The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-05-18
The Regeneration OF Judy.

AS consequence JUDY mlnu was
filled with suspicion and her eyes
watched each movement of her bene-
factors with ceaseless vigilance in the
effort to discover the secret motive of
their conduct which she dimly fancied
had some design on that mysterious
thing, her soul. But her soul was
not referred to, either by Mrs. Bay
not, who sent her good things to eat,
or Mrs. Donovan, who came in oc-
casionally Ito hearten her up bit,
nor by Archie, the captains child,
sturdy little chap of six years, who
stole into the hut to solve the mystery
of it.
Judy saw him peeping in at the
door and feigned sleep. Then Archie,
after staring at her for while, urged
on by curiosity, made strategic ap-
proaches from the door to the bed.
A dog, q mongrel cur that no i'll
treatment could drive from Judy's
side, growled at him, whereupon Judy
spoke to the dog and, looking at the
little boy, said in her queer Donovan
English, 'What you name?"
Archibald Morrison Baynot," re-
piled the child, with his hands be-
hind him, and then added, "Ihat's q
nice dog; is it yours?"
"Yes," said judy, with grim smile
at the only good word her wretched
companion had ever received. Then,
in spite of curling Of the dogs lip
over its cleaning teeth, the boy ven
tured to pat its head And somehow
Judy thought of Dancing Flame. And
when Archie went on to tell of dog
that he owned, she showed so much
interest that he got quite enthusiastic.
And she asked the little fellow to
come and see her again, which he did,
and they talked together, he with the
pretty braggadocio of boy child and
she with ready assent and quick SYM
pathy.
Finally the doctor pronounced Judy
we'll aud tho captain dismissed her
with few words; 81 hear that you
are an honest, Woodworking woman,
judy" he said, $50 I've had the men
build you wooden house of your own
that you are to pay for in work. I'll
give you plenty of time. 1 only ask
you to keep it clean and to take care
of yourself. Now you may CO."
There is no word in the Wachapi
for "Thank you," but Judy shook
hands with the captain and said, "All
right. sor."
And after this when Judy, with old
Comachsen, was fairly established IL
her wooden house, Archie came Otter
to visit her and she gave him queer
woodland treasures, things that boys
, love, such as birds eggs and the skins
of small animals, the rattles from 6
, five button snake and strings Of wan
pun and red berries. And she made
him q bow and arrow in true Indiar
style, with culver of martens Skin
; head and tail complete, and taugh
him all the lore of the forest, so tina
, he talked knowingly of "signs" ant
knew the notes of many beasts an(
birds.
1t was Archie who took me, thu
writer of this chronicle, to call OF
Judy one summer when was th'
guest of his father. This was TIVE
/ years after the captain had takei
charge of Wachapi and Judy was liv
| ing in comfort, with vegetable patel
and cows and pigs, all of which sh
had acquired by her own thrift AM
= labor under the new order of things
Often have i seen her and Archi
2 hand in hand entering the verge o
the forest just back of the captain
quarters on their way to examine Ger
: tain traps that they had set upon tn
hillside near the fume, the child
( fair, bright face upturned to the dark
t melancholy features of the Indian VIC
. man as he eagerly prattled OF thei
i ventures.
I 1 had been at Wachapi about
t month and summer was drawing to
e close. The season had been unusual
2 ly hot and dry and vagrant fires start
a ed by careless hunters and prospector
had spread in the bush.
!, One night the trees were ablaz
b along the edge of the road mile be
Y low the agency and the Crazy rive
+ turned an awful red as it crept b
beneath the shelter of its banks. TIL
y next morning the mountains wer
O hidden behind blue veil and out {
i this concealment came at interval
: great billows of yellow smoke, rollin
a upward in pale, lurid glare. Indee
o it seemed at times as though tn
o world was all on fire.
l. The captain and 1 were standing o
q his porch looking at this threatenin
d display when one of the Indians cam
Y in and reported that a fire he
J. started on the hills back of the pos
d could see that this made the captai
o uneasy, although, as he explained
me, the clearing for the flume, whic
,r extended along the side of the hill fc
N several miles, would act as a saf'
D. guard in certain measure. He ha