Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1902-07-10
IN THE DESERT.
PITIFUL FATE OF A LITTLE BOY
WHO WANDERED AWAY.
six-Year.O1d Lad Starts in wrong
Direction and, After Searching far-
+;as Had Sought Him for Four Days,
Is Found at the Point of Death.

The family Of Godfrey Hughes, q
member of the firm Of assayers oWhlhS
the Customs Assay office, recently went
TO spend the summer months visiting
friends who w a large II ABOUT
seventeen miles above Albuquerque.
The family consists Of the mother, t"o
sons and a daughter. One SATURDAY
the children asked permission to go 10
a corral some 800 yards away from the
house and on the other side OF a Knoll
that o%bstructed the corral from vie"
to play. Permission was granted, anu
the Youngsters bounded away for their
afternoon frolic. Soon the little sister
wearied and the older brother proposed
that they take her to the house. 10
this the younger brother, Emerson, who
was only 6 years old, demurred. as he
wished to play more. So the lde
brother took his sister to the mousse.
Upon arrival there the mother asked
where Is brother?" 1--WE left him
playing at the corral" said the boy.
The mother then sent him back for
the little truant. Shortly the messen-
ger came back painting from his u
| ried running, and exclaimed that his
brother was nowhere to be found; tnat
! he was not at the cOrrOl. The Irlgnt-
J ened mother hurried over to the corral
| and there found the report OF her boy
TO be true. She searched and searched,
but could find no trace Of the missing
| child. At last she came upon some lit
| tie footprints, showing that the chlio
had taken a direction opposite TO Wha'
he should have taken. and the harassed
mother became more and more alarmed
as the fact that her child had strayeO
and was in all probability lost became
apparent. She followed the footprints
for three miles and only ceased because
darkness was approaching and she was
powerless and had to call for lid. ~
rapidly as her nervous and exhausted
state would permit she retraced hel
! stems TO the house and alarmed TIT
household. Immediately a search party
was organized, and. despite the oncom
ing of night started out in quest OF thu
helpless child.
Through that disheartening night tn
weary search continued. And the mex
day the trained services Of seyenty-hV'
Indians were impressed and all tina
long and trying day the search wen
on. and yet no clew to the
THE grief and agony of the poor affict
ed mother were beyond consolation
The continued di~scOuraging report
that were from time to time brOugh
her only added to ~accentuate her SUI
ferings. The tracks could be followe
for a distance Of twelve miles n the
seemed to double upon themselves an
finally became lost. Without rest tn
their hopeless quest. The thought O
the poor little tot being out upon tn
dreary plains alone. without shelter o
food. wandering on with the helpless
ness of the lost, crying possibly wit
fright. tormented by the pangs Of hui
ger and thirst. was simply maddenin
to the poor mother and friends seen
ing so Helpless to terminate the tryin
situation.
All Of Sunday night the search col
tinued. and early Monday morning th
father, who had been ignorant of til
tragedy, was wired. He arrived thu
day and added his untiring efforts
those Of the large party already u
To think of the dreadful pathos Of
all. The pool child was not found unit
Wednesday morning. 1t was then four
by a Mexican, who carried the eXhaus
ed little form to his cabin, where IL
child fingered for three hours and the
passed away. The ordeal had bee
beyond the little ones endurance. III
remains were taken back to the ranC
ind next day were inferred in the Ger
etery Of the neiShboring village
PasO Times.
wARRi ING Ct ERIK CURED