Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-10-20
KNIGHT RUPERT OF WALDEN.


at least it is during ten months Of til
year But when the July and August
heat drives n.en. women and children
0Gt of the great cities. many of them
lnd their va. 10 this village of Wal
den.
Then it is that the quiet little ham
let becomes gay, hrstlin2 town. The
his hotel opens lis doors and its win
d0ws, flags float from the poles. and
every cottager who can spare a room
and bed has one or more guests.
For aIarsem@ut the guests engage
in all the gan es and l,a-ltm@s that arc
usual in such places but the great
thing at Walden is th4 walking eXcur=
sien into the forest or up some Of tn
mountain paths. Fer these excursions
a guide is required and most popular
OF all the 2Gs1es Is Rupert. The woods
man. Ne ore else knows the noun.
tains as h knows Ghem; 10 one else
has the Iron endurance he has. or
knows 50 wen what 10 do in times OF
emergency.
This Rupert has become d general
favorite. ana many an extra coin has
he earuad b& Ms Kind and thoushtfni
attentions.
Last summer there came to Walden
Mr. ana Mrs Boldt and their littla
i
Rupert has a Wnsome little girl o.
his own. Hiida by name, about the
same age and the two children soon
knew each other we'll enough to play
pleasantly together. When Mr.. and
Mrs Boldt We're away for the day Wi h
some party that Rupert was guiding.
Gretchen and her nurse would spend
q great deal Of their time with Hilia
at Rupert's cottage
On one Of these days the party came
home and found the whole place in
the greatest excitement. Nurse had
walked tn=the outskirts of city with
the children. and had sat down by the
girls played together near by. Pres
entlv Hilda was heard calling: "Gretch'
en-, Gretchen. Where is Gretchen?'
Nurse joined in the call and search
but no Gretchen could be found. In
dismay she went to the hotel with Hill
de and gave the alarm. Parties forM-
ed hurriedlv and hunted every nook
and corner for mile around. If tn
child had been carried away by g'-
gantic eagle her disappearance could
rot have been more complete.
Runners were sent to The mountains
to find the parents and tell them the
painful news On their return the
ground was gone over again even more
carefully than before. The small lake
the ONLY place near where she coull
have fallen into the water, was on the
opposite side of the town. Bears had
not been seen near the village for
years and strangely enough Hilda had
heard no screams All Hilda could tel
was that Gretchen ran away to hide
while she covered her eyes, but that
Gretcen never called ready
When Rupert heard the story he
closed his teeth tightly and spoke the
one word. ''kidnaped!" Mr.. Boldf
could hardly believe it: but Rupert had
known the desperate Max CAM Tor
many years, and he knew, too that
Max had an evil eye No deed was too
wicked, no plot too dark for him.. IL
was worth mans life to approach the
log house half way up the mountain
side where the outlaw lived, and 1t
would be almost certain death to 90
50 now, if what Rupert believed was
actually true. For the time Rupert
told no one of his suspicious.
Meanwhile. the search continued.
On the third day a letter reached Mr..
Boldt, saying that if he would com"
alone to a certain place where two
wood roads crossed, and leave large
bag of gold an hour before dawn.
August "a. his daughter would be LETT
at the same spot that morning at sun
rise But Mr.. Boldt must come alone,
and must do precisely as directed,
ANY attempt to do otherwise would
cause both Mr.. Boldt and the little
girl to lose their lives. So the robber
said.
It was vet two days before the 24th.
Rupert told no one his plans, but re-
solved to take long chance on captur-
ing the bandit and rescuing Gretcheh
before the place for the rendezvous
was reached.
The letter to Mr. Boldt had not peea
signed. but Rupert was more and more
convinced that Max was the gulltN