Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-03-12
BOLD BACKWOODS BOY.

Jad was eleven years old and little
Ohio. his sister, was two years younger
But this was a great many years agt
when their father, Mr.. Dunlap, had JUST
moved into township in the western
part of Maine, which was then a wild,
uninhabited region, save where here and
there an adventurous settler had planted
his little log hut in the heart of the
wilderness, and laid bare few acres OF
the forest as nucleus Of the future
home of himself and thriving family
almost always small colony in itself.
All, who can tell what homesick mo-
ments and longings for the old associa-
tions our pioneer fathers and mothers
endured, coming, as did many OF them,
from wealthy States and pleasant sur
roundings. There must have been
mighty attraction in the wild, free life
of the backwoodsm man and q genuine
love Of the simple and homely joys of
the rough hearthstone, to have held
them in these rude homes, almost iso-
lated, as they were, from the world.
But they lived in anticipation, looking
eagerly forward to future of plenty,
when the wilderness should become
cultivated and fruitful through then
first persistent and hardy efforts.
With an energy characteristic of tn.
first settlers, Mr.. Dunlap pushed his
way on through toll, hardships and
many privations, at first telling and
clearing a patch large enough to put up
a log cabin for his family then by de-
grees cutting farther and farther into
the primitive forest, till now quite
large tract lay open to the sun, a pars
of which was under tolerable cultivation,
the rest laying black and still smoking
from recent buildings.
As before stated, Jad was now eleven
He was a dark-faced, sinewy lad, tough
as a thong, inheriting much of his
fathers pluck and endurance. What
ever he undertook to do he was pretty
sure to carry through.
In these unsettled regions wild ami
mails were numerous, especirlly the wild.
cat, lynx and gi.atton, or wolverine.
These creatures often come into the
clearings, and their frequent depreda-
tions became a great pest to the set
tiers.
There was also an abundance of
smaller game to be had for the trapping.
and this fall Jad was anticipating no
endsof enjoyment in the warm Indian
summer lays, trapping for musquash"
(muskrat) and mink along Kenny brook,
which ran past the clearing half mile
away in the woods. His father had
helped him make his traps, and on his
very first visit he was greatly elated by
finding sleek and glossy mink In one Of
them. This piece of good luck had set
Jad half wild, for mink skins brought a
high price at the "big settlement"
twenty-five miles down the country,
where his father always went to do his
trading.
Jad watched his traps eagerly as a
miser watches his money bags. But
with all his vigilance, what was his dis
may to find, one morning, In the trap
farthest up stream, that mink had been
caught and taken out by some wild beast
and devoured. The tail and little feath-
erly clumps OF fur lay scattered about
the trap. Dire vengeance against the
wild marauder at once possessed his
heart.
Little Chic was keen sympathizer in
his troubles. She was also his COM
panion in this trapping expedition, in
which it was her duty to carry the bait
sometimes squirrel, oftener trout
caught from the brook.
What dyou s'pose got him?" asked
Chic, as Jad stood looking ruefuly ct
the tail, which he held between his
thumb and finger.
'I don't know, unless twas a glut-
ton. or wildcat. Pa says they are al
ways nosin' round to get the bait out of
traps and what's caught in EN-. Con-
found him !! Seven dollars gone down
his throat P" he exclaimed, wrathfully.
CTS too bad" cried little Chic.
"Cant you catch him?"
Jad thought moment. His father
had steel foX-trap. He would set THAI
and have the thief. Leaving Chic, he
hastened to the house, got the trap and
raced back to the brook. It was set at
last to his satisfaction, and baited with
squirrel, which he had brought along
to bait his mink traps with. He drove
stake down through the ring in the
trap-chain, SO as to hold whatever was
caught.
Two days passed and not mink had
9.Aar poor hr,t fba l,o;4 x,o, r.e,,o o,,+ of