The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-11-06
THE WILD HUNTER,

1t is ten years ago (said Mr.. Belden)
and at that time the county back from
the Missouri was not much settled
The fame of the Big Blue lands had
spread far and wide, and every week
scores OF farmers from Iowa, Illirois.
and Missouri came iii and settled on
the rich bottoms. almost invariably
writing back to their friends in the
States that the land was one flowing
Weld milk and honey, and urging them
10 come and take up farms. So the
settlement prospered amazingly, and
beatrice, Heb., which had only been q
town on paper" became thriving
village in reality.
Among the farmers who came to set
lie IN this new country was o Mr.
Thompson and his familt. They had
formerly lived in Iowa, on the Bic
Sioux River, six miles from Sioux City:
but, not prospering there, they sought
TO better their condition by moving to
Nebraska, and selected the Big Blue as
ahe place of their future home. Mr.
Thompson's family consisted of his
wife, his dasghter Mary, sweet girl Of
sixteen, and an old man who had spent
the best part of his life in ta service
OF the family, and, now that he was old
was retained for the good he had done
ana that he might have home in his
declining years. AT one time Mr.. T.
had been we'll off in the world, but unfor-
tunate speculations in Western lands
had ruined him, and, at the time of
which l speak, he had little left besides
a few horses, q wagon or two, and n
dozen head of cattle.
Near to where Mr.. Thompson had
settled on the Blue lived q wild Young
man, who had won for himself the name
OF the Wild Trapper of the Blue. I"
he lived all alone on the head waters
OF little creek, and was rarely seen ex-
sept when ne came, once in every two
or three months, to the traders to ex-
change his furs and skins for flour, to-
oaeco, matches, coffee, and such other
articles as he needed. On these occa-
slons, after having made his purchases,
he would lounge about the traders for
several days, drinking bad whisky, and
quarreling with every one he could get
70 quarrel with him. When under the
influence of whiskey, he would mount
his horse, and, with two large navy re.
volvers in his belt, ride up and down
the village, defying every one to come
out and fight him. For the slightest
offence, either real or imagined, he
wonld fire at man, and, if he had
Srudgo against any one, that persons
cattle or horses were sure soon after
ward to be missing.
1t WAS more than limited that he was
the principal or accomplice in many OF
the thefts, and, if he were so minded.
could tell where most Of the valuable
horses stolen from time to time on the
Salt Lake stage road had gone. Yet
such was tbs reputation OF this young
desperate for courage and wickednes>
that no one cared to meddle with him,
and wherever he went his society was
tolerated rather than preferred. No
ten men could have been induced to go
to his rancho to search for stolen stock,
and so the matter was allowed to rest
every one blaming him with all sorts OF
crimes, but no one being able to swear
the suspicious were correct.
One evening, just as Mr.. Thompson
and his family were sitting down i'll
their humble cabin to q supper of corn,
bread and venison, a tall young man,
mounted on a wiry pony, rode up. He
was scarcely nineteen years of age, and
wore the inevitable leggings and long
frock of the Western hunters, friuged
with buckskin. His face was brown as
nut, and, when he raised his broad
brim of his slouch hat, his countenance
betrayed unmistakabls signs of dissipa-
tion.
Mr.. Thompson politely invited the
stranger to dismount and partake of
their frugal meal, and, springing from
his horse, he made haste to enter but
when he saw Mary he drew back, blush
ed, and would have mounted again, had
not Mr.. Thompson insisted upon his
stopping long enough to eat something.
1t was not long before Mr.. Thompson
discovered from the conversation that
his guest was none other than the
famous Young desperate of the Blue,
and the discovery was attended with
considerable anxiety and alarm. The
quick eye of the hunter detected in an
instant the alarm his presence had
created, and, rising from the table be-
fore he had finished his supper, ne
said, with digni6ed air
l ana indeed the Wild Trapper OF
the Blue, and, like every one else, you
think me bad but / am not so bad as
they say. "Oh !" he added, after a
moments pause, "if some one in the