The Faithful Guardian of the Foothills
When two children wandered into the deep woods near Makama, they were saved from exposure and wild animals by a loyal family pet.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
There are some interesting details relative to the children who wandered away in the hills at Makama. Sunday morning, they were not found until Monday noon. A shepherd dog, which was a household favorite, followed and guarded them during the long dark hours, when the temperature sank down. All night, the faithful creature protected them from the many wild animals in the deep woods. But the final deed of the older child, which the wires failed to correctly record, remains to be added: He took his own little coat from his shivering body and put it on his weaker brother.
“All night, the faithful creature protected them from the many wild animals in the deep woods.”
This 1885 story of survival in the wilderness outside Seattle reminds us that while the region is now urbanized, the 'deep woods' remain a constant, unforgiving presence that dictates the terms of life and safety in the Pacific Northwest.
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