Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-12-28

| OhOlO IL w DIS t1SdlI I'LL uuullSUdKADIG CIV.
Her heart gave sudden bound and the
color leapt into her worn face.
BOSS! Bud halloo thar whar air
you? Again she heard the answering
cry, fainter now because the storm was
! raging again, but evidently from the
direction from which she had just come,
and turning she began to retrace her
steps, calling frequently, to be guided
by the answering call, until she finally
neared the spot whence it proceeded.
BOSS Bud whar air vou?''
lis that you, marin p cried boys
voice, seemingly from under her feet
"Be keerful an doan come no farther,
| er you will fall
and peered anxiously into the darkness
ahead. The light disclosed a steep,
| ragged chasm. She was standing almost
on the brink of precipice. Starting
back IN alarm, she called: "Children,
you haln't down thar, air you ~
| es, marin, We un's air down haar
an hit peared like we wuz haar ter
stay. 'Tain't fer down ter whar we air,
jest on ther ledge whar | hev elm down
to fer aigs heap of times, but I air
pow'tul glad you hav come, kase Bud
have done hurt his ley, an which he
say he air plum tuckered out with Their
cold an tner pain an ne hev ben blub-
BERN to beat all. He hain't hurt so
mighty bad, nuther, but be air scairta an
| cold an a hunger. | kin CHM up N.Y.
little trick. He fell often Their trail !;
jest natch'ly walked often hit in broad
| day. | declar | he'd ort ter left Their
| little idjit instid of stayin' with him. l
| c'ayn't lift him SO high, an C ayn't get
| Their little rascal ter elm, an SC baar
| we air complained Boss.
"Law, honey" answered his mother,
in cose you wouldn't leave ther
little Teller. l reckon he hev done
| got er crick in his foot, er sunthin'.
How air we ter git him up, l wonder
| Give him a boost AMI will lay down
an see If ] can reach him"
Cautiously crawling to the edge of the
chasm, she reached carefully down, but
| could scarcely reach the child's hands.
Raising herself she took off her shawl
and tearing it in two, knotted it firmly
and tied slipknot in one end; then
lowering it, she babe Boss fasten it
| around his brother under his arms.
When this was accomplished, she slowly
drew the child up until he was near
enough to the top to grasp the overhang-
ing bushes and Chamber up. For an in
slant she held his little numb, cold
hands in her own and blew her breath
on them to warm them, while Boss
climbed carefully up.
'Marm is poW'ful glad ter git you
up" she said. The boys understood her,
and there was no need of many words.
They were stiff and chilled and exceed
ingly hungry, but SO accustomed were
they to the exposure and hardships that
neither thought of complaining.
Now, Boss, what are we 'uns ter
do?' asked their mother anXiously.
ut air gwine ter be a mighty ugly Job
ter get down from Their ridge in this
haar storm, and I am altered Their
lantern air gwine ter to go out"
1--WE c'ayn't do hit, marin. Bud he
kin skacly walk er step, but thar is Their
cave Whar we 'uns staid for two er three
nights las fall, when we wuz er muffin
on ther ridge; hit hain't fur, and | KIN
go thar with my eyes shet. Jest you
keep watch on tibet thar kid though,
an doan go an let him walk off inter
any more gullies."
But Bud could not walk at all without
crying bitterly, and his mother at last
lifted him in her arms and carried him.
He was a frail slip Of lad, but weary
as she was, his weight was almost more
than she could stagger under. Just be-
fore they reached the cave, the lantern
went out and they were left in total
darkness.
Never mind, marm," cried Boss;
'doan be a-feared; haar air Their cave.
Jest you stoop down an go in fust an
will come alter you an push Their big
stone agin' ther opening ter keep out
ther cold"
A moment later and they were safely
housed and putting Bud on the ground,
their mother sank down exhausted.
bud, honey" she SAID, 81 was never
glad afore tibet you was so peaked an
dwindlin', but if you had been chuncky-
like, | never could hev toted you way
haar."
They huddled together i'll the dark
ness, and soon began to feel quite warm
and comfortable. Then their mother
carried with her, and the boys, raven
ously hungry, soon devored it, and
shortly alter Bud was sound asleep,
with his head in his mothers lap,
while she and Boss were not long in
following his example. Outside, the
storm tagged on; the wind howIed and
shrieked and piled the drifting snow in
banks of unbroken Wilderness, but the
little trio in the cave slumbered peace
fully on, unconscious of the warning
elements without; nor was 1t until the
sunlight Tell across BOSS lace GIlaC he or
any of them awakened. At the touch
Of the sunbeam. Boss rubbed his eyes.
The next instant he opened them,
startled by an odd noise from the rear
of the cave. Was he dreaming about
the turkeys yet and his failure in get
ting any, or had he really heard faint
gobble? There it was again! gobble
gobble 1t was unmistakable this time
He was wide awake, and springing soft
~ to bis feet, he looked toward the
part of the cave whence the sound pro-
ceeded, and then calculated in aston
ishment:
Ger MASSEY sake if thet doan beat
all ~
In the farthest corner of the cave,
huddled together, was a large brood OF
turkeys. Boss rubbed his hands and
chuckled with delight; and small Won
der, for it is not every day one unwit-
tingIy stumbles on TO the roosting place
of a dozen fat young turkeys, and to
this mountaineer lad they were small
fortune.
"Marm," he whispered, wake up.
hits daylight; an wake Bud, we 'uns
must slip out keerful, kase theirs er
huII oanO of turlzeVS in haar an | want