Richland beacon., 1881-04-30
a SfOrN Of .Nkafin1.


It's 80 long since I put on q pair of
skates that should bc rs awkward as a
bear on ice. And nothing ever hap
pened to me to make story out of-ex-
cept being scared off field of ice near
the woods once by a screech-Owl in the
pines. It Was almost dark, and We had
never heard such ON unearthly scream
before. cts wildcat = shouted one
Of the boys and by the way in which
we scudded for homo you would have
Thought it was race for the village
championship.
Did you ever hear how the hunter who
was taken prisoner by the Indians showed
them how to skater Mop Then it's
lust as good as new.
1t was 100 years ago, in the old pion-
eer days. Away up at the northern end
of the great lakes bold hunter and
trapper made his camp. He hunted
for sport in the summer, and Trapped
for fur in the fall and winter. He knew
every river and creek, every hill and
valley in the great woods better than
you know the streets Of the town; and
he had studied the cunning ways and
bright tricks of the beaver, otter, mink
and martin, until he knew just where,
aud how to set his traps for them. He
bought q good many skins of the friend
ly Indians who lived near aud early
every year he would take big load Of
them to the nearest trading-pOst to sell
bringing back powder and lead, with
tea, sugar, and other good things for his
table. The hunters life isn't half 80
fine as the story books make it /; but old
Thomas Judson-for that was his name
enjoyed it better than any other.
In the winter he had to wear snow
shoes in going through the woods to
visit bis traps and ono year he brought
back pair Of skates, that he thought
would be handy when the ice was clear.
And very handy he found them at such
times, for he could skate dozen miles
as easy Is he could walk two, and the
pack ON his back never seemed 80 light
az when he had his steel shoes on, and
could skim along the CLASSY surface Of
the lake or river.
One very cold, clear day, when the
ice was good, he went to visit some mink
traps almost twenty miles north of his
cabin. He skated to near the spot,
along the shore of the lake, and then
took of his skates and put on his snow
shoes to travel over the deep snow q
mile or two into the woods. He knew
that an Indian tribe from Canada had
come down to make war on those who
lived near him, but never thought they
would trouble him.
All at once his good dog Bruno, that
had been running ahead on deer-track,
stopped, sniAed the air, bristled up an
arily and began to growl; and before
Thomas could carry his rifle to his
shoulder he was surrounded by dozen
bowling Indians, who sprung from
their hiding-place in the thicket bran'
dishing their tomahawks and yelling like
mad ..
The old man was brave, but he wasn't
a fool and, instead of showing fight
against such odds, he laid down his rifle
and folded his arms. He could talk but
little Indian, and they could speak even
less English; but by signs and motions
he made ont to let them know that he
wasn't on the warpath, but after furs.
The Indians threatened no harm when
they found him peecsful, bnt were much
interested in his arms and dress, for
they hadn't at that time seen many
white men The sp9wshoes they under
stood all about. for you know the In
dians invented them but the skates
puzzled them.
A funny thought seemed to occur to