Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1892-03-18
SAM HARDING'S TROPHY.


Among the first who built their cabins
Oh the shore of the beautiful Ossipee
Lake was a man by the name of Sans
Harding
Alone with his wife and child he. had
trodden the forest that lay between the
settlements at Dover Point aud the lake,
and once arrived upon its banks he built
his cabin, and set about his work at once
Of clearing up homestead
Before his doors lay the shining waters
OF the lake, and behind the dark shadows
Of the Ossipee Mountains, which seemed
ever duplicated in the huge mirror spread
at their feet.
For many years there had been sus-
pended from a smoke-stained beam above
the broad fireplace trophy of the early
days he bad spent on the shores of the
lake.
1t was an Indians scalp.
So long had it hung there that it was
as dried and smoke-begrimed as the beam
itself.
Few there were Of his visitors who. re-
marking it. failed to inquire why il was
shus preserved.
To these he did not fail to tell its his
.ory, as we shall do now.
We will give it in his own words, so
the reader may imagine that he is sit
ing in the cabin of the old pioneer,
with the strange trophy suspended be.
fore him.
"You ask me why it is that I keep
that thing in the houseT Well, will
cell you.
"When first come up here to settle
on the banks of the Ossipee, it was
bowling wilderness for miles and miles
on every side.
II hadn't but one white man for
neighbor, and he lived two miles away,
down at the foot of the bay.
But / had plenty of another kial
There were wild beasts and savages on
every hand, and there were times when
they both gave me lots of trouble
With the beasts could getalong pretty
well.
when they got too neighborIy,
would spend few days in hunting, and
get them thinned out, so that for time
could live in peace.
@But with the redskins it was differ
ent. It wasn't no use to try and thin
hem out, although there were times wher
had to try my hand at il. My plan
was to keep on the right side of them il
/ could, bnt could not always tell which
side that was They were mighty un-
certain. You never could tell for GER
tainty when they were friendly to you
OF when they were waiting for a good
chance to take your scalp.
"One time one Of the varInines went
for it. and ] came within an ace of going
under. 1t was the time took that thing
up there. If had not worked like
beaver, mine would have been hanging
in redskin lodge, for their callers to
inquire about
Yon see, the way IL came abont was
.his-the bears had been very plenty
that fall, and at one time / thought that
they would destroy everything / had
raised.
Il had been rather busy about the
clearing. but saw at last that had got
to drop everything and take time 10 thin
em out.
II put of the Job until one morning;
and then when saw what they had been
up to during the night. was so mad
that took down my rife and told my
wife that was going into the woods,
and would not be back until had pun
ished at least one of 'em.
"a big bear, one whom / judged by
his track would weigh at least 500, had
been into my corn, and the way he fin
ished it was enough to make anybody's
temper rise. 1t seemed as though the
critter had tramped down and destroyed
4 good five bushels of it.
There was not any trouble in follow
ing the trail ne had left behind, for his
feet were rs big round a peck measure.
and you could see where he had planted
'em, half dozen rods ahead.
~For fully two hours followed the
trail which led right up among the noun
tains yonder. When he struck into 'em
he followed the course of a small brook
which came down the bottom of mar
row valley over which the rocks hung az
though they were about to topic upon
your head.
The valley grew narroTer aud mar
rover as you went up until ut last the
rocks came 50 close together that they
shut on. tbs sunshins. aud kind of ssi-