Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-23

lost a boy. everybody'll know it, probably.
Jake, you go over Lyon hill way Go by
and wake the Kelly people up they may
know something. He can't have come so
very far; his shoes are not quite worn out.
1t won't do to wait till morning; his moth
er would go crazy. Cut out now, fellows;
you'll soon get on the track. I'll look after
the little chap all right, and if Walker and
his gang show up. guess l can stand 'em
off till you get back. You'll find some one
that knows him.
AS they started he called out: Tell his
mother he is safe a church and sleeping
like a kitten
Jones hardly moved for an hour or more;
then thinking his charge might suffer from
cold. he was taken into the cabin and COW
cred up snug and warm in one of the hunks.
Walker arranged with the Bliss boys to
come over early N the morning and got
back to Mercur just before dark He
pushed open the cabin door, but hadn't time
to be surprised at the improved appearance
when his wife threw herself sobbing into
his has, arms and walled, "oh. John, our little
Minnie?' Jack is gone" she answered
I'VE come down on the stage this after
noon. The girls and I were fixing up the
wasn't out Of our sight five minutes. when
we looked, he was gone. and we can't find
him anywhere. Oh, our baby's lost, he'll
get killed, | know he will" and she COM
menced sobbing again.
Walker pulled himself together and got
the details when he was last seen and
Wnere, ana what nad Deen done, and then
said: You lie down, Minnie, and rest I'll
chap" She had the woman who had
brought her in and forced her to take a
rest, told how the whole camp was out and
every foot of ground and every prospect
hole for mile had been examined Mrs
Walker was sure he had fallen down some
shaft and been killed. but her husha nd
poohpoohed the idea and said It was all
nonsense. Jack simply wandered around
until he got tired and then went to sleep
u u. sage bush and had been overlook
ed There wasn't the least danger in the
world. and his wife was foolish to worry 40
about 1t. He knew he lied, but it wouldn't
DO any good to tell her the ground was
covered with abandoned shafts from ten
to zoo feet deep into which the little feet
might stray.
He didn't want any supper, and, without
seeing the girls, who were still out took a
canteen Of water and went to find his boy.
From that time till morning the scattered
searchers on the hill and the prospector in
his cabin heard every three or four minutes
the big voice, now near, now far away.
! now hopeful, now almost a wall, but always
loud and clear: Jack, papa is looking for
YOU; Jack. answer papa" Stay where
you are. and Jackie call to papa" Soon
everybody caught the idea Calls were
heard all over the hills. but the loudest and
most constant the one that never rested.
was the cry. "Papa's looking for his little
boy; call to papa, Jack" After daylight,
just as the sun was glistening the snow
capped peaks to the west, and transform
ing each rock and sagebrush on the hills
into thing of beauty. while the canyons
ana the valley to the south were still in
shadow. Walker. hatless and bleeding from
many fall but as tireless as ever, found
himself facing a wall tent that he didn't
recognize, but somewhere near his claim
| as he reckoned it. He walked toward II
and as he did Ben Jones stepped from
| behind. with cooked rifle at his shoulder
| and called out stop there, John Walker
| you are trespassing my ground with.
out stacking. Walker answered: "I don't
| care whose ground I'm on; I'm looking for
! my boy Have you seen little boy up this
| way?" Jones lowered his gun as he
yours, Walker?' "Yes,emy little three-vear-
| him." %
| Without word the young miner took the
other by the shoulder and pushed him into
| the tent. A glance showed the child, still
| sound asleep, with one chubby hand under
the tangled curls With a cry of Jack. INV
little Jack!' the father had his baby in his
arms and there were two big miners crying
| like women
Little Jack was as administrative as any,
body when he got his eyes open and found
| VINO mad him. When he got control of him.
self Walker asked Jones where he found
| him. AS the young man explained the ia
ther held his boy closer
how did you get him out. Jones:
| Went down and brought him up: he
lodged just above the jump or ''who
| wait to go and wake up a couple Of sleepy-
heads two hundred feet away when he was
ibid you go down that incline and bring
my boy up without any rope ON YOU Ben %
What could dor was the answer. .FYou
| know the incline Il could tell he was only
| q paoy. and II he moved he was gone -
"Yes. I know the incline; he was gone If
he moved, said Walker almost under his
| breath We'll" proceeded Jones, you
J wouldn't have sat down and waited for q