Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-04-22
STOLEN BY APES.

This is the story of Ruf1les, who got
his funny little name i'll a farotf East
Indian army post, and it tells how he
came near being adopted by tribe Of
baboons just about the time when he
got his name.
Rutlles is quite big boy now When
his father, who is captain i'll the
British Indian army, comes home after
parade, Rutties can carry his big saber
quite like soldier, and he can 90
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 own home he
can make his mother 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 he mussed and sends one Of
the black servants to receive the caller
Then, of course, Rutfles 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 i'll the least what it is all
about
1t was long time ago when Rutfles
was carried off by the baboons, but it is
the most exciting of stories still. In the
long evenings when Rutfles' father is
busy i'll his study with reports and pa
pers and other tiresOme things Rutilcs
draws q CassOck up to his mothers knee
and says, Now, NOM, tell me how
daddy found me when the babOOns were
carrying me away" Then Rut1les
mother twists her fingers III the curls
which RutIles secretly hopes to get rid
of before long, and her eyes shine with
the memory of tho terrible night when
she thought her poor little son was the
victim of the jungle beasts,
1T was when the regiment was sta
toned in a little fort up in the hills
near King Williams Town, says she
There had been fighting with the
Katfirs, and just the minute it was over
you and | and Nurse O. 'Brien set off in
bullock carts to see your daddy. When
we got there, they made great well
come for you, because you We're the first
white baby ever seen i'll that part of
India We had taken your perambulator
along, and Nurse O Brien used to wheel
you about i'll the kloof. :" AS Rutfles had
been raised i'll India he, of course knew
that the "klCOf" was simply space i'll
the jungle where trees and bushes had
been cleared away, so that prowling
beasts or prowling Katfirs might not
come too near. That was before Nurse
O'Brien married Sergeant Brown, con
tinued Ruttles' mother,
"Of course, said Rut1les sagely
Her name wasn't Brown then
Correct" said Rutfles' mother with
what Ruf1les called her young lady
laugh. ="
Now" she continued, whether it
was Nurse O Brien's fault or Sergeant
Browns fault that you were carried off
by the balloons hasn't ever been set
tied"
Wasn't it both of their faults?" in
quired Rut1ies.
81 rather think it was, replied his
mother, Though they haven't yet
agreed to that between themselves. At
any rate, every one knew that when
Nurse O'Brien pushed your perambu-
lator about the kloof Sergeant Brown
always walked along and talked to
Nurse O'Brien. 1t was a very wild,
lonesome place, our fort was, not near
ly as nice a station as this, where you
have lots of little friends to 90 to school
with you.
Wasn't there any school there:'
asked Ruflles.
Not a sign of one, replied his
mother. "Not a school within 200
miles. Why, they couldn't have had a
school for just one little white baby,
you know"
Rut1les was silent and breathed a sigh
which might have indicated that even
this frontier hardship could be borne by
patriotic infants.
Nearly every night, )" continued his
/ hother, "the balloons used to come all
round the kloof jumping in the trees
and bowling like-like"-
Like this, said Ruflles, bowling
beautifully.
JuSG lIhc IutIt, slll lis lIOIucl'
well, she continued, lone night you
were out in your perambulator, and
| Nurse O'Brien and Sergeant Brown
We're talking very busily. Suddenly there
| was an awful howl right ut their elbows,
and the perambulator was overturned.
"BefOr0 either Of them could guess
| what had happened four or five balloons
rushed past them, and the very biggest
enc snatched you up i'll his arms anG
ran off with you into the jungle. You
! just gave one little squeal, and the last
they saw OF you was your ruf1les tlutteI,
1 inu in tho rnoou1iObt nc tba ba hOcn n.,r-