Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-23
Mi|iQan, WHkin & Co,

days, was intensely military. A civil
ian was for her a thing to look upon
with pity. not unmingled with con-
tempt. She insisted upon having her
frocks made of light blue kersey, OF
the a71e stuff as her fathers regimen
til trousers Her fayorite REFER was,
similarly, of dark-blue cloth, with cav
airy stamped brass buttons, and her
brown curls were usually adorned by
a cmall-sized forage cap with the
crossed saber badge complete.
In the advent CT the Weasel, Toonie
grasped an opportunity. Dress, sword
bolt and cap she had acquired, lut
one thing had been wanting-an or
derby! And, please, papa, may he have
a uniform
The laundresses and all others i'll
disposed toward the little Indian had
now no word to say. TCOnies orderly
became a feature of Fort s.. Where
the little girl went there went he,
even to accompanying her-at the reg
ulation distance behind, for Toonie
was nothing If not disciplinarian, and
kept him in his place-on her sudden
dashes, ponyback, into the surround
ing country, and about the post.
For him-when the big black eyes
softened, it was at Tconie's voice;
when he bent tC study his lesson it
was at Toonie's behest; when he re-
turned, as he did several times after
running away In search of savage free
dom, it was to stand meekly and
mournfully Before Toonie's fearful re-
Duke.
Sometimes the officers jol ed the lit
tie maid on her orderly, but never af-
ter the year in which she was and
the Weasel about 10.
She had dashed away on one of her
wilful trips of exploration, followed
at a gallop by the Weasel. 1t was
glaring summer time, and by the river
far from the post grew big red plums
in succulent profusion, cool and juicy.
To feast on these at leisure the girl
dismounted, and the Weasel tied the
ponies ID a tree.
He was not yet finished with tliJ
office, TOonie plunging at once into
the bu1nes, when the boy was star
tied by terrible cry. He quickly
made the ponies fast and darted to
the child's aid. She sat upon the
ground in fearful fright, white and
sobbing.
The snake. The snake." she cried.
"a great big rattlesnake-it bit me"
The little Indian did not hesitate;
he did not lose his head At some
time In his life with his own people,
he must have witnessed some such
scenes, for now he acted with decision
and knowledge in case where a white
boy would have been helpless.
He tore the low shoe and little
stocking away, and there already was
the swelling redness of the serpent s
bite. He owned knife, the gift of a
brotherly trooper, and this be whipped
out.
In spite Of her screams the grimly
silent Weasel seized the leg and de-
liberately and firmly cut into the flesh
around the wound until a portion was
hacked out. To the cut he applied
his lips and sucked vigorously.
Toonie's shrieks and how1s filled the
air, but the boy uttered never word,
only stopping now and then to peer
into his mistress blue and frightened
eyes anxiously. These did not dim;
her rigor did not lessen, and the
Weasel sucked away with confidence.
At last he took her handkerchief
and bound up the wound, dragged her
to her pony and helped her mount.
The Weasel rode by her side at a
tear gallop back to the post and
straight to the hospital. The doctor
applied his remedies, but they were
not needed, for the rude promptitude
of the Indians action had drawn the
poison
And now his position was firmly as
sured. No longer did trumpeter
Tommy have to bear ridicule on ac-
count Of his pet; no more did the
iaundresses dare to speak to him as an
outrageous heather. But the Weasel
seemed to care absolutely nothing for
compliments and praise. He was con-
scious that he had saved Toonie's
life, and in many little ways he
showed that he considered himself no
longer merely her messenger, but her
duly authorized protector.
In the passage of time it became
necessary for the girl to desert the
wild but healthful life of the western
plains and go east to be educated.