The morning times., 1896-04-12

Il never dreamed THAI it was more than
IL with all this darning. There comes Mr..
Bankson now. Put on the dinner, Chico
and she hurried down TO the gate to open
1t for her husband.
Tired waiting?" he said, stepping more
quickly. Il have been talking with old
Blackfoot, He declares the Wild Indians
VIII be down here in Il day or so and he
wants 10 borrow nay new barn for all the
tame Indians to hide in
Aren't you afraid To let him have It?
There might be a battIe,'' Mrs. Bankson
suggested.
Not bit of it, he laughed. THE
tame Indians have no more idea of fighting
the wild Indians than they have OF flying
10 the moon. They only want to hide in
the barn till the raid is over; then they
will scatter a S peacefully as SO many sheep.
Where are the Children
IL let them 90 berrying,' and she
turned a bit white.
"Berrying? Which way?" and he stopped
short.
over there toward the mountains. 1
couldn't help it. they begged so hard, and
they'll soon be back. They should be here
| now and she grew still paler as She
tried TO speak Cheerfully.
IN go and meet thcm,'' he said alb
ruptly: " don't wait dinner for me, and the
gate latch clicked as he strode away toward
the Nevadas.
Mrs. Bankson sat down on the piazza
steps. Instinctively her hands crept over
her face.
Mrs. Bankson! Whatever, cried the
neighboriy voice OF Mrs. Stevens. the
grocer's Wife. who was leaning far over her
piazza rail, a Quarter-lot away.
Its the children! lin a little wOr-
rled because they don't come home"
Where are they"
They went for berries toward the Ne
vadas.''
Mercy, and they do say the wild In
dams is goin to ma ke a sortie and Jennie's
best doll was stole right off the porch
floor last night where she left it,
OH don't!' almost screa med Mrs.
Banhson, getting up aud running into the
house.
Poor soulr' said Mrs. Stevens. 'I'll
| go tell Jim mebbe he'll go help Mr.. Bank
son 10 hunt for the children Why, ]
| wouldn't trust Jennie out of my sight one
| minute, these days and she hastened in-
| doors.
Five minutes later and Mr.. Stevens had
| gone to join Mr.. Bankson in his sea rch.
| Three hours they ransacked the woods and
| the berrying district at the foot of the
NevadaS. then they came back heavy footed
| and heavy hearted.
| Amt you found 'em. JIM" called Mrs.
| Stevens.
He shook his head solemnly. 1--WE must
| have out hunting posse, he said, land
| the sooner the better"
Mr.. Bankson stumbled up his piazza steps
| like blind man.
Marion, Mamie and George found berry
| picking most alluring. There were such
| lovely thick bushes where cupful could
be gathered in one grasp, then there were
| thin bushes where it took many minutes
| to gather cupful with the pink and white
| flowers that grew so mixed in with them.
| Its time to go home,'' said Marion
| ''Oh, wait till l make my paifa little
| bit fuller said Mamie.
And wa Mt to make mine as very awful
| full as can carry it," said George.
| you're greedy" responded Marion.
| mo, l isn't, cause amt they all for
| mamma soon's / get home and l never
| eated a single one,'' retorted George.
| Nor did T. sa id Mamie, "'cause nam
| mall need every one for preserves, won't
! she, Marion?'
Yes, but / think we had better go home.
| didn't know we had come quite so far. =
| And she raised her head to look about her.
| Jolly! dinner will be good, won't
| it?'' said George, picking rapidly in an
other .'tbick place. There, I'm all
full. Wee! see my bands!' And he held
up his plump, berry-stained fingers, to
1 DdNe tUell uONh ny ii bdio tOp
| per-colored palm as a dozen or more In
dams sprang out from the very bushes
where the children had been gathering
their last berries, and pushing them
| rudely in front of them bade them ''gt
on
No, I WON'T said George, stiffening
"And you're not to hurt my sisters
Hush, Geordie " almost whispered Mar
ion, 'do just as they tell you; you must.
Her words were scarcely uttered wheI
| George was pulled far away from her tC
the very front of the long single file pro-
/ eession that the Indians were forming.
Mamie, so startled that the can had
dropped and spilled her berries right and
left, began trembling and crying as she
was led to the middle of the file, while
Marion was assigned to tall, gaunt In
dian in the rear as they all started on.
How hot, dry. dusty, rocky and steel
| itseemed tothe children along that pathwa.
that led up the Nevadas, but Marion knew