The National tribune., 1891-12-31

closely followed by Buck" y; then she began
TO feel treasured as they hurried toward her,
responsive 20 her summons. As Tige
approached her she noticed in the dim, un-
certain light, for il was not yet day in the
forest that he was heavily freighted; there
was some dark object in his ponderous jaws
which made him stagger; at first she Thought
il was a cub or lynx; but, horror! in n
moment the dog dropped at her feet the
nude body Of an Indian child, eight or ten
months old!
Clariss nearly tainted as she realized the
nature Of the dogs burden, and caught hold
Of tree TO support herself as the shock
passed through her Most women would
have incontinently fed from the spot and
locked themselves up TO drive the dreadful
experience from their Thought; not so, how
ever, was it with this physically fragile
daughter of the mountains. Her young life
had been one continuous familiarity
WITH SCENES OF TROUBLE, DANGER,
and the weird in nature, 80 she was not in
the least discounted after the initiatory
shock the timidity inherent in her sex was
Immediately, by strong will power, COM
pletely eliminated from her being and she
promptly acted as the strange circumstances
facing her ia her solitariness demanded; /;
and she did il in obedience TO that womanly
love and tenderness she was SO abundantly
possessed Of
or course, her first impulse, after recover
ing from her agitation, was to learn whether
the babe still lived She pitifuIly knelt
down, placed her hand on the little breast
over the spot where its heart was located,
but felt no responsive beat; it's flesh was
cold, its limbs already ridgid; the child was
dead A pang of instructive maternal sor-
row thrilled her as she took the diminutive
corpse in her arms 20 examine il more closely.
She was surprised TO see how emaciated its
whole body was, how shriyeled the little
limbs, and how plainly the want Of nOurish-
ment was depicted in its wan face, and she
knew that the child had suffered for want Of
food. There were the marks of the hounds
terrible teeth where. he had taken hold TO
carry il, but otherwise there was no lacera-
tiOn Of the body, and considering all these
facts, Clarisss face frightened at the thought
that the dog had not killed the child after
all, but had found ii with life already ex-
tinct and thus brought il TO her!
She took up her burden Of death tenderly
in her arms and carried il TO a little "oak
opening" north of the cabin, not far from
one of the windows, where clump of the tall
scarlet cacti grew luxuriantly, whose wealth
Of bloom in it's season was "a thing Of Joy y
10 her. There gently placing the dead baby
on the brown sod for a moment, she went
into the house for q blanket TO wrap il in,
and spade Quickly returning she dug a
grave for the little Indian, where the wolves
could not molest it, nor the red-wattled
buzzards batten on its delicate bones! This
Christian Office completed, she prepared and
ate her frugal breakfast, after which, taking
her rife, she went into the forest again TO
make a reconnaissance and find out If possi-
bic something that would tell her more Of
the strange and sad occurrence of the early
morning.
THE HOUNDS FOLLOWED THEIR MISTRESS
OF course hut she was not as friendly disposed
toward fige as had been her wont, for some.
how she sliii felt inclined 20 fasten the guilt of
the bahy's death upon him. and he kept him
self at more than usually respectful distance
behind her, as ii he knew that she suspected
him. Ciariss occupied herself more than two
hours in investigating every clump and
thicket, aided by the dogs, whom she made
use their long, sharp noses TO the best advan-
tage. Al last ligo insensibly led her 10 a
little heap Of ashes In the densest portion OF
The timber, yet not more than the eighth of a
mile from the door OF her cabin. The thiBly-
scattered tniis Of bunch-Rrass in the vicin-
ity were somewhat fattened, showing that they
had recently been tr0dden upon. and as soon as
she saw these indications OF disturbance she
stopped. and thTustinR her hand into the di-
minutlFe mound OF ashes found they were still
warm, a. she had suspected.
She now knew that someone had camped
theTe tho preceding night, and an Indian un-
questionably; the remains Of the FIRE proved
that Tor the white man generally builds one
- liirge that the beat drives him away while
the savage makes a small one, and hoyering
over II with his blanket which protects il re.
oevcs the sum-t0tHl Of warmth.
1lRFEs now began, In her instructive man
Ber. child Of thG forest and mountain that she
was, 10 meth0dically investigate for signs"
that would Enthusiastically reveal 20 her the
NuhihIifF ~ Nilt hrNutniefcn camps last nights
occupant She got down prone upon the ground
and examined critically each separate blade OF
the Disturbed grass with all the astuteBess Of
The savage. and after patiently deyOting half
hn hour 10 this intricate work she discovered
the impress Of foot. small. symmetrical aud
moccaslnod; also that great caution had been
exercised 70 conceal its owners presence there
ClarIss was 80 perfect In the
SUBTLE ART THE EEDIAEs
had taught her during her nearly Eve wears
constant association with them. that not only v
could she determine the footprint 10 be that of
Equaw, but the trihe 20 which sue belonged
sud tie very intent 10 hide the fact Of her mi.
grafton 10 the vicinity.
Df cOuTse. as these revelations man ifested
Themselves 20 GlariEs under her rigid scrutiny
Ehr was more or less excited not so Outrage.
ously, perhaps as was Robinson Crus0e when lie
came suddenly upon that mysterious foofpriut
on the shore % his desert island Clariss
was only annoyed at her discovery because
Ehe could not understand the meaning Of anv
Indians presence near her home az that sea.
son Tor the Ute men were ali on their annual
hunt in The Plains region below the mountains.
and the camp Of their women was MANY miles
south from there. Yet that faint imprint on
Tie grass was made by Ute squaw; there was
NO mistake on that point
How easily the problem which 80 disturbed
her could have been solved N Dick had only
been honest, and told bis wife the true cause
OF his absence. She would have then known
that REVENGE WaE the incentive which had
brought the Indian woman 10 the vicinity of
his cabin. But poor Clariss was in blissfnl
lFn0rance OF her husbands crime; aud al