The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-03-28

"How many boys dye s'pose tina is
nowadays, squire, who'd go out wen
they was only twelve years old, git lost
in the snow in the dep's of OF SquawlSee
Hill, lay ther for a week N better, m
then buckle in N fetch up on their own
h'arthstun luggin' with 'em twenty-nine
wolfs N four bar two on 'em alive?
How, many twelve-year-old boys dye
think tha is nowadays ez KID do that?"
said the old settler.
"'Bout ez many ez tina ever were,"
replied the squire, "'n' that's not dunn
onew
Squire" exclaimed the old settler,
sternly. 'Y' fergit th't were
twelve-year-ol' wunst, don't y'?"
''No," replied the squire.
''Dye mean to siniwate, then, th't
I'm liar, consurn YEP" roared the old
settler
"Wull, major, les see," said the
squire, provokingly. "Did you know
this here twelve-year-oP boy?"
''Goshtlmightyl'' exclaimed the old
settler WANT him?"
'"Thar be ag'inl'' said the squire.
"Seems ez if / can't see the pint to
nothin' no more. 'Course 1 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. wolfs m bar.
Sure y hain't put it too old, major?"
81 hain't so cons armed sure, now th't
" mention it" said the old settler, mol
lifted, "6h't want nine year OF Std
o. twelve. But said were twelve
year-ol' n I'll stick to it. But it want
the luggin' in O. the twenty-nine VOLTS
m the four bar, two of 'em alive, th't 1
keered for, or th't Pm a braggin' of
now. Tha were sumpin' else went
along with them VOLTS m bars th't
made the mere getherin' of 'em in
small n triflin' circumstance. "
member, squire, how y KID stan on
one side O. oil Squawkee an look right
down inter the sugar swamp clearin's,
not more'n a miled away, but if y
wanted to git thar y had to go around
moren nine miled, cause that side O.
Squawkee were so durn steep "
couldn't git down it less " jumped
down m rolled, N fetched up at the
bottom like sassage meat? " member
that don't YEP"
The squire nodded.
"Wall, the winter l were twelve year
OF, or nine year, jist ez yer min ter
hev it." continued the old settler, 'my
pap were way down in the dumps.
know'd wat were the matter, m the
futur' looked blue. The prospects was
setch th't pap got lower m lower ev'y
day, N l usety hef to spen' most O. my
time in the woods to keep my own
sperrits up. So this partic'ler day 1
shouldered the gun m struck fer OF
Squawkee. / tramped way around to
the fur side o. the big hill m clim to
the top. l got to the edge o. Skull
Swamp, whar l spected to run again
some VOLTS, wen the snow begun to
fall ez if it were bein' dumped all in a
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
minutes fore l lost my bearin's, n
didn't know no more whar l were thin
If I'd ben trampin' 'crost kentry on the
moon. Vile / were fiounderin' about,
run up again a ledge O. rock, m right
at the foot of it l see hole. Inter the
hole crep', m foun myself, ez nigh
ez l KID figger out, the place bein'
.darker'n tar bucket, ockypyin'
pooty tolable roomy quarters in the
bosom O. that wall O. stun. 1 hadn't
ben in thar more'n five minutes,
though, fore 1 diskivered tht /
wasn't the only lodger in the hole.
The openin' whar I'd crep' in want
more'n two foot squar', n consistently
the light tht kim in were skeerce, but
bimeby 1 got used to the dark, n
off on one side O. the hole /
't'other side / see another big bar.
They was both snoozin away fer the
winter, n sucl1in' their paws. / was
right betwixt the two. I know'd tina
WANT much danger O. the bars wal1in'
up fer few weeks yit, 'nless sumpin'
more'n common kim along to 'sturb
'em, m so / stretched out fer to take a
zap till the snow quit a-dumpin', m
KID crawl out N dig my way home.
81 d'know how long / slept but wen
woke up 1 see the sun a shinin' a
little in the openin'. l crep' outen the
hole, m the sight see were amazin'
Right in front o. the ledge were bare
spot bout twenty foot squar'. On the
right o. it m on the left o. it the snow
were drifted up more'n thirty foot
From the fur edge o. the spot
the snow ehot down in one straight
stritch more'n a mile. 1t must have
been fifty foot deep, m had pitch to il
like the roof o. barn, The hull long
n short of it were, squire, were stand
in on the steep side o. OF Squawkee
with one eend o. that long snowbanl
at my feet m t'other eend lyin' right
'mong the clearin's o. Sugar swamp ]
were unly a mile FUN home, but
mowt jist ez well ha' ben four hundred
stood n looked down inter Sugar
swamp with wishful eye.
"'Home o. my merry childhoodp sayl
/, ''nless tina comes rain soon N melti
these onpitying banks O. snow, says
these here two slumberin' bars i
.cbAw my bones wen the spring time