Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/121

 s, I should

Ill

be obliged to own myself a falsifier, or make myself known. As I had fully tested their friendship for my absent self, I chose the latter.

"fJentlemcn," I rejoined, mildly, " I tau prove everything I have said; and even you will acknowledge it, when I tell you who I am. You behold before you, not the calumniator of Francis Leighton, but Francis Leighton himself, your old friend."

Had a bomb suddenly fallen and burst at their feet, it could not have caused more surprise and wonder with Teddy and Black George than did this simple declaration.

At first they both took a step or two back, and then springing forward, each caught me by an arm, and, drawing me jose to the tire, peered eagerly into my face. One full, penetrating glance ufficed.

"Him, by!" cried Black George.

"Howly Mary!" shouted Teddy, throw- his arms around my neck, and weep- like a child. Then taking another Ion" 1

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look into my face, he sprang away, and shouting, " Be howly St. Patrick! it's him it's him! me young masther's alive!" he danced and capered around me. with all the wild gestures of joyful in sanity sometimes weeping, and sometimes laughing, and occasionally catching hold of me, as if to assure himself of my iden tity, and that it was no vision, no halluci nation of the brain.

Black George, meantime, pressed my hand warmly, and said, in a voice slightly tremulous with emotion :

"Boy, I never reckoned seein you agin. Thought you'd gone under I'll be dog gone ef I did'nt! You fit well I'll be dqifsjed ef vou didn't! But whar d'ye float

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to, and whnr's your partner?"

ftome half an hour was now spent in questions and answers, during which I learned that Fiery Ned and Rash Will had both been killed at Bitter Cottonwood; that Daring Tom had been severely wounded, and shortly after left for the States; that Carson had escaped, and was at the present time acting as guide to Fremont; that Teddy had been on a trap ping adventure with Black George and two or three others; that, having recently made a fcrip to St. Louis, they wer<i now

on their way to the mountains; and thai neither myself nor Huntlyhad been hoard from since that eventful night in conse quence of Avhich they had supposed us killed or made prisoners. In turn I gave them a brief outline of my own adven tures, up to the loss of my friend, at which both expressed deep sympathy, and Teddy wept freely.

"Spaking of Misther Huntly," said Teddy at length, " puts me in mind that you havn't yit saan the sick woman, your honor."

"True, Teddy I had forgot. Lead the way!"

At the word, we quitted the trappers, and set forward to the larger encampment, where I found some six or eight heavy covered wagons, arranged in a circle. In the center of the area stood a group of men, conversing in low tones, and glancing occasionally at one of the vehicles, around which several women were collected, the faces of all, as far as I could see, expressive of deep sympathy and sorrow. Close to the wagon, in which on a rude bed the in valid was Ivinv were two younij females,

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apparently of the better class, one of whom, clasping the thin hand of the sick person, particularly arrested my attention, by her display of violent grief. The other ap peared to be weeping also; but the faces of both were from me, so that I could only conjecture.

Taking the lead, Teddy forced his way through the crowd, and lightly touching the shoulder of the one who held the in valid's hand, said, in a gentle tone :

"Here's a doctor, marm."

The next moment I found myself the cynosure of many eyes, while the one ad dressed, turning short round, gave one glance, and uttering a fearful scream, sank to the earth in a swoon. What this meant I was at a loss to comprehend; for her features had been in the shade of the same light which revealed mine to her.

"Nervous excitement," I said to my self; "joy at beholding a physician at hand; " and springing forward, I bent down to raise her.

Already had my arms encircled her

slender form already was I on the point

of lifting her from the earth when the

I light of a torch flashed full on her pai