The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-11-30
THE BOYS ON WOLF ISLAND.

The Sioux Indians, under command OF
Ink-pa-du-tah, massacred many of the
white settlers near Spirit Lake, in North.
western Iowa, in the spring of 1857.
The neighboring settlements were
panic-stricken, the excitement extending
even as far as the center of the State,
where, although older people had little
fear of invasion, every boy had his nerves
strung for war. Especially was this the
case in the Marble settlement, near the
Des Moines River.
But the Indians, instead of advancing,
retreated, much to the disappointment
of Ben and Charlie Marble and their
young neighbors.
just then, however, something hap
pened which aroused their spirit of ad-
venture more than ever.
A book-peddler came into the neigh.
borhood, and, on going away from the
farmhouse of Mr.. Archibald Jones, ST.,
tipped a sly wink at Archibald Jones,
Jr., and, reckoning him behind the cow.
shed, produced a small paper covered
book.
t.Look here, my man" he said. "Wha
do you think of thatP' and he displayed
the flaming red frontispiece of the book,
showing a desperate encounter between
a white man and an Indian. Then he
slowly passed his thumb across the edges
of the leaves, thereby whirling a pano-
rama of daring adventures and hair
breadth escapes before the boys bewild-
cred and enchanted vision,
so, myr' exclaimed Archy.
"Got a dollarP" asked the peddler.
moo. Ihaint." And Archy began
feeling in his pockets, from which he
drew q rock, a piece of chalk, a tow
string, a nice knife, two buttons and
twenty-five cents.
Cant make itp" asked the peddler.
..No-o,'' answered Archy, despond.
emily.
"Well, 1 will tell you what 1 will do.
You are a fine boy and l want to favor
you. Give me the knife and the money
and you can have the book"
Archy hesitated, but another glimpse
of the frontispiece decided the matter
and the trade was made.
As the peddler walked away, he
laughed softly to himself:
GLOW these foolish stories, with their
fiashy pictures take the boys. Tha
book vas only worth a quarter and
hdNC lICO hullc ClcdE.
In five minutes Archy was alone il
the corntield, porting over the pages O
his wonderful book, which proved to b,
the Life and Adventures of Catamoun
Bill" otherwise known as 1.-THE Whit,
Fiend, 1.-The Invisible Catamount of tn,
Crags," etc.
Though Archy had little Judgment, h,
had great faith, and believed every wore
of the story to be true.
After reading the book five times. he
traded it to Lem Burton for a steel trap
having by this time decided to run ava
and Join the Hudson Bay Fur Company
Lem traded it to Bush Shackleford
who, in turn traded it for some powde
ard shot and the hammer of an old rifle
towhich he hoped to add barrel-stock
lock, and triggers, and then start TO.
the Rocky Mountains, to become
second Catamount Bill.
Finally Ben and Charley MARBLE
bought the book, and, as they lay OIL tn
sweet hay, in the barn-loft, one rain
summer day, side by side, faces down
heads close together, reading the ex
ploits of Catamount Bill they felt them
selves fully capable of killing a thou
sand Indians and putting ten Thousand
to flight.
Daniel Boone, Simon Kenton, and Ri
Carson were tame affairs compared wit
Catamount Bill.
The last-named hero was in the habi
of appearing just in time to rescue an,
band of white people who might be il
danger of destruction by the counties
horde of savages. Then, with a re
volver in each hand, he would dash u
to the foe, shooting right and left, neve
missing his mark, while his terribl
battle-cry of s.Red Men of the West
the White Fiend ComethT" sent dow
terror to the hearts of the Indians, who
yelling ''Mak-le Klak jig-lum Klar
how-wassyn (meaning 1.-THE Invisibl
Catamount of the Crags is upon u.s.
would break for the mountains, leavin
Catamount Bill in possession of tn
field.
''My! But wasn't he brave, thought
exclaimed Charley, after reading tn
description of a scene similar to tn
above.
''Guess he WASH said Ben. "Wouldn'
like to've been thereP"
"Pshaw! Ben, your old pepper-bo
revolver wouldn't kill a ningenn'
"H'mr' calculated Ben. "Pd a ru
up behind the old chief, m hit him owe
the head with a club, m grabbed his rift
n blow his brains out"
'.Me toor' ehimed in Charley.
'tSay Charley, I know something,
said Ben, mysteriously.