The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-03-27
FIGHTING THE DUMPS.
The Old Settler Tells Of Boyhood
Experience.
Ewcnty-Nine Wolves and Four Bears,
Two Alive, a Pretty Good Haul for q
Boyle Modestly Disclaims All
Credit, However.

Credit, However.
GLOW many boys dye s'pose tina is
nowadays, squire, who'd go out wen
they was only twelve years old, git lost
N the snow in the dep's of OF Squawkee
Hill, lay Their for week n better, m
then buckle in n fetch up on their own
h'arthstun luggin' with 'em twcnty-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
Bout ez many ez tina ever WERE"
replied the squire, IN that's not dunn
Dne!''
Squire exclaimed the old settler,
sternly. ''Y' fergit th't 1 were q
twelve-year-or wunst, don't y'?"
NO" replied the squire.
Dye mean to siniwate, then, th't
I'm a liar, consurn YEP" roared the old
settler.
'Wull, 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 l be ag'in!" said the squire.
Seems ez if l 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 l alluz heerd you
was unly nine year OF w'en v made
that big getherin' O. VOLTS m bar.
Sure y hain't put it too old, major?"
Il hain't SO conSarncd sure, now th't
y mention it." said the old settler, mol
lifted, ''Gh't want nine year OF Std
o twelve. But l said were twelve
ycar-or N III stick to it. But it want
the luggin' in O. the twenty-nine VOLTS
N the four bar, two of 'em alive, th't
keered for, or th't I'm a braggin' of
now. Tha were sumpin' else went
along with them VOLTS m bars th't
made the mere getherin' of 'em in a
small n triflin' circumstance. "
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 thar y had to go around
moren nine miled, cause that side O.
Squawkee were so durn steep "
couldn't git down it less v jumped
down n rolled, n fetched up at the
bottom like sassage meat? Y member
that don't YEP"
7 he squire nodded.
''Wall, the winter were twelve wear
OF, or nine year. jist ez yer min ter
hev it," continued the old settler, my
pap were way down in the dumps. l
know'd wat were the matter, n the
futur' looked blue. The prospects was
setch th't pap got lower m lower ev'y
day, n | usety hef to spen' most O. my
time in the woods to keep my own
sperrits up. So this partic'ler day l
shouldered the gun n struck fer OF
Squawkee. 1 tramped way around to
the fur side O the big hill n CHM 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
heap outen more'n fifty thousn' four
horse wagons. l started back fer
home, but L hadn't fit my way ag'in
that tumblin' snow more'n fifteen
minutes fore lost my bearin's, n
didn't know no more whar / were thin
if I'd ben trampin' 'crost kentry on the
moon. Vile l were founderin' about,
i run up again ledge o rock, n right
at the foot of it see hole. Inter the
hole crep, n foun' myself, ez nigh
ez l KID tigger out, the place bein'
,darker'n a Car bucket, ockypyin'
pooty tolable roomy quarters in the
bosom O that wall O. stun. I hadn't
ben in thar more'n five minutes,
though, fore 1 diskivered th't
wasn't the only ledger in the hole.
The openin' whar I'd crop in want
more'n two foot squar, n consistently
the light th't kim in were skeerce, but
bimeby l got used to the dark, n
off on one side O. the hole
see one big bar, n off on
t'other side 1 see another big bar.
They was both snoozin' away fer tho
winter, n suckin' their paws. wac
right betwixt the two. l know'd tina
want much danger o the bars wakin'
up fer few weeks yit, Mess sumpin'
more'n common kim along to 'sturb
'em, N so stretched out fer to take
nap till the snow quit a-dumpin', n
KID crawl out n dig my way home.
81 d'know how long slept, but wen
woke up / see the sun shinin'
little in the openin'. creep outen the
hole, N the sight see were amazin'.
Right in front O. the ledge were bare
sgt 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
the snow shot down in one straight
stritch morcn a mile. 1t must have
been fifty foot deep, n had pitca to It