Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-06-08

1t was slow work, bnt by flashing
the light ahead to where vine had
been dragged, or corn-blado broken
of, we occasionally went forward ten
feet at n bound The trail, too, zig
zagged about did not go straight
ahead between any two corn-rows.
"She cannot be far away" said my
cousin. ''i5hc has here been wander.
ing III the dark. Darkness came upon
her about the time sue turned away
from tho fence. All looked alike to
her, or she wonld have still held to the
mark which had guided her SO far :
the fence"
Daylight found us still puzziin2
over the windings of tho trail. In
eccentricity it reminded Inc of the
trails of the opossilms ! had followed
i'll boyhood. Not sound had we
heard from the child. This worried
me, us l feared she had chilled to
death.
Nothing OF the kind" said my
cousin. '''5hc has heard us and i;
lying low. Sho is i'll condition to
| ~ S'i"'t Vi CNCIl HOlst bllt HcuTS-
Scnrise came and we made better
progress. The trail had turned and
was leading back toward the fence.
My cousin, who was about ten feet in
advance, suddenly turned and motioned
ne to move forward. When [ camo
up to him, he pointed in silence TO n
spot about three steps beyond
whero we stood. There in the midst
of mass of pumpkin vines 1 saw the
lower part of the child's red dress,
but her head md the upper part of
her body were hidden under some
large vine leaves
The sight gave INC great shock.
"My Godl" cried I, "she is dead
The poor child has persisted"
AT the sound of my voice up came
the child's head. For moment she
stared Mt lis with wild eyes, then on
all fonrs sho began to scuttle away,
keeping her little body close to the
ground, like cat when in pursuit of
game. In moment my cousin had
her i'll his arms. She clawed and
fought him like little wildcat, but
not word or sound escaped her lips.
She had got bnck to within fifty
yards OF the fence. AS we carried her
out of the field, we tried to soothe
her, but she would not speak and was
constantly struggling to escape.
When We had carried her to her Uncle
Clark, who was waiting ut the cross
fence, and ho had told her he would
take her to her papa, the wildness
went out of her face at once and
she cried: ''NIy papal my papn !"
She was her fathers pet, and it was
afterward found that it was in search
of him That she had bundled mp and
sailed forth, Rowing that he had gone
to neighbours near the village.
When halfway back to the camp
we came to the father, who, seatcd
upon his horse, was waiting to hear
from us. The child had hidden it's
face against its unclc's bosom, and
seeing it carried in that way, the poor
man thought it was dead 'Dend,
dead !" cried he. "My poor little Liz
zie is dead I! Oh, L feared It'll"
''Dead!" cried the nncle. "No.
she is rs much alive as n wild-cat!"
In moment Lizzie was in her
fathers arms and almost smothered
with kisses Still, she looked rather
wild-eyed, and would not speak fur
ther than to occasionally murmur fond
ly, "Papa-my papa"
Wild were the cheers TINT rent the
air when we arrived Mt the camp
cheer upon cheer. Then half-a-d dozen
young men rushed for their horses,
and there WAS wild race across the
- 41x
mother, aud those who had all night
been Whiting Mt the house. Whoop.
ing like wild Indians, they Numbered
along, squirting with their heels and
shifting the TANKS of their horses with
their hats.
The shout sent up at the camp,
mile away, was heard at the house,
and the half-crazed mother ut once
misinterpretcd it, crying: shy child
is dead. Hear the shrieking! They
have found her lying dead!" In vain
the other women said: "They are
chcering-the child is safe.' II was
only when the crowd of wild Young
horsemen came flying in with their
report that the mother would allow
herself to believe the child safe.
The crowtling about of so many men
and their wild cheering so frightened
tho lost girl that she chung to her
fathers neck and hid her face in his
bosom. Then he all of sudden caught
the excitement of the moment, and
squirting his horse, dashed homewnrd
about ms wildly ms the young men who
had preceded him. -Snlt Lake Fri
bune.
Multitudes of Species.