Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-11-02
carrots and turnips," said the


master
'You have seen something?" asked
his wife, and he answered slowly:
''Stews, fries and roastsl They are
running about Just now, but Nella
knows how to stop them. / am so big
that L am sure to be seen, and the
Keepers would know me a mile of. Do
you hear girl? As soon as it gets dark,
you are to creep under the brush
wood Ike snake and set the snares.
lake some of your strongest brass
traps with you, for the hares are nearly
as big as Tambor"
"All right" said the girl in reply.
Then she got into the van and took
some poachinS instruments out of a
chest, which was furnished with
double bottom for greater security.
The master, meanwhile, stretched
himself at full length upon the soft
grass; his wife sat near him nursing
her child; Tambour, the dog, looked
at the soupkettle with hungry eyes,
and straight, blush column of smoke
rose from the burning cones in the still
evening air.
AT this hour Colonel Sainty's brother
officers were enjoying themselves at
the club or on the boulevardes, while
he, the ''Old wild BEAR" whose great
est desire was to forget his former
pleasures, roamed solitary and silent
through the woods, smoking cigar
and thinking of nothing. Suddenly
he stopped and listened, for an un-
accustommed noise reached his ears.
He knew the woods and all their
sounds so well that mistake was i'm
possible; some one was certainly hid
ing IN the bushes near him. Swiftly,
but as noiselessly as a Red Indian, he
strode around a clump of brushwood
and discovered the girl-poacher setting
trap.
'Nhat are vou doing here?" he
roared, and the child started up terri
fed at sight of the stern face with long
moustache. She would have fled but
his firm hand was on her shoulder,
and so she answered tremblingly:
Gathering nuts and mushrooms,
sir"
"Ah, indeed! At this hour, and with
these tOols?" he SAID. But tell me,
hsve your mushrooms rabbits ears,
and do you catch nuts in traps? Who
are you? What is your name?"'
"My name is Nella, sir"
''Nella? That is no namel Nella
what? Nella who? What is your
other lame? Where do you live?"
81 have no other name, Sir. | have
no father nor mother, but 1 came with
the peol lie IN that wagon by the road"
"Ah, You belong III that state chariot
do you? We shall see. Well, my girl,
you have been caught in the act of
practlcing "A profession which will lead
you into jail, do you know that? Per
haps it Is not entirely your own fault"
''Oh no, Sirp exclaimed the child
tearfully.
''Show me the way to your barracks
as fast as You can. You need not be
afraid, | sm not going to hurt you
Very unwillingly did NeIla act as
guide for she know that her pay would
be a heating, and only too well aware
was she that the master had a heavy
hand. The meeting between the baron
and the gypsy was not an amicable one;
indeed Antonio at first showed
his fist, declared that he cared not a
rap for the old man and his rabbits,
and signed to Tambour, who showed
his fangs. But suddenly large revolv-
er appeared in the gentleman's hand
as he exclaimed iercely:
you confounded black guard, do
you think to frighten a Colonel of
dragoo1s? Keep back your dog, or
else | will begin with him and continue
with you"
Antonio Valencia's face changed sud-
denly and with the meekness of lamb
he exclaimed that he had no intention
OF giving offence; Down, Tam bour,
you fOOll Surely 1t was not his fault
If his mischievous child had slipped
away when he was not looking and tried
to poach on the gentleman's landI
Antonio did not know where she had
learned such ways, for he himself
would prefer to die of hunger rather
than touch so much as a squirrel that
did not belong to him. Indeed he
would sooner die of hunger, and of
thirst tool
Il shall see that you receive a
medal, said the colonel dryly.
Take that, you good-for-nOthingr'
cried Antonio slapping the girls face
sharply, land L will give you some
more pretty soon, to teach you to mind
your father"
"You are not my father, aud you
sent me with the traps" she retorted,
and the baron interfered by forbldding
Antonio to strike her again.
81 shall attend to your case to-mor-
row morning." he said as he turned
away, "and if you try to escape during
the night you will be arrested, you
may be sure of that. Remember, you
are not to hurt that poor child"
The next day the baron sent a mes
sage to the Mayor, and while waiting
the arrival of that parsonage, went out
for stroll as usual. Great was his
surprise at finding Nella on the very
spot where he had first seen her. She
was standing up. however, leaning
against tree-trunk and seemed to be
rejecting sadly.
"You here again?" he said, and the
girl responded:
'.Yes, but L am not poaching this
time. L came here to see you
What can | do for you, my child?
But look, there is blood on your dress
it is covered with drops of blood"
HE beat me again last night; he
dragged me by my hair and kicked me.
Look, two of my teeth are broken and
my lips are cut-l am black and blue
all over"
II will attend to him, the black
cried Baron de Sanity in "A
fury, but the girl added hastily:
''DCn't do any thing, beg of you.
[ know how to revenge myself and l
can do it, though I am little. My time
has come. l cried all night long but
now | shall not cry any more" Her
listener looked at her in silence. Her
pale face showed an untiinch-
ing determination, her ink-black eyes
were glittering fiercely, and her whole
frame was quivering with rage.
70 what race could she belong?
What wild, reckless blood was flowing
in her veins?
81 will protect you, my poor child,
said the baron, and her voice softened
as she answered him: