The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-12-25

POAAoACoA uOOV, W 6O OHN ~
the t'1noney that is in it,
THE MOOSE HUNTER FROM MAINE.
T WAS sitting in the doorstep of the little fort.
flied homestead claim at the Woods, wonder
ing as many another had done before and after
that date-August, 'S73-when land values
would take a lump and either let us out Of the
woods, or bring some encourage ment to ren'a'n
in possession. 1t had been the first land claim
stakcd off along the Missouri north of the North
ern' Pacific railroad, and although the time had been
but little over a year since the advent OF the loco
motive, the strain of expectancy had a disturbing
effect on the nerves Notwithstanding the spice OF
e~xistance was somtim.s enli\encd the self IN
PRODUCTION Of some 'charsc'cr." Character study
always interesting, sometimes assumes even
a poetic CLINT, when the conditions OF the mind
harmonic with the poetry in nature AT no
period in the revolving Of The se:.cns Goes the
poetic or the visionary take possession OF the
the soul within us, as ON fine August days. Fspc-
ciallv is this true to the denizens who live along
the changing banks of the Y PIPER Missouri river
which mighty stream save when bound by icy tct-
tiers, is ever presenting itself TO the human eye,
through the revolving lens of the Kaleidoscope.
Yet with all its shifting moods "fanger or serin'ty
there is no charm so enlransing TO The poe''cal
dreamer, in SOLITAIRE of the riviere, as along the
changing and falling banks and within hearing OF
the mufaed noises Of the suirling Waters OF this
strange old river. on tranquil autumn mornings.
Thus within hearing Of the low r'ari' & waters
oirdled with a heavy frcst of great cot'onw'@ds'
that hide you in continuous shade,-what wonder
that the mind bee, mes mt|Iowcd IN REVERE.
Characteristic. MYTHICAL oncs-but OF The PLAIN
flesh and blood kind. pass in review. f1ere at
the gate of this stockade had appeared a war party
whose OILY trophy Of their prowess to show, had
had been the crimson llo;ched scalp Of a sixteen
wear old, Sioux girl. Charac: crs had been here
who had talked wisdom from an owl. Characters
had been here who had seen phantom boats
manned by phantom crews moved no'seless'y
down stream. Less than a year before a young
man Of fine physical carriage had passed up the
trail with no weapon but a Ratchet, afoot and alone
Choking for a team just a little ways ahead Six
months later he had reappeared. Frozen hands;
frozen %fect-frozcn face. Clothed in 'atters ana
bareheaded.
''Whcre have you been! had askeoa 'ransc'e"'
companion Of mine, on the mans temperance.
Giving with the deer"
That was all he had for answer-lving with the
deer, Show me Burleigh City's graveyard and |
will show you this mans grave. No questions
who he was? No questions where he was from?
No inquiry about the young wife who had went
estray? F or we will answer none here. But
from his first arrival on the Slope, his one central
thought was looking for that team just a little
ways ahead" :.
Out from this riviere. Out from gazing on
these shifting characters in transit across the
Woods. They march along the boards like the
characters in the Cassandria play. Reynolds
Mccall the Miner-Bloody Knife-Guppy. They
move across-noisless phantoms drawn out in
review to the unseen eye blythe brain con duration.
While thus doing. the sound Of a. walking horse
grated on the ear, and a moment later, there
appears at the timber opening a tall man lead
ing a scrub pony. coming toward the stockadr,
The man ambled forward in an ungainly way. A