The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-07-22
11r1LE GIRL's ADVENTURE.

ALITTLE GIRLS ADVENTURE.
Kate Tyndale refined her horse to the
roadside, under spreading clump OF
trees, and wiped the perspiration from
her heated brow.
1t was warm day, even for the month
of June. Vague thoughts of sunstroke
and thunder storms, which bad been
coursing through the child's mind for the
last hour or two, were now almost dis.
PEELED by the cool, grateful shade OF
hemlocks.
Naomi, Kate's sleek bay, appeared
equally thankful for rest, and gave ex-
preston to her feeling by low Whitney
of satisfaction. The girl dismounted
and proceeded to brush the flies from
her dumb companions glossy coat,
''Twenty miles fom homem she muir
INJURED. whereat Naomi turned her head
and gave the speaker an intelligent look
out of her great brown eyes, quite as
though she understood the significance
of the words and had caught the half
smothered sigh which accompanied
them. 1t was, indeed, a long way for a
child of II years to have come alone, and
upon such an important mission; but
Kate was a plucky girl and not in the
least homesick nor at all afraid of any
thing but certain tiny black clouldlet
in the west, 'cloud no bigger than a
mans hand" 1t was the prophesy of
storm, and thunder storm meant I'M
utterable things to Kate Tyndale.
She wouldn't have started out to-day,
but her father was sick and, Mr.. Stein
felt's note being due, the old gentleman
wanted his money. Securely buttoned
inside the little girls gray basque were
the 5000 which was to cancel her fathers
indehtedneSS
'Quite fortune" thought she, feel
ing very womanly over the trust reposed
in her.
There had been commotion in the
Tyndale household the previous evening,
when Kate had announced her willing
ness to go over to Rydal with the money.
Mrs. Tyndale promptly declared that
such a thing wasn't to be heard of for a
moment; but her husband laughed in
good-natured way, and asserted that it
was capital idea, and he would sooner
trust his boy than any man in the neigh
borhood. He often called Kate his boy,
partly because of the assistance she rem
dered him about the farm work, but
chiefly in consequence of the skllltul
management of his horse.
In the end Mr.. Tyndale and Kate car
ried the day. So here she was at noon
tide, but ten miles from her destination.
She had been over the road but once be-
fore, and that was some years back; but
she remembered every crook and turn OF
the entire distance perfectly. Directly
ahead of the place where she had halted
lay long stretch of unbroken, uninhab-
tied woodland. A timid person would
doubtless, have been affrighted at the
prospect, but our young friend hadn't a
thought of fear. Her courage was soon
to be brought to test.
After a brief pause, she left Naomi and
climbed the summit of a gently rising
knoll beside the way 70 get a better view
of the western sky. Behold! the threat
ening cloud had disappeared, drifted
away down behind the blue hills. Kate
drew breath of relief apd ran back to
the foot of the hill.
w.. sn"m lave nice, long rest, Ma,
omiw exclaimed she, patting the arched
neck of her favorite.
Threading the ravine below flowed a
shallow stream, the sparkle of whose
sunlit waves came up through darkly in
terlacing branches of evergreen like
CLEANS of silver. Thither Kate led her
steed. After quenching her thirst at
the brook the mare turned about and be-
gan cropping the tender green vegetation
which 'fringed its bank, while her mis-
tfess sat down upon messy bank to
partake of the luuch which careful
mother Tyndale had prepared for her.
Fully an hour they had remained
there, the little girl stretched at full
length upon her messy couch, half
asleep, Naomi grazing near at hand.
Sud denly Kate sat up, very wide awake.
Her quick ear had caught the sound OF
horses hoofs. Yonder, up on the high
way, two men were approaching. Both
travellers were provided with horses
though but one was mounted. The
other picked his way carefully along, ev
identity searching for something. What
that something was interested the chic
greatly. She felt of the precious envel
ope in her bosom, and wished heartily
that it was safe in Mr.. Steinfelt's keep
ing.
Slowly the men neared the group O
trees under which she had first halted
following her very track, she could havC
averred. They stopped directly, anC
dismounted. Then began a doubl!
sharp investigation of the ground. Ou
brave lass thought it was high time fo
action. Catching Naomi - the bride
she led the unresisting animal down int
the stream, resolved that 70 traces o
their fight should remain. Then sh
sprang into the saddle, and, touching
her lightly with the whip, guided tn
beast as silently as possible up tn,
creek.
A few hundred yards above she headet