The Bemidji pioneer., 1901-09-05
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
BACKWOODS
SKETCHES
AN OLD SETTLERS STORY.
BY Al. N. GREELEY.

In the winter of 1913 there was four
OF us living on our claims adjoining
each other. We put in our time Wis
Ting back and forth an hunting trap
ping and taking a fall out of a tree
once in while just for excitement.
The widow, Slabknot, came up onto
her claim, and great change seemed
to come over all of us. All OF us
seemed at once to banker to hunt and
be alone. And blamed If every deer
trail and every otter slide didn't
fetch us right by the widder's door.
And when one Of us got to the door
there would be sure to be two or three
OF our old gang loafng around. There
was nothing narrow-minded about the
wilder, and she treated us all equal,
till young Stebbins got too early and
asked her to marry him. He was
about 10 years Younger nor her, SO she
called him down hard. He went home
all bruised up, and after that we be-
gan to notice he acted kind OF nutty.
There was only three of us in the
race then, and the deer trails seemed
uncommonly thick around the widder's
door. But she stood us off and acted
real kiddish about making choice.
One night i heard a terrible holler-
ing coming to my shack. looked
out OF the winder and saw Young
Stebbins coming through the woods
carrying birch bark torch and Yell
in like an Indian with the Jim jams.
1 thought he was off his base, sure.
He told me he had come onto q big
moose and followed him to the first
burning south Of US. He'd shot the
moose, and twas bleeding four quarts
a minute. Then he lost his gun and
come after me to get mine. Well, I
talked with him to ease him up bit,
and said we'd take the trail the next
morning When morn came he
wouldn Y go, so | went alone. i fol-
loved his tracks till came to his gun
leanin agin tree where he had set it |
down to make a birch torch. Then T |
shook my head and remarked the
stuff IS off with him. I hiked around
all the forenoon, but Their only signs
Of moose / saw was a week old.
ssThat day I got jeff and we went
over to Stebbins claim. He sat with
his head in his hands afore the fire
amoaning something about his mother.
When told him about that ther was
40 moose signs, he said it was not the
irst burning, but IL miles away to the
next burning. We didn't like to leave
aim alone, but he wouldn't come
With us. & s5a5
The next day the three OF us got
;ogether and went over to Stebbins'
We were all worried out over that
boy. Well, there he was sitting on q
stump in his clearing. When he saw
is he waved his hand to keep our
mouths shut, then he picked up bear
rap and set it down behind another
stump.
u ss What are you ketching?' we
would ask him, but he let on he never
heard us. Every few minutes he'd
Dick up that trap and put it in new
place, then sit down to watch it. Then
We went over to the widder's.
sWidder Slabnot, says, I'VE are
i committee of the Pine Tree commune
ty, and we have passed resolution.
Young Stebbins is going off his base
partly through love OF You
ind because of being alone so much.
Vow you have part way promised to
marry each of US, but We have decided !.
o give up our claims in favor of the
10Y. We can't see him go off this
ray, and if you are half q woman you
viii save him. +,
She was stubborn some, but we
Inally fixed the deal. They we're mar
led just as soon as we could coax up
justice of the peace 20 miles through
he snow. a.
never showed any more
igns Of being nutty, and one day I /;
xed him what he was trying to ketch
nth that trap. He threw up his head
nd laughed a mile long. .Ketch, he
aid; why, was ketching ther wild
er. I was no more crazy than you
sllers; but / took that way to work
on.
tive never liked stebbins since,
i