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Show ADOPTING A WESTERN BOY. 255 had been somewhat neglected; indeed, he had never had any education, he was brought up by the rude savages; was stolen away from his parents when a child four years old. He was skilled in all the arts of the red man; could ride like a Centaur, dance the war dance and pitch the tomahawk, but was entirely ignorant of the graces of civilization. He related thrilling incidents, how he was stood up by a tree and the warriors shot their arrows around his head to see how near they could shoot and miss him; how he longed to be with his people, and in his effort to escape was apprehended and forced to travel, half-starved and footsore, over a rugged, mountainous country. He was finally sold to good Mr. Watson for a red blanket, a plug of tobacco and a jug of whisky. "Their hearts and eyes were brimful of pity and sympathy for the poor young man, and be/ore retiring that evening they related the sorrowful story to their mother, and begged of her to adopt him; they had no brother and they thought he would fill the bill to a fraction. "The mother said she would sleep on the matter, but there came neither ' sleep to her eyes or slumber to her eyelids.' Like Miss Murdstone, ' generally speaking she didn't like boys,' but this story harrowed up her soul, and her interest in this young fellow began to assume mammoth proportions. " The next morning she called on Mrs. Watson and expressed her desire to adopt the young Western boy. Imagine her astonishment when Mrs. Watson informed her that the 'boy' was the Hon. Richard Irwin, known throughout Colorado as a daring and adventurous explorer, that he was a leading member of the Colorado Legislature, and had a wife and four children!" Just as Mr. |