Left On The Prairie Part 11

The buckboard was brought to the Wilsons' house with great difficulty during the day, and Buckskin and Rufus had to lend their services to drag it, light as it was, through the terrible snowdrifts. The road was so bad, Champion Joe had to stay two or three days with Jack's people; but he did not grudge the delay, as he had become very fond of his little travelling companion, and he was delighted to see the happiness of the three who had been parted so long.

Jack's mother had grown much stronger, and there was every hope of her perfect recovery after a longer residence in their new home.

The evening of the next day after his return home, Jack was sitting with the others round the stove, and, with his hand clasped tight in his mother's, gave them an outline of his adventures, through which we have followed him. They listened breathlessly, and the mother grew pale at the description of his desertion and subsequent illness. What risks her child had run!

When he had finished they were all silent for a short time; then his mother said, 'G.o.d has been good to us. Here have we been mourning you as dead, and all the time He was leading you to us through all these perils and dangers. Have you forgot the hymns we used to sing at Longview, Jack?'

'No, Mother; I've sung them many a time. Jeff and Pedro liked to hear them ever so well. Let's have some to-night.'

'We will, Jack,' said his father. 'It would be quite like the old days.'

Soon the log-house resounded with their voices as they sang their favourite hymns. When they had finished up with the last lines of

'And nightly pitch my moving tent A day's march nearer home.'

Jack exclaimed, 'Somehow I feel as if I've got safe home now!'

'Nay, laddie, not yet,' said his mother gently. 'We can never get to our true home until we have pa.s.sed through the dark valley of death.

We are all wanderers here, and in the same way as the thought of this earthly home and Dad and me cheered you on through your journey, so should the thought of our heavenly home, and our Father awaiting us, help us to face the trials and troubles we must meet all our lives through. And now, my dearie, it's getting late. Let me put you to bed.'

Shortly after, with her loving kiss on his forehead, Jack, who had so often felt sad and lonely at Longview, fell asleep with a happy smile on his face.

For the sake of dead Aunt Sue the Wilsons never wrote a word of reproach to their deceitful brother-in-law, who left Longview very soon after Jack's disappearance.

Jack had not seen the last of the good friends he had made on his journey. He went often to Swift Creek Ranch, where he saw not only the Stuarts, but also Pedro and Senor at times. Steve became one of Mr.

Stuart's cowboys, where he was perfectly happy and gave every satisfaction.

Mr. Stuart also promised Jack that when he was old enough, if he still wished it, he should join his band of cowboys, and with this promise Jack was quite content. About a year after Jack's reunion with his parents, Steve, in one of the 'round-ups' of cattle, came across Jeff Ralston, who was thankful to hear that, contrary to all his sad antic.i.p.ations, the boy had not perished on the prairie.

And now, safe in his happy home, after all he had gone through, we must say good-bye to little Jack, leaving him growing up still the same devoted boy to his parents as the little fellow who so bravely set out on his tremendous journey, determined, in spite of all danger and difficulties, to find Mother and Cochetopa Creek.

THE END