The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-07-28
BABY OF THE HILLS.

The men were on their way from Fiat
head Lake TO Afissoula, passing By Clear
water in the hot of the noon Rio Grande
Biz was in the party and Lasso Mack
and several others who had been IN Parks
with Buffalo Bill. Another Of the riders
was q tall. heavily built, German look
ing 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
TO the top Of the bank. almost in sight OF
St Clouds peak. a man came running
toward them. nondescript man, who held
one hand high and said, "Sh-h-h," with
a pleading gesture. As he was unarm-
ed, the riders halted. and he came up
70 them, almost GREATNESS
My wagons beyond there" he said.
with a nod Of his head toward knoll.
and there's something going to happen
Ny woman's wrestling sick Can't you
tote by easy hke?'
'Yaas." said Rio Grande Bill. But
what's going to happenT'
L think it's a kid" answered the
man, wiping the sweat of his red fore
head and looking quite worried. He eX-
planned that he was a mover" from
the Ravali country. bound for what is
now known as Kalispel. His wife had
been taken suddenly i'll as they halted
for the noon meal. Her isister was with
her and aiding her. He thought in a
few moments everything might be over
and he relieved of his anxiety He had
seen the horsemen coming, and ne deemed
il best that no outside noise should ha-
rass the already strained nerves Of his
woman" He apologized for disturbing
the gentlemen, but at such times strange
Things must happen. He had never been
a father before. and he really did not
know 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
know if the movers woman" was safely
over her trouble. As Rio Bill was cap
tain of the party, the others acqUiesced-
They dismounted and stretched them
selves 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 deck of cards
from his shirt and was dealing solitaire.
The German lay on his stomach and
poked finger holes in the sand. RIO Bill
mended his quirt.
Back in the wagon one woman was
bending over another AS for the heat
it came in waves, bistering the stream.
baking the land, making dreams of cool
mountain waters wild fantasies of disor-
dered brains. The mover" came back
from his wagon carrying a bucket, which
he filed with river water. Then he apol-
ogeucally 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.
My womans ali right" he said. with
a sweep of his hat which took n 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 a smile go
over his face. Mack threw back his long.
black locks Of hair and gathered together
his cards. The German rose and began
to heck the dust from his rough cloth
ing. He drew his cieels together, betray-
ing early training in the army. He wait
ed for some one else to take the lead
Rio Bill looked sheepishly at him and
then, shaking a spurred boot, advanced.
The radiant father was ahead. The knoll
was passed. and the rude wagon came IN
view. The front covers were drawn close
", but the father headed for the rear
end. A feed box was attached to this
It was filed with packed hay. and on
that, shaded from the sun by bit of tar
pauiin. lay the child, wrapped in an old
tablecloth. Back of the child and in the
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
watched its fists dig into it's closed eyes,
thought he ought, to say something, but
could not, dove in his pocket for silver
dollar. found it and aid it in the box.
Lasso Mack did likewise. The mother
put out q brown hand. and they awk-
wardly uncovered and grasped it.
Il thank you, gentlemen said she.
The baby cried. and her hand went down
TO its face. and her voice croOned to IL.
The German came forward; the man
who had once filed theaters and made
even classic Boston applaud him until
ceilings trembled. He, too. looked down
upon the child and laid a silver dollar by
it. But he spoke also:
Alexander died. Alexander was bu-
ried. Alexander returneth into dust; the
dust is earth: of earth we make loan
No one understood him, but he bowed
most gracefully 10 the mother and pass
ed on TO where the others were waiting
by their horses. He had in a sense chris
tened the child in his own fashion with
a word from Hamlet" and, although
the child probably never knew it. this
man VINO stood above il for an instant
was Daniel Banduann, one Of the first
German tragedians OF his day and the
first to render Hamlet in German in this
country. -Chicago Record Herald.