Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1895-11-01

| he was not disappointed, Tor at the
edge of the forest he was gladdened by
the sight of the homely building. From
his position he could not see the OBJ
| Ject which had caused him to under
take what he was ready now to be-
iieve was foOihardy journey. NO
doubt it had been some illusion OF the
/ gaze, and he was tempted to start back
| 10 md his father without climbing TO
the top OF the ridge, which was sleeper
! than he had thought from the dis
| lance.
No. He would know the whole truto
| after coming so far, and, resolved TO
move with extreme caution. he left sis
horse under cover OF the growth and
| approached the place on foot.
There was no moon; but In the clear
starlight he could sec no signs Of life
| about the solitary hut. which looked
| as IL it had been deserted for years.
! One spark of hope still burned in his
| heart. He had not got in a position
| yet to see the west end Of the hut, and
It was there ne fancied he had seen the
helpless child.
| With high-beatipg heart he adj
vanced, obliged 10 pass around huge
! powders that ever aud anon disputed
! his way, What a barren place for a
home, though a fertile valley lay no
more than half a mile distant on the
! other side.
As Harry came around on the upper
side of a pile of rocks, he abruptly
found himself in plain sight of the hut,
and--a wild cry left his lips as ne saw
! the object he had come so far 20 see!
| 1t did not need second look for him
| to discover that it was human being
"a little girl not over four years OF
| age, hanging there in mid-air like a
tifeiess thing! A rope was fastened
around her slight waist, the other end
! secured at the top of the roof
She is deadr ne exclaimed, but ne
| had scarcely uttered the exclamation
when a low, piteous wall was borne to
| his ears on the still night air
She lives" he cried. and regardless
! of the danger he might be running
| into, he dashed swiftly up the ascent.
! not to stop until he was under and
! within reach of the swaying figure.
| Another moan of distress came frsm
| the helpless little one, as with one
| stroke of his knife he severed the rope
| suspending her in the air. The next
moment she lay perfectly motionless
| upon the ground, with him bending
| over her
Poor thing, she is nearly dead from
| fright and hunger. I wonder who
| Oh, father, il is Aiice-our Alice"
About that time the large blue eyes
slowly opened. to look straight into
those OF her brother, who had thus
strangely found her whom he and his
father had supposed dead
II wish father"
Harry stopped in the midst OF his
! speech, for upon looking UP at the
sounds of the hoofstrokes of horse he
saw his father riding toward the place.
81 missed you. and mistrusting you
| had come here | followed at once. So
You were right-my. God! it is Alice"
1t is hardly necessary to depict the
Joy Of the reunited ones, and when the
first transport of their rejoicing had
passed, father and son learned that
Alice and her mother had not been
killed as reported but had been carried
OFF toward the Spanish range by their
captors Upon coming to this lonely
hut of the Mexican, in a fit of cold
bIooded ferocity they had shot the
owner of the building and suspended
their young captive i'll the position in
IT, 49,
This could not have been accom-
| plished very long before Harry had
seen her though the glass, for she de-
clared that IL was most night at the
time. Her mother, with two or three
others, were still with the party, cap
tiyes.
They would be likely to camp In
the valley below here" said Mr. May
| burn, whose excitement hardly knew
bounds. we must push on and res
cue them. / am going to turn Alice
over to your care, Harry"
| Though she had suffered untold
| agony in that trying position so many
hours, Alice was only too glad to get
! away from the place, and in less than
five minutes they were moving as ST
| lently az possible down the range.
Mr.. Mayburn proved correct in his
predictions, and before sunrise they had
not only overtaken the desperadoes, but
surprised and routed them. Mrs May
burn and two captiyes were rescued
| unframed and more thankful party
| it would be difficult TO find. Knowing
| the dangers that still enyirOned them.
! they pushed on as rapidly as possible
| to the nearest town, which they safely
reached. Eventually Mr. Mayburn and
| his family reached Los Angeles. where
they live now.
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