Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1907-10-04
ever encroached upon this region.


| 1t was, all considered, a veritable
| sportsman's paradise. Most likely a
/ few thousand dollars would purchase
1t, and so, for these collective reasons,
Martin decided to buy it.
Old Cy was left t. keep the hermit
company; Martin, lis wife, and Ray,
with Levi, started for civilization to
four days upon the way when this
much-abused waif appeared on the
. scene. The party were journeying IN
two canoes, one manned by Ray who
had already learned to WELD paddle,
which carried the tents and luggage;
while the other was occupied by Mar
tin, his wife, and Levi. The only avail
able seat for the new arrival was in
Rays canoe, and when breakfast was
disposed of and the voyagers ready to
start, she was given place therein.
The river at this point was broad
and Of slow current, only two days
journey was needful to reach the set
Element and no cause for worry ap-
peared-but Levi felt otherwise.
You'd best hug the fusher shore"
he observed to Ray quietly when the
boy pushed off, IAN don't git out o.
sight o. US" Il amt sartin bout the
outcome O this matter" he said to
Martin later. Il know that half-breed.
Bolduc, and he's bad I'm. From the
gals story he paid big money fer her
He don't know the meaRfn' O. law, and
if he follers down the tote road, as /
oallate he will, n ketches sight o. her,
the first wen know ont Il be the
crack o. a rife The wonder to me is
he didn't ketch her fore she got to US.
He could track her Eastern she could
run I don't want to 'larm you folks,
but shan't feel easy till we're out O
the woods"
It wasn't reassuring.
But no thought OF this came to Ray,
at least, and these two young people,
yielding to the magic of the morning,
the rippled river that bore them on
ward, the birds singing along the fir
clad banks, and all the exhiaration of
the wilderness, soon reached the care
free converse of youthful friends
81 never had nothin' but work n
cussin'," Chip responded, when Ray
asked if she never had any time she
could call her own. Tim thinked l
couldn't get tired, guess. He'd roust
me- UP fust of all n larrup me if he
caught me shirkin'. Once | had a lit
tie posey bed back O. the pigpen. l
iixed it after dark an mornins when l
fetched the chance. He ketched me
.har one mornin' a-weedin' it n
hacked ne sprawlin' an then stomped
all over the posies. That night | went
ont into the woods n begged the spites
50 git him killed somehow. Mother
time | forgot to put up the bars, an
lie COWS got into the taters. That
r mt he tied me to a stump clus to the
bars, an left me thar all night. | used
to be more skeered O. my dad n l was
o Tim, tho. He'd look at me like he
hated me, an say, Shut up if l said
J word al, | most believed he'd kill
me, Just fer nothln. Once he said
cd take me out into the woods at
2isht n bait bear trap with me if
e heerd didn't mind Tim l told Old
To.lah that, an he sid if he did, he'd
shoot him; but Old Tomah wasn't
round only winters. l hated dad SO I'd
a shot him myself, 1 guess, if l cud
q got held o gun when he want
watchin'."
It's awful to have to feel that way
t>Ward your own father" interrupted
Pay, for he was your father"
Il s'pose twas" admitted Chip, can
didly, but l never felt much different.
I've seen him slap mother when she
was On her knees a-bawlin and the
,2y he wCdid cuss her was awful"
But you had some friendship from
his cid Indian" queried Ray, who be-
IA to realize what pitiful life the
gil had led; she was good to you,
wasn't he?"
HE was, sartin," returned Chip,
eagerly; 'he used to tell me the spites
nd fix dad fore long, so he'd never
show UP agin, n when I got big huff
he'd sneak me off some night n take
me to the settlement, whar l could arm
. Twin. Old Tomah was the only one
vlo cared a cuss fer me. 1 used to
h2Wl when he went away every spring
al beg him to take me long n help
him camp n cook. I'd "a done most
anything fer Old Tomah 1 didn't
mind wearin clothes made out O. old
buds n bein' cussed fer not workin
hard 'nun. What I did mind was not
h.,yin' nobody who cared whether I
lived or died, or said good word to
me. Sometimes l got so lonesome, 1
used to go out in the woods nights
wAen twas moonlight n beg the
spites to help me. used to think
mother might be one on EN- n she'd
keer fer me. l think she was, an
twas her as kept me goin' till l found
you folks camp. I got awful skeered
them nights l was runnin' away, an
when twas so dark l couldn't see no
more, an heerd wildcats yowlin', I'd
cit on my knees n beg mother to keep
'N-71 9vysv think She did an 2 Tins