Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-03-07
CHAPTER I.

fond Of fishing and hunting to make a
yearly trip to the North Woods of their
State some time during the summer In
search Of that complete change in mode
of life which they very justly claim is the
only one potent enough to undo the evil
effects of business and social life in the
great metropolis. Hero. far removed
form post and telegraph Offices, it becomes
q physical impossibility to follow the
movements Of stocks or to note the con-
dition of the markets, aud tired nature,
left to herself, soon begins to revive under
the magical influence Of the pure air.
heavy with the balm of pine and birch
trees. The heartbeat becomes more reg
ular. and the blood reddens under the d.
rect rays of the sun. Whoever has been
In the habit of making such trips as this
must have fallen in with Burtsall Tyler,
Or Burt Tyler, as he was called by every
body in and about Gilroy's, the little set
tlenient IN the edge of the woods.
Burt was a splendid trapper and guide.
and knew the North Woods as a city a
knows the streets, alleys and passages of
his particular business quarter. Every
body liked him, and none more than those
whom he accompanied into the woods rs
guide; and had he been Of a mercenary
X ualHAC III AllSAt CuSAly ~
considerable money, for people were al
ways ready and willing to pay extra for
Burt's services. But Burt would not lis
ten to It; no entreaties would induce him
to accent more than the usual fees paid
to the other guides.
''It would not be fair" was his sterco-
typed reply, for I'm no better guide than
any of the rest of the boys"
This generosity, however. didn't save him
from the enmity of u man by the name
of Jack Caneff. Jack had been one of
the most intelligent and trustworthy
guides until liquor had wrought his down
full. Now that his unfortunate habit
had rendered it next to impossible for
him to get an engagement, he strOve to
throw the blame on Tyler by saying:
sIt's all Big Bnrt's fault. Before he
came into the woods / used to make a de-
cent living"
Tyler was well-named big Burt" for
he stood Q feet 4 inches in his stocking
feet, and a finer specimen of physical man.
hood never trod in shoe leather.
There was not an ounce of super1uous
flesh on him. Add to this the fact that
he was handsome enough to pose as an
Achilles, save that his big brown eyes had
nothing but kindness in them, and you'll
get sonc idea Of the popularity he en-
joyed.
His head. finely shaped and snperbly
poised, on. his great, broad shoulders,
was covered with a strong growth Of dark.
curly hair, and although he stood as erect
NJ q pine. vet there was q native grace in
his movements that set many a woman's
henrt in q flutter.
A lady correspondent of one of the New
York papers said of him that che strobe
through the pine forests like a Grecian
god out for exercise"
Burt loved children, nay, adored them.
lie was o great, oyergrOwn boy himself,
n kne no kecner pleasure than to
comp with half q dozen sturdy young
STEERS. whom he tossed into the air rs if
they were rubber balls. Although strong
as a lion, Burt never smote a fellow
man awe to protect n weak brother from
wrongful attack. His strength was SIM
ply phenomenal. He had often beer
known to slap the antler off a bucks head
with n hand. and to hold a Wounded
and Infatuated bear, weighing 200 pounds
powerless in his terrible grip until n COM
unnion could dispatch him. It seems
hardly credible, but the story is told Of
Burt that while bringing his sweetheart
home from some place in the ~up-country,
where she had been visiting-he being
Dn foot and she mounted-her horse stun.
bled and fell, breaking one of her arms
a n of his own legs. Whereupon
Burt shot the animal, picked up Little
Ann as he was wont to call Ann Carey,
60 whom he was betrothed, although she
was m av~ernge-sized woman and weighed
at least q hundred and twenty pounds.
and carried her fifty miles in twelve hours
without 9 single halt. reaching Gilroy's
at nightfaH apparently unaffected BY the
extraordinary feat Of strength. Upon
being chided by AIMS mother for making
such dangerous haste and taking the risk
al = q fearful strain. Burt only smiled
End answered: ''She is worth it, mother.
One of Burt's patrons, who came repn-
ilarly - the woods every year, was Charles
y. Norris, q well-known New York bank.
81 = man who made money easily and
spent # freely.
HI only vacation was two months
raSeed In the North Woods every yearand
thA effect which this ''ronghing it" ma
upOn him was really extraordinary. He
4 usually appeared upon the scene about
the beginning Of August looking pale.
thin and hOliow-eyed; worn out in body
md mind. He used to say, when /
81 Int arrive, Burt Tyler could kill me with
snap Of his finger; by the time I'm ready
a 10 back to work I can often wake him
~ ~ hammering him in the back"
Naturally MI. Norris arrival at Gil
noy's, where he was accustomed to stop
1s1ver for several days while he and Tyler
busted themselves getting their traps
together before starting into the
woods, put considerable lite into the little
hosiery: for it meant n hundred dollars
"a old Gilroy, and something to everybody
imam, woman or child-connected with
xSIae house. One person in particular al.
Ways took special pains to make herself
q rreeable to Mr.. Norris. and that was
sM ~ sate Caneff, Jacks wife, who vas host.
EASSn kpusekeeper and barmaid all in one,
y IN . jolly. rollicking sort Of a
91sIGI6S9rpOt bad at heart. but weak al
fTfS1 welding to the influence of Ca
D. 80 sS1lol1n6 she loved, feared and despised
B S6aal quantities. This particular sea.
sCAnef seemed to be drinking harder
q es1t. His face and eyes were repul.
\ tnilamed by his excuses, and the
g&fence was he was not IN q condi'
1IsRn q cent. Kate was not only
l6e his board, hut furnishing him
Somey to buy iiQuoe.