The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-20
THE BABE OF CLEARWATER.


III. T. Cleveland in Chi Record-Herald- ]
The men were on their way from
Flathead Lake to AIfssoula, passing by
Clearwater in the hot Of the noon. Rio
Grande Bill was in the party and Lasso
Mack and several others who had been
in Paris with Buffalo Bill Another Of
the riders was a tall, heavily built.
German looking fellow. with long gray
hair.
The little cavalcade rode hard by the
waters OF the stream, searching for the
ford. Once at the spot they plunged
in, Watered their sun baked horses,
then pushed for the other side. AS they
came 10 the top OF the bank, almost in
sight Of St Clouds peak a man came
running toward them, a nondescript
man, who held one hand high and said,
''sh-h-h," with a. pleading gesture. AS
he was unarmed, the riders halted, and
he came up to them, almost breathless-
My wagons beyond there" he said,
with nod Of his head toward a knoll,
land there's something going to hap
PEN My womans wrestling sick Can
you tote by easylilxe2'
"Yaas." said Rio Grande Bill. But
what's going to happen? ~
Il think it's a kid answered the
man, wiping the sweat of his red fore
head and looking quite worried. He
explained that he was a mover" from
the RavalH country, bound for what
had been taken suddenly i'll as they
halted for the noon meal Her sister
was with her and aiding her. He
thought IN few moments everything
might be over and he relieved of his
anxiety. He had seen the hOrsemen
coming, and he deemed 1t best that no
outside noise should harass the already
strained nerves Of This woman" He
apologized for disturbing the gentle
men, but at such times strange things
must happen. He had never been ia
he. i MT
what to do. The German laughed and
muttered:
Ny soul is full of discord and dis
may"
It was Rio Bill who suggested that
a halt be made in the journey until it
be known if the movers woman" was
safely over her trouble. AS Rio Bill
was captain of the party, the others ac-
guessed. They dismounted and stretch
ed themselves on the rivers bank while
their horses idly grazed. No one talked
The mover" had gone back to his
wagon Lasso Mack had drawn a pack
of cards from his shirt and was dealing
solitaire. The German lay on his stom-
ach and pol1ed finger holes in the sand
Rio Bill nended his shirt.
Back in the wagon one woman was
bending over another. As for the heat,
1t came in waves, blfstering the stream.
baking the land, making dreams Of cool
mountain waters wild fantasies of dis
ordered brains The mover" came
back from his wagon carrying q buck
ct, which he filed with river water
Then he apologetcally passed the
waiting group and returned to his post.
Maybe he was gone ten minutes but
when he again returned there was a
note OF joy in his voice"
m woman's all right" he said, with
a sweep of his hat which took in not
only the group, but all the land Her
sister says as how you may see the kid |
YOU having been SO kind as not to dis
turb my woman
Rio Bill let the flicker Of smile go
over his face Mack threw back his /
long black locks Of hair and gathered /
and began to feck dust from his rough /
He drew his heels together, |
betraying early training in the army /
He waited. too, for some one else to i
take the lead. Rio Bill looked sheep |
ishly at him and then, shaking a spurr- |
ed boot, advanced. The radiant father /
was ahead. The knoll was passed, and 4
the rude wagon came in view. The Il
front covers were drawn closely, but I
the father headed for the rear end. A l
feed box was attached to this. Tt was I
filled with packed hay, and on that. |
shaded from the sun by an old tarpau- /
lin lay the child wrapped in an old /
tablecloth Back of the child and in the i
body Of the wagon could be seen the /
face of a. woman, a pinched, drawn face /
but not unhappy. Standing by the feed /
box was a young woman, the sister.
Rio Bill looked down on the baby, /
its fists dig into it's closed 1
eyes, thought he ought to say some
thing. but could not. dove in his pocket
FOR a silver. dollar, found it and laid it 4
In the box Iasso Mack did likewise. |
The mother put out a brown hand, and /
they awkwardly uncovered and grasped /
it,
THANK you, gentlemen" said she.
The baby cried, and her hand went
down to its face, and her voice crooned
to it.
The German came forward; the man
who had once filed theaters and made
even classic Boston applaud him until i
ceilings trembled- He, too, looked down
upon the child and laid silver dollar
by it. But he spoke also.
= Alexander died. Alexander was
buried, Alexander returneth into dust:
the dust IS earth; of earth we make
oam.''
No one understood him, but he bow
ed most gracefully to the mother and
passed on to where the others We're
waiting by their horses. He had in a
sense christened the child in his own
fashion with a word from Hamlet"
and, although the child probably never
knew it. this man who stood above it
for an instant was Daniel Bandmann,
one of the first German tragedians of
MS day and the first to render Hamlet
n German in this country.
SHOW FOR FUSION.
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