The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-01-13

syrup.
Why, where is Tommy" asked
Mother, as soon as she saw that my
father was alone.
Isn't he here? l sent him home
soon after l bad eaten my dinner
said Father in alarm.
Mother turned white, and, before
Father could reach her, she fell fainting
to the floor. For few moments every
thing was in confusion in the cabin.
The little girls were frightened to see
Mother fall and look so white, and cried
vehemently; so sent up an answering
shrek from the cradle, as any baby
would have done-at least that is what
they told me did, but can't say that
! remember it myself. After deal of
trouble, Father succeeded in restoring
Mother from her faint, but she only
wrung her hands and moaned, My boy,
Oh my little Tommyl'
There was cause enough for alarm,
but Father did not despair 50 easily. If
my brother was lost in the woods, be
might be found and returned before
the wild beasts should find him. If the
Indians had stolen him, which was not
unlikely, they would probably spare his
life, but retain him as captive. There
was third possibility, though not very
probable, that Tommy had wandered
to the nearest neighbours, mile away.
This was the more improbable, as he
never went away from home without
leave. However, Father started to go
there, as soon as Mother had recovered
sufficiently to be left alone with the
children, for, if he did find my
brother there, he only needed to give
the alarm to the settlers, and organize
search at once.
I" No, Thomas had not been seen on
their premises neighbor Bennett said,
in answer to Fathers anxious inquiry,
but neighbor Huse, from three miles
distant, had been at the sugar camp
IudJ hu1 anu tlluu SOlnC
ers had seen small band of red skins
in the woods few miles south of us,
the day before.
"Small comfort this for my anxious
father, who lost no time in rousing the
settlers, and, sooner than you would
suppose possible, all the men within
five miles were cut with lighted torches,
searching the woods for some trace of
the lost boy. AT intervals they gave
loud halloa to attract his attention if
he were lost in the woods, and it was
agreed that if any one found him or
any traces of him he should give three
distinct halloas in succe ssion. In the
mean time my mother gave my sisters
their supper and put them in bed, bid
ding them to lie quiet and not be afraid
if they awoke and found her away,
for she said, am going to find little
Tommy
"They soon slept, and taking me
from the cradle, she wrapped me warmly
in cloak. She clasped me to her bo-
som, lighted dry, pine knot, and
started out through the darkness on
fruitt IS search. Around and around,
through the thick woods, she wandered,
peering behind each tree, bush and rock,
crying pitifully, Tommy, Tommy ;
but no voice from out the darkness re-
piled. AT times the faint 'holloa of
the distant searchers would cause her
to turn her steps in a new direction,
but with equally fruitess results. With
love and longing that knew no fear
or WEAKNESS, she kept up ceaseless
search until late in the night, when
Father found her, and, partly by per-
suasion and partly by strategy, he lured
her home for time, but no entreaties
would prevail on her to lie down and
sleep. In the first light of the morn
ing, when the men, wearied and dis
heartened, were about to give up the
search, one of the number, in crossing
the river on the ice, discovered tracks
of many feet-moccasined feet appar-
ently-in the snow that was yet I'M
melted on the ice. They continued the
search from that point, and farther on
they found one little shoe-Tommy's
shoe-evidently lost off in running
and that was all the trace they found of
the lost boy, then or for many years.
There was no distinct trail, for the
tracks crossed and recrossed each other
in every direction, and there were no
old Indian hunters among the settlers,
though there were brave men who were
willing to risk their lives, if need be, in
rescuing their neighbours child. After
long and earnest counsel together, they
decided that it would be useless to at
tempt rescue, as the Indians had 30
many hours the start that they would
reach their tribe in Canada long before
hAxV I'll a