She is dark-skinned,--a Syrian. It is
growing dusk; the street is deserted, save by her and two sailors,
who are approaching her. They, too, are Syrians. One seems to
strike her,--it is mere pretence, however,--and she falls. The
other seizes the child, who, having been drugged, is still asleep.
A wagon is waiting near. They drive away hurriedly, their captive
under a blanket. The kidnappers make for the woods in New
Hampshire. Officers of the law drive them far. They abandon their
horse, tramping westward over trails in the wilderness, bearing the
boy in a sack of sail-cloth, open at the top. They had guns and
killed their food as they travelled. Snow came deep; by and by
game was scarce and they had grown weary of bearing the boy on
their backs. One waited in the woods with the little lad while the
other went away to some town or city for provisions. He came back,
hauling them in a little sleigh. It was much like those made for
the delight of the small boy in every land of snow. It had a box
painted red and two bobs and a little dashboard. They used it for
the transportation of boy and impedimenta. In the deep wilderness
beyond the Adirondacks they found a cave in one of the rock ledges.
They were twenty miles from any post-office but shortly discovered
one. Letters in cipher were soon passing between them and their
confederates. They learned there was no prospect of getting the
ransom. He they had thought rich was not able to raise the money
they required or any large sum. Two years went by, and they
abandoned hope. What should they do with the boy? One advised
murder, but the other defended him. It was unnecessary, he
maintained, to kill a mere baby, who knew not a word of English,
and would forget all in a month. And murder would only increase
their peril. Now eight miles from their cave was the cabin of a
settler. They passed within a mile of it on their way out and in.
They had often met the dog of the settler roving after small
game--a shepherd, trustful, affectionate, and ever ready to make
friends. One day they captured the dog and took him to their cave.
They could not safely be seen with the boy, so they planned to let
the dog go home with him in the little red sleigh. Now the
settler's cabin was like that of my father, on the shore of a pond.
It was round, as a cup's rim, and a mile or so in diameter.
Opposite the cabin a trail came to the water's edge, skirting the
pond, save