The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1906-07-19
boughs. Both lay in the freight, Oar

The tale was Trove's own solution of
his life mystery, shrewdly come to aft
er long and careful survey of the
known facts. And now, shortly, time
was to put the seal of truth upon 1t
and daze him with astonishment and
fill him with regret of his cunning. 1t
should be known that he had never
told Darrell or any one Of his coming
In the little red sleigh.
He lay thinking for time after the
tinker spoke; then he began:
swell, the time is 1885, the place
New England city on the sea. Chapter
IA young woman Is walking along a
street. with child sleeping In her
arms. She Is dark skinned--a Syrian.
1t Is growing dusk. The street Is de-
serted save by her and two sailors.
who are approaching her. They. too,
are Syrians. One seems to strike her
1t is mere pretense, however-and she
falls. The other selzes the child, who,
having been drugged. Is still asleep. A
wagon Is waiting near. They drive
away hurrledly, their captive under a
blanket The kldnapers make for the
woods in New Hampshire. officers of
the law drive them far. They abandon
their horse, tramping westward over
trails In the wilderness. bearing the
boy In a sack OF sailcloth. open at the
top. They had guns and killed their
food as they Travelled. Snow came
deep. BY and by game was scarce
and they had grown weary of bearing
the boy on their backs. One waited In
the woods with the little lad while the
other went away to some town or city
for provisions He came back. hauling
them In a little sleigh. 1t was much
like those made for the delight Of the
small boy In every land of snow. 1t
had box painted red and two bobs
and little dashboard. They used 1t
for the transportation Of boy and i'm
pedlmenta.
''In the deep wilderness beyond the
Adlrondacks they found a cave In one
Of the rock ledges. They We're twenty
miles from any postofiice, but shortly
discovered one. Letters In cipher were
soon passing between them and their
confederates. They learned there was
no prospect Of getting the ransom. He
they had thought rich was not able to
raise the money they required or any
large sum. Two years went by, and
they abandoned hope. What should
they do with the boy? One advised
murder, but the other defended him. II
was unnecessary. he maintained, to
kill mere baby, who KIN ; not
word Of English and would forget all
In a month. And murder would only
increase their peril. Now. eight miles
from their cave was the cabin Of a
settler. They passed within mile of
It on their way out and In. They had
often met the dog Of the settler rowing
after small game-a shepherd. trustful,
affectionate and ever ready to make
friends. One day they captured the
dog and took him to their cave. They
could not safely be seen with the boy.
SO they planned to let the dog go home
with him In a little red sleigh. Now,
the settlers cabin was. like that of my
father, on the shore Of pond. 1t was
round, as a cups rim. and a mile or
SO In diameter. Opposite the cabin a
trail came to the waters edge, skirting
the pond, save In cold weather, when
II crossed the Ice. They waited for
night when their tracks would soon
disappear. Then, having made cover
of the sailcloth sack In which they had
brought the boy and stretched 1t on
withes and made It fast to the sleigh
box, they put the sleeping boy In the
sleigh, with hot stones wrapped In pa
per and a robe of fur to keep him
warm, hitched the dog to 1t and came
over hill and trail to the little pond
awhile after midnight. Here they buc-
kled ring Of bells on the dogs neck
and released him. He made for his
home ON the clear Ice, the bells and his
bark sounding as he ran. They at the
cabin heard him coming and opened
their door to dog and traveller. So came
my hero In little red sleigh and was
adopted by the settler and his wife and
reared by them with generous affec-
ton. Well, he goes to school and learns
rapidly and comes to manhood. It's
pretty story-that of his life In the big
woods. But now for the love tale.
He meets young lady-sweet. tender.
graceful, charming"
"a moment said Darrell. raising his
hand. "Prithee, boy. ring down the
curtain for brief parley. Thou say'st
they were Syrians-they that stole the
lad. Now, tell me. hast thou reason
for that7"
Ample" said Trove. "when they
took him out of the sleigh the first
words he spoke were 'Anah jouhan.'
He used them many times. and while
- forgot they remembered them.
Now, 'Anah Jouhan' is a phrase Of the
Syrian tongue. meaning. I am hun
gry."
"Very WELL" said the old man, with
emphasis. "and sailors. That is a Just
inference. II was big port. and far
people came on the four winds. Very
we'll Now, for the young lady. An
away with thy book unless love her."
"She is from life-a simple hearted
girl, frank and beautiful and Trove
hestated, looking into the dying nre.
"Nobls, boy. Make sure O. that. an
nobler. too, than girls are apt to be. II
Emulation would measure height with
her see that 1t stand upon tlptoes."
80 have planned. The young man
loves her. She Is In every thought and
purpose. She has become as the rock
on which his hope is founded. Now
he loves honor, too, and all things Of
good reDort He has been reared n