sNancc likes me-" smiled Janet, ~

feed her my bread"
s:All of us like yc, yc Maverick, yer so
clipper allus," Chase said, admiringly.
''The Injuns shan't git yc ef we kin help
it,"
That day young wife was sick, and
all the long hours Janet tended the wall
ing baby its mother was too ill to care
for. She looked back at the line of
wagons and thought of baby Rose, that
she loved best of all.
''Thosc good little Pixies will sec to
her," she. thought, hopefully. But the
two little Pixies were weary that day
they lay in a strange stupor, those pa
thctic guardians and no one noted
them. Locked in each others arms they
lay unhceded, and one was drifting away
beyond earthly aid.
At the night halt Janet, freed from
her charge, ran for Rose. Then the news
flew from wagon to wagon, the child was
goEe and no one had seen her all day.
Miss Reed remembered seeing her run
ming among the sunhowcrs at breakfast
time.
"Aint nobody going for herG" cried
Janet, in agony. She ran to each wagon,
to be met with the same answer: SIT
cannot be done"
"You see, JANET said Chase, a sob in
his voice, "there's fifty women an chill
dren here an only thirty men to guard
'em; there may be hundreds of Injuns out
there. We daren't leave camp or they'll
know it, an we've searched all the plains
with glass an there's no sign of
her."
"But ter-morrer-" choked Janet.
"She'll not be a-wanderin', missy -
don't arsk me to tell ye, but there's In
juns an perarie wolves"
"We must only tell her father she
died-never the whole truth, said Miss
Reed, coming to the wagon for her rub
bers, which she wore on the drycst
nights.
Chase walked away and sat down by the
fire. sNo, don't talk no more, Janet"
as the child went to him, cit aren't no
use. I'm the only old Injun fighter in
camp. I've growed gray at it. I've got
ter take the lead"
Janet went quickly to her wagon. By
the light of q Pickering candle she
printed. in round, childish hand, on
bit of paper, these few words:
''Mr. Chase, am goin' to find Rose an
take Nance. aint no good in fghtin' Injuns,
an I heard you say my folks was dead.
Don't you come for me cause they need you.
They don't me that is only Maverick.
She pinned this note to his blanket,
then went softly out in the starlight to
the corner where Nance stood. Fear
lessly she blankcted the animal, fastened
the surcingle, then led her quietly out to
an open space between two wagons.
She looked back at the dying camp
fires, the groups of men sleeping in the
light of them, their guns by their sides,
the silhoucttes Of the women against the
wagon curtains, Miss Reeds prim and
queer with the funny curls. How safe
it was here, how lonely and dreadful
outside! She climbed Oh the pony and
turned her head toward the east; the
animal, thinking of her home, struck into
a run. The seminal saw Nance disap-
pear in TIE darkness, but did not note
the little rider.
"That oncry gray pony as amt been
worked all the way hey got loose an
gone" he said to the crowd of excited
men who ran out at tue noise.
Every unusual rattling of gravel under
Nance's hoofs quickened the beating of
Janet's heart; every dark object was to
her beast of prey; every sound, the
coming of the red men. She thought of
the old-time stories of Indian warfare
and cruelty her grandmother had told
her; of the horrors of the plains the men
spoke of by the camp-fres.
"But I'm the only one in all that train
as hasn't anybody to care for me-" she
said, bravely. "There was only me to
be spared"
When the moon rose it showed her no
living object on the great plains. The
camp was far out of vision, and not even
a spark from its fires glimmered on the
still air. Absolute quiet and solitude;
the world seemed asleep.
At the top of little rise in the road
Janet halted to rest her tired horse, and
once more to look around the lonely
land. The quivering of Nance startled
her, and peering ahead, Janet saw sight
she never afterward forgot.
There in the moonlit road stood baby
Rose, her yellow curls dishevcllcd, her
face tear stained and dirty, her gown
torn, her little feet bare and bleeding.
She still clung to her flowers that had led
her astray long hours before.
Near the child lean gray wolf sat on
his launches, regarding her with pro-
found and melancholy stare.
At the sight of the pony the wolf gave
4 weird howl, turned and trotted swiftly
across the plains. The child, with wild
CRY, ran forward.
Il knew you'd tum, jamie. l lost all
day an hungy an the doggie coined an
singed. I had doggie once, Bounce,
where mamma was. Oh, want my
Janet held her close, kissed her tears
away, and then she gave her the food she
had brought-hcr own supper. She
lifted her to the pony's back, led Nance
to some low hills that might give them
shelter, and there waited for daylight.
II never knew nights was so long be-
fore" sighed Janet, holding Rose in her
,rms. ''Nance is laid down an asleep.
onlv me awake. an must keen watch |