Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-12-26
STOLEN BY APES.

~
his funny little name in a faroff Eas
Indian army post, and it tells how b,
came near being adopted by a tribe O
balloons just about the time when b,
got his name.
Rutfles is quite a big boy now. Whel
his father, who is a captain in the
British Indian army, m home after
parade, Rutfies can carry his big sabel
quite like a soldier, and be can &c
around by the back of the compound,
which is the name for the big yard
where his father and lots of other sol.
diers live. and, walking very heavily
upon the veranda of his W home, he
can make hismother believe that a very
important visitor has arrived at the
front door. Then his mother looks at
herself in the mirror for fear her pretty
hair may be mussed and sends one OF
the black servants to receive the caller.
Then, of course, Ruff1es is very delight
ed with his joke and everybody laughs,
including the new "syce," or groom,
just down from the hills, where there
are only black people, and he doesn't
understand in the least what it is all
about.
1t was a long time ago when Ruf1es
was carried off by the balloons, but it is
the most exciting Of stories still. In the
long evenings when Rufles' father is
busy in his study with reports and pa.
pers and other tiresome things Ruf1es
draws a cassock up to his mothers knee
and says, Nov, MON, tell me how
daddy found me when the balloons were
carrying me away" Then Rutfles'
mother twists her fingers in the curIs
which Rutfies secretly hopes to get rid
of before long, and her eyes shine with
the memory of the terrible night when
she thought her poor little son was the
victim of the jungle beasts.
"It was when the regiment was sta
toned in a little fort up in the hills
neal King Williams Town." says she.
"There had been fighting with the
Kafirs, and just the minute it was over
you and 1 and Nurse O'Brien set off in
bullock carts to see your daddy. When
we got there, they made a great well
come for you, because you were the first
white baby ever seen in that part Of
India. We had taken your perambulator
along, and Nurse O'Brien used to wheel
you about in the kloof." As Ruf1es had
been raised in India he, of course, knew
that the "kloof" was simply a space in
the jungle where trees and bushes had
been cleared away, so that prowling
beasts or providing Kafirs might not
come too near. That was before Nurse
O'Brien married Sergeant Brown, con-
tinued Rutles' mother.
"Of course" said Rufles sagely.
"Her name wasn't Brown them"
"Correct!" said Rut11es' mother with
what Rufiles called her ''young lady
"Now," she continued, whether it
Nurse O'Brien's fault or Sergeant
Browns fault that you were carried off
by the balloons hasn't ever been set.
"Wasn't it both of their faults?" in
Ruffles.
~ rather think it was" replied his
mother, Though they haven't yet
to that between themselves. At
any rate, every one knew that when
O'Brien pushed your perambu.
lator about the kloof Sergeant Brown
walked along and talked to
Nurse O'Brien. 1t was a very wild,
place, our fort was, not near
y as nice a station as this, where you
1ave lots of little friends to go to school
With you"
Wasn't there any school there?"
lsked Rufles.
"Not a sign Of one," replied his
"Not a school within 400
niles. Why, they couldn't have had a
ohool for just one little white baby,
'ou know"
Ruf1es was silent and breathed a sigh
which might have indicated that even
his frontier hardship could be borne by
'atriotic infants.
"Nearly every night" continued his
"the9 balloons used to come all
ound the kloof, jumping in the trees
nd bowling like-like''-
Like this" said Rufies, bowling
eautifully.
''Just like that" said his mother.
Well,' che continued, lone night you
we're out in your perambulator, and
'urse O'Brien and Sergeant Brown
ERE talking very busily. Suddenly there
'as an awful howl right at their elbows,
the perambulator was overturned.
Before either Of them could guess
hat had happened four or five balloons
past them, and the very biggest
snatched you up in his arms and
IN off with you into the jungle. You
lst gave Ii little squeal, and the last
ley saw of you vas your ruf1es futter.
lg in the moonlight as the baboon car.
ed Won RWav, When thav told mo =