Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-09-22
THE DAISY MINE.

"Hallo!" exclaimed Joe West aloud,
''what's that?" and he paused in his
hurried walk with his head bent for
ward and his rifle grasped firmly in
his hands. ''Now if L didn't know
better, I'd stake my life that was a
child's cry"
Once again the pitiful little wall
was repeated, and with a rush Joe
tore along that lonely mountain trail
like one mad.
A sudden turn in the road, and then
in the dim light he saw a small OBJ
ject just beyond him.
Joe wOnderingly bent over it and
touched it timidly with his hand, and
almost jumped foot high when his
hand came in contact with another
hand, very small one, vainly reach
ing heavenward for the help that
came at last.
'Bless mel" said Joe on the verge
Of tumbllng over in fit, so intense
was his establishment. ''Bless me!
Well 1 never! A poor little baby!"
Then he looked about him in a
daZed kind of way for some explana-
tiOn of the mystery.
But the silent old hills told nothing
nor the blinking stars overhead.
Had the little one been abandoned?
if so, by whom? Or had it fallen
from some cloudlet overhead?
But while Joe was wondering and
trying to get his scattered senses to-
gether, the baby renews its walls
and tossed its little hands aloft. The
weak voice was faint and hoarse as if
it had cried a long time.
''POOr baby." said Joe, ''what a
brute 1 am, it must be chilled through,
and no matter where it came from
it's not going to be left here any
longer"
Then he took off his coat and
clumsily wrapped the child in it,
luckily giving it breathing space in
its folds, and awkwardly, but ten
derby, he lifted it in his arms and
started toward the camp
Carrying a baby and a rifle is
hardly in my line" thought Joe, a
queer smile about his mouth. ''but I
guess I'll manage it, if 1 don't meet
a bear or cougar"
The warm coat and the protecting
clasp had stilled the cries of the lit
tie one and it slept until the camp
was reached.
''Hallo, there, Joe, that you? What
are you carrying wrapped up in your
coat, cub or a papoose?"
''COme and see, " said Joe.
He stood his rifle in the corner and
sat down near the fire and began I'M
doing his bundle, while the boys
gathered around him wonderingly.
But the light and the noise awoke
the sleeping child, and it cried aloud.
''A baby! a baby!"
They started back as if a canon
had exploded in their midst, then
eagerly pressed forward once more.
"Why-where-
"Wait," said Joe, found it ON the
trail about mile back"
"FOund it-but who
"Well know sometime, maybe.
But what's to be done with the poor
little thing, it's cold and hungry"
''Give it something to eat" cried
Billy Warrington. s'Here hand it
over to me, Pm used to kids. My
step-mother made me turn nurse,
that's why 1 ran away from home
You'll drop it Joe, and you're soaring
the poor little thing into a fit"
Billy took it gently and with soft
pats and cooling words soon sOothed
it into calm, and when a cup of milk
was placed TO its lips, its little hands
grabbed it and the boys had to turn
their heads to hide the tears IN their
eyes, to see how hungry it really was.
''Once get its face washed" said
Billy, ',you'l find out she's a little
beauty, for it's little girl and about
two years old. 1 think. Shouldn't
wonder but she can tell her name -
After much petting and number
of watches presented to her, she be-
gan TO look about her and to make
friends She could only say a few
words, papa. mamma" and, when
asked her name, said Dada" or
something similar.
Its Daisy, I think; and you are
a little daisy, that's a fact" quoth
Joe, who was becoming decidedly in
terested in his queer find.
''But what's to be done with her?''
said more than one. There amt a
woman in camp, and we can't get one
before tomorrow"
Billy here interpOsed again
''Never mind about women folks.
I'll see to her. Well get up a search
ing party by daylight and we may dis
cover something. Somebody will
claim her, she'll never be left to us
When the searching party went out
they did find something.
Only few yards from where Joe