A Waif of the Plains

essive hush of all nature. For the day's march had always been accompanied by the monotonous creaking of wheels and axles, and even the quiet of the night encampment

ould only come now-while she still slept. For it was part of his boyish fancy that if he could deliver her asleep and undemonstrative of fear and suffering, he would be less blameful, and she less mindful of her trouble. If it did not come-but he would not think of that yet! If she was thirsty meantime-wel

n with HER fear and of being unable to pacify her, at last decided him to remain. But he crept softly through the grass, and in the dust of the track traced the four points of the compass, as he could still determine them by the sunset light, with a large printed W to indicate the west! This boyish contrivance particularly pleased him. If he had only had a pole, a stick,

ught he heard the halloaing of distant voices, at times it seemed as a whisper in his own ear. In the silence that followed each blast he fancied he could detect the creaking of the wagon, the dull thud of the oxen's hoofs, or broken fragments of speech, blown and

tion, surmounted by a turkey's feather, was on its head; over its shoulders hung a dirty tattered blanket that scarcely covered the two painted legs which seemed clothed in soiled yellow hose. In one hand it held a gun; the other was bent above its eyes in eager scrutiny of some distant point beyond and east of the spot where the children lay concealed. Presently, with a dozen quick noiseless strides of the pony's legs, the apparition moved to the right, its gaze still fixed on that mysterious part of the horizon. There was no mistaking it now! The painted Hebraic face, the large curved nose, the bony cheek, the broad mouth, the

am

ciousness. Perhaps she had been instincti

us

ared to voice his thoughts even to himself. It was a following train overtaking them from the rear! And from the rapidity of its movements a train with horses, hurryin

Then he glanced again at the coming train. But for some unaccountable reason it had changed its direction, and instead of following the track that should have brought it to his side it had turned off to the left! In ten minutes it would pass abreast of him a mile and a half away! If he woke Susy now, he knew she would be helpless in her terror, and he could not carry her half

he did not go far, for he found to his alarm that when he turned back again the clump of mesquite was scarcely distinguishable from the rest of the plain.

ee of the outriders who were preceding the first wagon had changed their shape. They were no longer sharp, oblong, black blocks against the horizon but had become at first blurred and indistinct, then taller and narrower, unti

what he

f three bl

what he

r saved unconsciously was stronger than ever now that safety seemed so near. She

halted. What were they doin

a rushing bird, and sped off invisible. They had fired a gun; they were signaling to him-Clarence-like a grown-u

rful, gigantic, formidable, as he loomed through the darkness. All at once he threw up his arm wit

od! It's no Inju

ide Clarence and leaned over him, bear

ll this? What ar

rain," said Clarence, poin

?-how

come back for us," said Clarence ap

lated to wait

I did-till

t out straight for us, instead of ha

s were unchanged, but all at once they se

the stranger, "we wouldn't have seen you at all, and might

a faint, sleepy voice from the mesquite, "

ened her! THAT'S why I stayed. I couldn't carry her over there to you. I couldn't let her walk, for she'd be frightened. I wouldn't wake her up,

id the spokesman quietly, "you didn't str

ttle girl. She's Mrs. Silsbee's little girl. We were in t

ees and their heads on one side. "Then," said the spokesman gravely, "you just reckoned to stay here, old man, and ta

cornful of this feeble

e he

from Clarence's forehead and looked into his lowering face. With his hand s

of a p

," they

ord "pup" with a humorous suggestion of a mastiff. Before Clarence could make up his mind if the epithet w

aid Clarence,

making up to

ed hands bending over her. Could he believe his senses? The terror-stricken, willful, unmanageable Susy, whom he would have translated unconsciously to safety without this terrible ordeal of being awakened to the loss of her home and parents at any sacrifice to himself-this ingenuous infant was absolute