The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-04-21

of the trail The horses which hao
been attached to it browsed upon the
weeds.
A campfire had been started beside
the wagon and near it. his hands hold
ing his head and his elbows on his
knees. was flannel shirted and un
kempt man.
He did not look up until the boys
called to him, and then he raised
worn. anxious. hopeless face.
Anything the matter:" Joe asked.
eyes. something's the matter. It's
the wagon.
"Sick?" asked joe
Yes, and maybe dying. I've CONT
for days from the west, calculating tt
take the child home to the old folks il
Missouri but the little codger couldn'
stand the journey"
The boys slipped to the ground anC
by the light of the fire approached the
back part of the wagon. They drew
aside the cover and let the treligh
into the interior
A child hardly more than baby was
moaning on the bed of straw within.
Cant we help you?" asked Joe anx
iously
Il don't know. I've tried to find {
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 m!
way"
"I'll tell you what We'll do" said Joe
"We'll take you home. Papa can doe
tor people"
"But the harness, Joe?" said Cive.
That's so. | forgot it. Well, III
tell you-you drive home with the man,
ard I'll go to the store. 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 storekeeper 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 Nv \, my boy, you must
be a good one. Look here! I'm going
home with you"
He put on his overcoat and wrapped
a shawl about the slender boys shoul
ders
Come" he said picking up bundle
| which Joe thought was certainly toe
large to contain nothing more than the
piece of harness, lets go"
Together they mounted the horse
and through the falling rain the tive
rode on mile after mile, the steady
swish of the horses feet through the
dead grass being the only sound tC
break the stiffness of the night.
At last the faint light in the cabil
OF the Mangolds shone across the plain
and a few moments afterward tht
storekeeper and the boy had entered
the house
81 tell you what" said the storekeep
er the next evening when Il group OF
settlers had gathered about his fire, i
wasn't a pleasant sight. There was
the baby moaning and suffering, while
the little woman was trying to com
fort it, Over in the other corner was
Mangold himself
1.-THE old man, eh?' said the squire
Hes sick. boys-pretty sick. He's
been kind of doctor in the east, bu
was ordered out here for his health
He hasn't been able to go about any
since he came. and his brave nttle wife
and the two boys have looked after ev
erything."
THAT'S it, eh?''
eyes. And, besides that. out of al
of us they were the ones to take care
Of the camper. The poor fellow was
about discouraged. and it was god
NJ ~ y