Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1900-04-28
CHAPTER XVIII,


Not trace Of the lost horses had been
found. Tho search had been long and
thorough, but at last Il had been thought
best by oil concerned to abandon II, bc.
cuuse there seemed nothing more 70 be
done. Every possible effort to and clue
to the mystery had been made, ind the
mystery was more perplcxins now than
ae the start. t.p
I'VE hain't got nothin' to work on"
said Deacon Snyder. II wish We cd find
the critters, but we don't seem to be per-
mitted tn do 80, an I s'pose twas the
Lords will that sh'd lose 'cm. SO dun.
nos sh'd grumblc. but" .....
But he couldn't help feeling that he
would have planned things differently had
he been the Lord.
Hope Oh Portcr'll hev his STOLE" Bill
Green said more than once, smarting over
his disappointment ut Dicks escape. lie
felt us 1t II safe to suppose a blood.
hound feels when cheated Of Its victim.
ut would sarve him Jest right to lose
EN-. It would 50. fer stickin' up fer Dick
Brayton."
For Bill felt sure, oil along. that II
Mr.. Porter knew nothing Of how Dick
got away. he was glad that he was gone.
And Bill was right about that. -a..t
After the search for the horses was
abandoned, a sort Of still hunt for Dick
began by those who believed that he
might still be lurking In the ueighbor-
hood. 1t was not systematic, but It was
kept up pcrsistcntly for a time. Dick
had no trouble In cluding those who
sought for him. 1t Ii not an easy matter
to capture a man In u wilderness when
he knows that he IL being hunted. Know.
Ing this, Dick could govern bis actions In
such manner as to throw them on tho
scent.
Bill Green and few Of his cronies
held to the belief that Dick was still In
the vicinity Of Brownsville, but where
they couldn't determine: but they meant
to find out. II possible. Therefore they
kept up their search for ut least a week,
but finding nothing ut the end Of that
time. they concluded TINT II was not nd.
visablc to neglect their farm work longer,
aud they, too, gave up the search In
measure, though Bill said they'd all keep
their eyes peeled, for they thought run
on to suthn' when they want expectin'
to-"
"I'm dead sure o one thing" said that
astute individual, IAN that is. that he
won't dare to show his face insi'e the set.
tlcmunt. Fer he knows Of he did it'd be
mark Tor somebody to shoot at, the
minnit they got a glimpse OF It,"
Two weeks went By, md then a new
excitement took the place Of the old one.
From secular matters the minds Of the
residents OF Brownsville turned to spir.
itunl ones.
There was to be a camp mceting--the
first one ever held In Brownsville. "C0n-
ference" had graciOusly seen tit to grant
that this opportunity for the Outpour-
Ing OF the spirit should be afforded the
settlers In this frontier region. and they
hailed the prospect with that delight
which occasions Of this kind always az.
new or an old one.
In those days. more than at present,
camp meetings were held to be events
that were not 10 be passed over lightly.
They were considered something IN the
light OF religious carnival. Tho inter.
est OF every one IN the neighbOrhOod and
Its vicinity was aroused and excited. 1t
mattered not whether they were saints
or sinners, whether they considered them
selves rs of the elect or the unrcgeneratc,
they were all Interested alike. The elect
attended to pray for the welfare OF the
nOn-elect. and for spiritual strengthening
aud rcfreshment for church and individ-
,lnl; and the unrcgenerate went to be
amused. possibly benefited, and because
everybody else would be- sure to be there.
The social feature was one of the chief
attractions which abe camp meeting held
out to young and old In those days. Ii
there was not u growth In grace as the
result OF attendance, they certainly felt
better acquainted with their neighbors.
II jest delight in II camp mectin'," said
Mrs. Boone TO Mrs. Porter, us they sat
talking about the treat In store for the
BrOwnsvillians. ITS jest like a great
long visit, or picnic that holds over.
always calkilated on Citing lots o. good
out o. camp mectin's, when ] us't to 20
TO 'en,, down East, spiritually an other
wise. The very las one | went to got
that recipe for salt-risin' bread from Mis-
David Slocun,, an the pattern l made
my red nm black delaine up by. You re-
member that red IN black delainc, don't
We? There IL some OF 1t In that there
chair cushi'n ye're settin' Oh this min
nit. An when Mamie was baby an
had the 'hoopin' cough, ! got some drops
Of OIL Mis- Spratt. that lived down by
Hunts Holer, that did her more good
than all the doctors stuff. Mis- Spratt,
she was a master han when there was
sickness round. I've allus thought, an
l allus shall. that ct we'd had hcs When
6Ol0mOu's father was sick an died. mid