Все приключения Шерлока Холмса / All adventures of Sherlock Holmes

As he spoke he unwrapped the grey shawl and extricated a pretty little girl of about five years of age.

“How is it now?” he answered anxiously.

“Kiss it,” she said. “My mother did so. Where’s mother?”

“She went away. I think you’ll see her soon.”

“She didn’t say good-bye,” said the little girl. “I’m thirsty and hungry. Is there any water, or anything to eat?”

“No, nothing, dear. Be patient, and then you’ll be all right. What’s that?”

“Pretty things! Fine things!” cried the little girl enthusiastically.

She held up two glittering fragments of mica. “When we come back home I’ll give them to brother Bob.”

“You’ll see prettier things soon,” said the man confidently. “Just wait a bit. Do you remember when we left the river?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Well, there was something wrong; compasses, or map, or something, you see. And we have no water.”

“And you can’t wash yourself,” interrupted his companion gravely.

“No, nor drink.

And Mr. Bender was the first who dies, and then Indian Pete, and then Mrs. McGregor, and then Johnny Hones, and then, my dear, your mother.”

“Oh, mother is dead too!” cried the little girl.

“Yes, they all went except you and me. And there’s a small chance for us now!”

“Do you mean that we are going to die too?” asked the child.

“I think so.”

“Why didn’t you say so before?” she said. “So we’ll be with mother again.”

“Yes, you will, dear.

”

“And you too. She will meet us at the door of Heaven with a big pitcher of water, and a lot

of buckwheat cakes. How long will we wait?”

“I don’t know-not very long.”

The man saw three large brown birds. They were buzzards, the vultures of the west, the forerunners of death.

“Cocks and hens,” cried the little girl gleefully. “Say, did God make this country?”

“In course He did,” said her companion.

“He made Illinois, and He made Missouri,” the little girl continued.

“I guess somebody else made the country here. They forgot the water and the trees.”

“We can pray, can’t we?” the man said.

“Then kneel down,” the little girl said.

It was a strange sight. Side by side on the narrow shawl knelt the two wanderers, the little child and the reckless adventurer.

The prayer finished. They went to sleep.

Far away the tilts of waggons and the figures of armed horsemen began to show up.