St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-10-07
He Moved No More.
[Original.1

ID the distance. his attitude uenOteu
surprise. He nervOusly ran his thumb
under his left gallus. thrust the other
hand in his pocket, took 1t out AMI
shaded his eyes with it. His had been
the only cabin within ten miles, and
now, since he had visited this part of
his domain, a log hut had gone up
within two miles of him and smoke
was curling from the chimney.
Starting forward, he triangulated his
cowhide boots toward the strange edi
fee. When he reached it he looked in
at the open door The only sound was
from a loud ticking clock A child
about six months Old lay asleep in
crib manufactured from the limbs of
the trees growing on the ground the
bark remaining where nature had
placed it. The man entered the
room-there was but one-approached
the child and looked down upon it
with a singular expression on his
weather beaten face Then he put his
brown forefnger under its pink and
white dimpled hand. and the little
ones fingers frightened on it.
Presently he went to the door and
looked out No one was in sight He
turned. -four barrel stood in a cor
ner Dipping his finger in SCOT on the
chimney he wrote on the barrel head:
Dere Sur. don't want no naburs Ell
you wont sell out to me ! got to move.
SIRIUS MOFFATI.
Mr. Moffatt, having written his mes
sage. left the premises, casting a part
ing glance at the slumbering child
That night he slept but little. For
years he had been moving away from
his fellow men He didn't mind bears
or coyotes or snakes, for they were his
legitimate prey If not companionable,
but he didn't like men, because he said
there's law agin shootin EN-"
He had moved many times and now.
being over forty years old. was be
coming averse 10 change. Yet here
was a family settled right under his
nose.
He waited a week thinking that his
neighbOr would communicate with
him, but he didn't So at the same
time of. day C in the morning. as he
had made his first visit he made an
other He found the same conditions
The door stood open the clock ratified
Off the seconds the child slept But
there was one thing new. On a board
over the fireplace intended for a man
tel rested the lid of a cracker box on
which was written:
WON'T BUY OR SELL.
Cyrus looked disappointed He turn
ell to the child Five rosy toes peeped
from under a blanket The man took
the big toe between his thumb aud
finger very gingerly. 1t seemed made
of wax. and he was afraid of crushing
it. Then he put his forefnger again
in the little palm to feel the clutch of
the pink fingers and when it came a
grin overspread his ugly features
Then he walked to the fireplace read
the message again and grew serious
1t angered him. Turning the box lid
over. he wrote on the other side:
I'm cumin TO morrer mornen at this
time to drive YOU out
AS he was leaving he again caught
sight Of the child, paused, glanced
back at the message he had written.
pondered, then stalked out of the house
and away.
The next morning, taking down his
rifle from the wall, he went to his
neighbours cabin. He expected that
this time he would find his man and
what other members of the family
there might be- He was surprised to
find only the child 1t was awake. 1t
had kicked off its blanket, and pair
of chubby little legs were high in the
air. 1t smiled at him. Approaching.
he clasped its two ankles in his great
wrinkled fists. The child made a grab
for his red beard and pulled sturdily.
The noisy clock had licked away
some twenty minutes when the child
suddenly took 1t into its head to squat
Cyrus looked about for something to
appease it. and, seeing a nursing bottle
half full of milk. he put the nipple
into the little ones mouth. But it
continued to squat, thrusting its arms
forward Cyrus took it up, sat down
in the only chair in the room. gave it
the bottle, and it was happy. SO was
be.
Now, Cyrus had set his rifle against
the chimney and was not in a position
either offensive or defensive. He was
ta-ta-ing and ba-ba-ing to the child as
women do when suddenly he heard a
voice say:
Hans up, Stranger
The voice was a soft one, but Cyrus
started. Looking up, he saw a woman
standing in the doorway, covering him
with a revolver.
81 can't" said Cyrus, "thout drop
pin the baby"
"Y' come over to drive me out.
did y"
The words were not spoken in a
fierce tone Indeed, the woman was
laughing at the picture before her.
where's yer MANI
"Hain't got no man. I'm a wilder
woman. My man died before the child
was born"
Here were lone woman and child
trying to get on without their natural
protector. the most touching of all CON