Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1873-11-22
THE WILD HUNTER OF THE BLUE.
BY GEN. JAMES s. BRISBIN.


BY GEN, JAMES s. BRIsBIN.
1t is ten years ago, said Mr.. Belden,
and ut that time the country 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, Illinois, and
Missouri came i'll aud settled on the rich
bottoms, almost invariably writing back
to their friends in the states that the
land was one flowing with milk and hon
ey, and urging them to come and take
up farms. So the settlement prospcred
amazingly, and Beatrice, Neb., which
had at first only been town ION pa
per, became thtivlng village i'll real
ity.
Among the farmers who came to set
tie III tins ne y cJualTv was Mr.. Thomp-
son and his family. They had formerly
lived in Iowa, on the Big Sioux river,
smiles from Sioux City; but, not pros
pering there, they sought to better their
condition by moving to Nebraska, ami
selected the Big Blue us the place of
their future home. 8Ir. Thompson's S
family consisted Cf bis wife; his daugh-
ter Mary, sweet girl of sixteen; aud
an Old man who had spent the best part
OF his life IN the service of the family,
and, now that he was old, was retained
for the good he had done, and that he
might have a home in his declining
years. At one time Mr.. L. had been
well off in the world, but unfortunate
speculatlons i'll western lands had ruined
him, and, at the time of which speak,
he had little left besides few horses,
wagon or two, and dozen head of
cattle.
Near to where Mr.. Thompson had
settled on the Blue, lived wild young
man who had won for himself the name
OF 1.-THE Wild Trapper of the Blue" "
lie lived all alone on the head-waters
OF little creek, and was rarely seen
except when he came, once in every two
or three months, to the traders to ex-
change his furs aud skins for -four, to.
bacco, matches, coffee, and such other
articles as he needed. On these occa-
sions, 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
to quarrel with him. When under the
influence of whisky, 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
offense, either real or imagined, he
would fire at man, and, if he had a
grudge at any one, that persons cattle
or horses were sure soon afterwards to
be missing. 1t was more than limited
that he was the principal or accomplice
In many OF the thefts, and, if he were
80 minded, could tell where most of the
valuable horses stolen from time to time
on theS Salt Lake stage road had gone. Yet
such was the reputation of this young
desperado for courage and wickedness
that no one cared to meddle with him,
and, wherever he went, his society was
tolerated rather than preferred. No ter
, men could have been induced to go tC
his rancho to search for stolen stock,
4 and SO the matter was allowed to rest,
|lh-every one blaming him with all sorts
T crimes, but no one being able tc
gar the suspicious were correct.
One evening just as Mr.. Thompson
aud his family were sitting down. il
their humble cabin, to supper of corn
bread aud venison, q tall young man
Mod on wiry pony, rode up. HI
scarcely nineteen years of age, an(
zee the inevitable leggings and Ion;
u ik of the western hunters, fringe,
Jbuckskin. His face was brown u
~, and, when he raised the broa,
an sf his slouch hat, his countenanc
etrased unmistakable signs of dissipa
oE
(Ir. Thompson politely invited tn
naer to dismount and partake o
l.ngal meal, and, springing fror
Sorsc,.e made haste to enter; bi
10 Mary, he drew back
~ rs3 have mounted agail
NNpg esap insisted upol
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