The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-12-17

tiful lakes and rivers of what has since
been well named the Park Region OF
Minnesota. Tall, raw-boned, sinewy
and capable of enduring as much priva-
ton as any Indian, he hunted and
trapped wherever he found game and
fur most abundant, in defiance OF the
savages who claimed that country for
their own.
Years later. when settlers had driven
away the Indians, as well as most of
the game, Old Thad, too much in love
with the locality to follow the Indians
aud the game, built snug cabin upon
the edge of wide stretch of timber
and meadow land where deep, clear
stream emptied into a lake of consider
able size, and settled down to adapt
himself to the new order of things.
He could never make up his mind to
become farmer. but spent his time In
hunting and trapping as he had always
done. A good neighbor he was When
ever he returned from . successful
hunt, saddle of venison or bear meat
was pretty sure to find its way to our
house on the banks of the lake, in re-
IuTkl lOI tlC HILLS du0 VttCOA Which, lily
father sometimes sent him.
My father was no hunter, but when
j became old enough to handle rife,
he often allowed me to accompany Old
Thad on his expeditions. I went al
most wild with joy whenever ! was
granted a holiday of this sort. Old
Thad was jolly companion, and one
of the best story tellers that / ever
knew.
many exciting adventures both on land
and water; but my greatest delight
was to sit by our camp fire at nigAt
and listen to the old man as he re-
counted his early adventures among
the Indians.
His tales of hand to hand encounters,
of cunning strategy, Of hairbreatsl
escapes, all told in a manner that con-
vinced me of their truthfulness, would
I'LL large volume If duly reported.
Coming down the Otter Tail late one
autumn day after q successful deer
hunt we landed to portage or carry
our canoe and its heavy load down past
one of the numerous rapids for which
that river is noted. At the foot of the
rapids we embarked once more to pad
die down to a good camping place q
short distance below
How'd you like to shoot them rapids,
with q load of furs and traps aboard?"
asked my companion, as we took up
our paddles,
81 should want to say good-by to my
friends before tried It" replied. =
II wouldn't care to try it again my
self, but ] did it once" said Thad. ut
was grounding case, though, tell
you, for just had to do it or lose my
scalp. But made the biggest haul of
fur that night down in these woods
that ever made in my life. Tell you
all about it when we get into camp"
You see" he began when we sat
down TO a supper of fried venison,
bareback and coffee. with our feet to
the fire, while the bark canoe, turned
upon its side, protected our backs from
the sharp west wind; you see I'd been
trappin' all the fall up above here, and
catched the prettiest lot of fur you ever
set eyes on. All this country belonged
tothe Mandan Sioux then. 1t was Just
about as much as q mans life was
worth to let them Indians catch him in
these parts.
II hadn't seen the first red during
all the time that I'd been trapping
that fall, and made mp my mind that
they'd all gone further west for their
regular fall buffalo hunt So l was
padding along as careless as you please
late one evening, about mile above
the rapids, where that big creek puts
in from the east.
.Well. tuck q good look up the
creek as / always did up every stream
when padding in hostile country, and
what did see come poking round q
bend but the noses of a pair of big
canoes
II lxnow'd too we'll what was in 'em,
and didn't stop to get good look at
the crews, but just dug my paddle into
the water an tried to get past the
mouth of that creek and out Of sight.
81 heerd the Indians give q yell just
as swept past the mouth The next
second, crack went a couple Of rifles
The bullets came cross lots through