THE LONG WAY HOME
A memoir by Alexander Puett 1891.
At one time when I was quite
small, I and my sister Myra were sent as usual to drive the cows home.
We being children began to play, blindfolding one another and wandering
about in childish sport, until we found we were a long way from home.
Though we tried we could not make the cows go in the direction we wanted
. Finally realizing we were lost we left the cows and began to wander about
looking for the path home with no success. We came upon a creek, where
we saw three Indians engaged in watering their horses. I wanted to go to
the men and ask the way home, but Myra being afraid and remembering tales
of stolen children refused, so we hid ourselves behind a fallen tree covering
ourselves with leaves, we lay hidden for some time until the Indians
passed by. We then arose and began looking once more for the path
home. We traveled for some distance along a road until we reached an old
hollow log, with night fast approaching we determined to remain in the
log until morning. Just as we settled in as comfortably as possible under
the circumstances we began hearing a chopping sound. Arising we followed
the sound and came upon a barn which we found to be that of an old pioneer
Preacher. The later fed us and took us home on horseback reaching there
about daybreak. We found our mother and father in the deepest concern over
our absence. After a trip to the woodshed we determined never to play while
fetching the cows again.
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