Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1908-01-30

of the trau. The horses which had
been attached to it browsed upon the
weeds.
A campfire had been started beside
the wagon, and neal it. his hands hold.
ing his head and his elbows Oh his
knees, was a flannel shirted and un.
kempt man.
He did not look up until the boys
called to him, and then he raised a
worn. anxious. hopeless face.
"Anything the matter?" Joe asked.
eyes. something's the matter. It's
the little one.' He motioned toward
the wagon.
"Sick?" asked Joe.
eyes, and maybe dying. I've come
for days from the west, calculating to
take the child home to the old folks in
Missouri, but the little codger couldn't
stand the journey"
The boys slipped to the ground and
by the light of the fire approached the
back part of the wagon. They drew
aside the cover and let the freight
into the interior.
A child hardly more than a baby was
moaning on the bed Of straw within.
Cant we help you?" asked Joe anx.
iously.
II don't know. I've tried to find a
doctor, but | don't seem to make out.
Maybe the folks are afraid Of me. Any
how they don't seem to want me
around, and now I've clean lost my
way"
"Ill tell you what We'll d." said Joe.
well take you home. Papa can doe
tor people,"
"But the harness, Joe?" said Give.
"That's so. l forgot it. Well, III
tell you-you drive home with the man,
and I'll go to the store. 1 amt afraid"
In a few minutes the emigrant was
on the road toward the Mangold cabin
with Give, while Joe, his courage just
a little weakened by the appearance of
the still darkening sky, was riding rap
idly in the other direction.
"My goodness, who's this!" exclaim-
ed the s%torekeeper as he was putting
up the blinds of the lonely prairie store
for the night. He could hardly believe
his eyes when the young rider pre-
scented himself.
"And you've come all this way
alone?" he said when he had heard
Joe's story. well, my boy, you must
be a good one. Look here! Pm going
home with you"
Ho nI1t n bic oyarooat an1 yvro nna1
a shawl about the slender boys Shout
ders.
Come" he said, picking up a bundle
which Joe thought was certainly too
large to contain nothing more than the
piece of harness, "let's 60"
Together they mounted the horse,
and through the falling rain the two
rode on mile after mile, the steady
swish of the horses feet through the
dead grass being the only sound to
break the stiffness Of the night.
At last the faint light in the cabin
of the Mangolds shone across the plain,
and a few moments afterward the
storekeeper and the boy had entered
the house.
81 tell you what" said the s%torekeep-
er the mex evening when a group of
settlers had gathered about his fire, ''it
wasn't a pleasant sight. There was
the baby moaning and suffering, while
the little was trying to COM
fort it. Over in the other corner was
Mangold himself"
"The old man, eh?' said the squire.
Hes sick, boys-pretty sick. He's
been a kind of doctor in the east, but
was ordered out here for his health.
He hasn't been able to go about any
since he came, and his brave little wife
and the two boys have looked after ev-
erything."
"That's it, eh?'
eyes. And, besides that, out of all
of US they were the n e to take care
of the camper. The poor fellow was
about discouraged. and it was a god.