The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-10-27

tlful lakes ana rivers OF WnaJ mas SLICE
been we'll 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 we'll as most of
the game. Old Thad, too much in love
with the locality to follow the Indians
and the game, built a snug cabin upon
the edge of wide stretch of. timber
and meadow land where a deep, clear
stream emptied into 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 a farmer, but spent his time in
hunting and trapping as he had always
done. A good neighbor he was. When
ever he returned from a successful
hunt, a saddle of venison or bear meat
was pretty sure to find its way to our
house on the banks of the lake, in re-
turn for the hams and bacon which my
father sometimes sent him.
My father was no hunter, but when
j became old enough to handle rifle,
he often allowed me to accompany Old
Thad on his expeditions. l went al
most wild with JOY whenever l was
granted a holiday of this sort. Old
Thad was jolly companion, and one
of the best story tellers that l ever
knew.
We had no end of sport, and met with
many exciting adventures both on land
and water; but my greatest delight
was to sit by our camp fire at nigh,
counted his early adventures among
the Indians
His tales of hand to hand encounters
of cunning strategy, of hairbreatl
escapes, all told in manner that con
WINGED me of their truthfulness, woulC
ill "a large volume if duly reported.
Coming down the Otter Tail late one
autumn day after successful deer
hunt, we landed to portage or carry
our canoe and its heavy load down pas
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 a load of furs and traps aboard?'
asked my companion, as we took VI
our paddles.
II should want to say good-by to my
- dc hot I 4r,a ,&
Il wouldn't care to try it again my.
self, but did it once" said Thad at
was a grounding case, though, tel
you, for / just had to do it or lose my
scalp. But made the biggest haul Of
fur that night down in these wood.
that | ever made in my life. Tell yor
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 beer
trappin' all the fall up above here, anC
catched the prettiest lot of fur you ever
set eyes on. All this country belonged
20 the Mandan Sioux then. 1t was jus,
about as much as mans life was
worth to let them Indians catch him in
these parts.
81 hadn't seen the first red during
oil the time that I'd been trapping
that fall, and made up my mind that
they'd all gone further west for theil
regular fall buffalo hunt So l was
padding along as careless as you please
late one evening, about a mile above