Page:The New-Year's Bargain (1884).djvu/88

 they dreamed that the little ones were playing in my garden.

"How the woman ran when she saw the children! How she caught up and kissed Baby, and hugged little Ruth in her arms! 'O children!' she cried, as soon as she could speak, 'how came you here? How could you frighten us so?'

"Ruth looked puzzled. 'I guess it was the butterfly,' she said: 'it came along, and showed us the way.'

Who is this?' asked one of the men.

That's Ally,' explained Ruth.

Poor boy!' said the Mother. 'I thought even the savages were too tender of their babes to let them thus alone in the forest. We will take him home with us, husband, and cherish him. Perchance his friends may seek him out.'

"But to all their words and kind looks the little Indian was deaf. When they pointed to the setting sun in token that night was near, he pointed to the east as if to say that the same sun would rise again before long. They tried to