It
was cold; the wind blew; and some rain was falling. The poor woman
was in agony, and our meeting was broken up. All prepared to go in
search of the lost child. The company understood the business better
than I did, for they had been bred in those extensive barrens; and
occurrences like the present are, probably, not unfrequent among
them. They equipped themselves with lanterns and torches, for it was
quite dark; and tin horns, to give signals to different parts of the
company, when they should become widely separated. For my part, I
thought duty required that I should take charge of the unhappy
mother. She was nearly frantic; and as time permitted her to view her
widowed and childless condition, and the circumstances of the
probable death of her child, her misery seemed to double upon her.
She took my arm; the company divided into parties; and, taking
different directions, we commenced the search. The understanding was,
that, when the child should be found, a certain wind of the horn
should be made, and that all who should hear it should repeat the
signal. In this way all the company would receive the information.
"The prospect of finding a lost child in those extensive prairies,
would, at any time, be sufficiently discouraging. The difficulty must
be greatly increased by a dark, rainy night. We travelled many miles,
and to a late hour. At length we became satisfied that further search
would be unavailing; and all but the mother determined to return home.
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