Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-03-26
FIGHTING THE DUMPS.
The Old Settler Tells Of a Boyhood
Experience.
Twenty-Five Wolves and Four Bears,
Two Alive, a Pretty Good Haul for
Boyle MOdestly Disclaims All
Credit, However.

| Credlt1 however
''How many boys dye s'pose tina is
nowadays, squire, who'd go put wen
they was only twelve years old, git lost
| in the snow in the dep's oil Squawkee
Hill, lay Their for a week n better, n
then buckle in n fetch up on their own
h'arthstun luggin' with 'em twenty-nine
VOLTS n four bar, two on 'em alive?
How many twelve-year-old boys dye
think tina is nowadays ez KID do that?''
said the old settler.
"'Buut ez many ez tina ever were"
replied the squire, IN that's not dunn
oner' e.
Squire" exclaimed the old settler,
sternly. ''Y' fergit th't 1 were a
twelve-year-oP wunst, don't W"
''No," replied the squire.
'D'ye mean to siniwate, then, th't
I'm liar, consurn YEP" roared the old
settler.
"Wun, major, les see," said the
squire, provokingly. "Did you know
this here twelve-year-or boy?"
"Gosht'lmighty" exclaimed the old
settler. Want him?"
THAR 1 be ag'inp' said the squire.
Seems ez if 1 can't see the pint to
nothin' no more. Course! mowt ha'
know'd it if I'd unly thunk! But seems
to me, major, th't 1 alluz heerd you
was unly nine year OF wen y made
that big getherin' o. VOLTS N bar.
Sure y hain't put it too old, major?"
\, ~
v mention it." said the old settler, mol
lifted, "Ch't l want nine year OF Std
o. twelve. But l said were a twelve
year-ol n I'll stick to it. But it want
the luggin' in o. the twenty-nine VOLTS
n the four bar, two of 'em alive, th't 1
keered for, or th't I'm a braggin' of
now. Tha were sumpin' else went
along with them VOLTS n bars th't
made the mere getherin' of 'em in
small n trihin' circumstance. Y
member, squire, how y KID stan on
one side o. OF Squawkee an look right
down inter the sugar swamp clearin's,
not more'n a miled away, but If y
wanted to git thary had to go around
more'n nine miled, cause that side o.
Squawkee were so durn steep Y
couldn't git down it less y jumped
down n rolled, n fetched up at the
bottom like sassage meat? Y member
that don't YEP"
The squire nodded
"Wall, the winter I were twelve year
OF, or nine year, jist ez yer min ter
hev ii, continued the old settler, ''my
pap were way down in the dumps. I
lnow'd wat were the matter, n the
futur' looked blue. The prospects was
setch th't pap got lower N lower ey'y
day, n usety hef to spen' most o. my
time in the woods to keep my own
sperrits up. So this particler day
shouldered the gun n struck fer OF
Squawkee. tramped way around to
the fur side o. the big hill n elm to
the top. got to the edge O. Skull
Swamp, whar 1 spected to run again
some VOLTS, wen the Snow begun to
fall ez if it were bein' dumped all in q
heap outen more'n fifty thous'n' four
horse wagons. l started back fer
home, but 1 hadn't fit my way ag'in
that tumblin' snow more'n fifteen
fore 1 lost my bearin's, n
didn't know no more whar were thin
if I'd ben trampin' 'crost kentry on the
moon. Vile were hounderin' about,
l run up again ledge O. rock, n right
at the foot of 1t see hole. Inter the
hole crep', n I foun' myself, ez nigh
ez I KID fgger out, the place bein'
darker'n a tar bucket, Oekypyin'
Pooty toPable roomy quarters in the.
- Ahak ~ I ho6 ufN
ben in thar more'n five minutes,
though, fore 1 diskivered th't 1
wasn't the only ledger in the hole.
The openin' whar I'd crep' in want
two foot squar', n Consistently
the light th't kim in were skeerce, but
bimeby 1 got used to the. dark, n
off on one side O. the hole 1
see one big bar, n of on
t'other side 1 see another big bar.
They was both snoozin' away fer the
winter, n suckin' their paws. 1 was
right betwixt the two. 1 know'd tina
want much danger O. the bars wal1in'
up fer few weeks yit, Mess sumpin'
common kim along to 'sturb
EN-, n so stretched out fer to take a
nap till the snow quit a-dumpin', n
KID crawl out n dig my way home.
81 d'know how long 1 slept, but wen
I woke up I see the sun a shinin' a
little in the openin'. crep' outen the
hole, N the sight see were amazin'.
Right in front o. the ledge. were q bare
spot bout twenty foot squar On the
right o. it n on the left O. it the snow
were drifted up more'n thirty foot
From the fur edge o. the spot
he snow shot down in one straight
5tritch more'n q mile. 1t must have
been fifty foot deep. n had pitch to it
ike the roof o. barn The hull long
n short of it were, squire, I were stand
In on the steep side O. OF Squawkee,
with one eend o. that long snowbank
at my feet n t'other eend lynn right
'mong the elearin's o. Sugar swamp j
were .vnly a mile FUN home, but
tnowt fist ez well ha' ben four hundred
I stood n looked down inter Sugar
swamp with wishfu1 eye
"sHome o. my merry childhoodP says
I, s'nless tba comes srain soon n melts
these onpitving banks o. snow, says !
skha-a here two sluuberins bars II