The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-05-08
FIGHTING THE DUMPS.
Experiences
Twerty-Sine Wolves aud Four Bears
two Alive, Pretty Good Haul for
Boyle YodestIv pisciaIms All
Credit ucweve--

nowadays, squire, " Ehod go out wen
they was only twelve years old, git lost
in the snow in the dep ofoi Squawkce
Hill. lay thcr for n week n better, n
then buckle in n fetch upon their own
h'arthstun lurgin' with EN- twenty-nine
VOLTS n four bar, two on en- alive?
How many twelve-year-old boys dye
think tha Is nowadays ez KID do that?"
said the old settler.
"'BOut ez many CT tina ever were,"
replied the squire, - n that's not 4 dunn
one,''
Squire" exclaimed the old settler,
stcrnlv. .'Y' fer-it th't I were a
twelve-year-ol' wunst, don't y'7"
"No," repIieI the squire.
"D'ye mean to siniwate, then, th't
I'm lar, cunsurn yep roared the old
settler.
..Wuu, major. les see" said the
squire, provOkinEly. Did you know
this here tweIve-year-ol boy?'
'-Gosht'Irnishty.' exclaimed the old
settler. Want him?"
Thar be ug'in," said the squire.
Seems e. If | can't see the pint tC
nothia' no more. Course, l nOwt ha
l,now'd it il Ia unly thunk, But seems
10 me, major, INT 1 aIluz hcerd You
was unly nine year OF wen ' made
that big getherln' o wolfs n bar.
Sure ) hain't put it too old, major"
Il haiu't SO consarned sure, now TIL
V mention IL" said the Old settler, mol
liGed. "Ih't / want nine year OF std
o twelve. But l said l were twelve
y-car-oP N Ill 49, -fr q. Bat II want
the Iuggtn' in o. the twenty-nine wolfs
n the four bar. two of 'e1n alive, th't I
keered for, or th't I'm a braggin' OF
now. Tha were sumpin' else went
along with them wolfs N bars th't
made the mere getherin' of 'em in a
small n triflin' 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 n miled away, but if y
wanted TO git thar y had to go around
morc'n nine miled, cause that side o
Squawkee were 50 durn steep Y
couldn't git down it less y jumped
down n rolled, N fetched up at the
bottom like sassage meat? " mem Der
that don't yep"
I he squire nodded
'Wall, the winter | were twelve year
oil, or nine year, jist ez yer min ter
hev it," continued the old settler, my
pap were way down IN the dumps. |
RllON q w IL were lUt matter the
futur' looked blue The pro5pec's was
sctch th't pap got lower N 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 m 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 / spected to run again
some VOLTS, wen the snow begun to
fall ez If II were beiu' dumped all in a
heap outen more'n fifty thous n four
horse wagons, / started back fer
home, but l hadn't fit my way ag,in
that tumblin' snow more'n fifteen
minutes fore ! lost my bcarin's, n
didn't know no more xhar / were thin
II ID ben trampin' 'crost llentry on the
moon. Vile were floundcrin' about,
l run up again ledge o. rock, n right
ut the foot of il see hole. Inter the
hole crep', n foun' myself, ez nigh
ez KID hgger out the place bein'
darker'n a tar bucket, ockypyin'
pooty torable roony quarters in the
bosom o that wall o. stun | hadn't
ben in thar more'n five minutes,
though fore / diskivered th't /
wasn't the only lodger in the hole.
The openin' whar I'd crep' in want
more'n two foot squar', n consellentlv
the light th't kim in were sleerce, but
bimeby / got used 10 the dark, n
of on one side o. the hole i
see one big bar, n off OF
tother side ! sec another big bar.
They was both snoozin' away fer the
winter, n suckin' their paws. / was
right betwixt the two. lxnow'd tha
want much danger o. the bars walsin'
mp fer few weeks yit, Mess sumpin'
Dore'n common kim along to 'sturb
'ern, m SO l stretched out fer 70 take
nap till the snow quit a-dumpin'. n 1
KID crawl out n dig my way home
81 d'lSnow how long / slept, but wen
woke mp l see the sun shinin' n
little in the openin, / crep' outeu the
hole, n the sight see were arrazir,.
Right in front o the ledge were q bare
spot bout twenty foot squar'. On the
right o. it n on the left % il the snow
were drifted up more'n thirty foot.
From the fur edge o. the spot
the snow shot down In one straight
stritch more'n 4 mile. 1t must have
been fifty foot deep, n had 4 pitch 70 II
like the roof o. barn. The hull long
n short of 1t were, squire, were stand.
In on the steep side o. oil Squawkee.
with one eend o. that long snowiank
at my feet n t'other eend lyin' right
monS the clearin's O. Sugar swamp!
were nnIy a mile fun home, but !
ino"t ;ist ez well ha' ben four hundred.
stood n looked down inter Sugar
swamp with 8 wishful eve.
lone o my merry childhood. says