Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-02-27

sportsmaEs paradise. Most likely a
few thousand dollars would purchase
it, and so, for these collective reasons,
Martin decided to buy it.
Old Cy was left to keep the hermit
company; Martin, his wife. and Ray,
with Levi, started for civilization to
obtain needed supplies, and had been
four days upon the way when this
m~uch-abused wait appeared on the
scene. The party were %iourneying in
two canoes. one manned by Ray, who
had alCeady learned to WELD a paddle,
which carried the tents and luggage;
while the other vas 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 a place therein.
The river at this point was broad
and of slow current, only two days
journey was needful to reach the set
tlement and no cause for worry ap-
peared-but Levi felt otherwise.
You'd best hug the futher shore"
he observed to Ray quietly when the
boy pushed off. IAN don't git out O.
sight O. u.s." 81 amt sartin bout the
outcome o. this matter" he said to
Martin later. Il know that half-breed,
BoIduc, and he's a bad 'un. From the
gals story he paid big money fer her
He don't know the meanin' O. law, and
If he folders down the tote road, as ]
callate he will, n ketches sight o her.
the first we'll know ont II be the
crack O. a rifle. The wonder to me is
he didn't ketch her fore she got to us
He could track her EASTERN she could
run. l don't want to 'larm you folks,
but I shan't feel easy till we're out O.
the woods"
1t wasn't r%eassuring.
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
t ward, the birds singing along the fir
I clad banks, and all the exhilaration OF
r the wilderness, soon reached the care
! free 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
couldn't get tired, l guess. He'd roust
me up fust of all n larrup me If he
U caught me shirkin'. Once l had a lit
a tie posey bed back O. the pigpen.
5 fixed it after dark an mornin's when
ketched the chance. He ketched mt
thar one mornin' a-weedin' it n
4 knocked me sprawlin' an then stompet
I all over the posies. That night I wen
out into the woods n begged the spite
to git him killed somehow. 'Nothe
time I forgot to put up the bars, an
the cows got into the taters. Tina
! night he tied me to a stump clus to tn
bars, an left me thar all night. l use
: to be more skeered O. my dad n wa
h O. Tim, tho. He'd look at me like h
hated me, an say, Shut up If | sal
a word, an / most believed he'd XII
me, just fer nothin'. Once he sal
he'd take me out into the woods 6
night n bait a bear trap with me
he heerd | didn't mind Tim. | told Oh
Tomah that, an he sid if he did, he
shoot him; but Old Tomah WASH
n round only winters. / hated dad so |
"a shot him myself, l guess, If l Gu
"a got hold O. a gun when he wan
watchin'."
j. Its awful to have to feel that wa
toward your own father" interrupte
Ray, for he was your father"
Il s'pose twas" admitted Chip, ca
didly, "but I never felt much differer
I've seen him slap mother when 81
was on her knees a-bawlin', and Il
way he would cuss her was awful"
But you had some friendship fro
this old Indian" queried Ray, who b
gan to realize what a pitiful life tt
girl had led; "he was good to 20
wasn't he?"
HE was, sartin,'' returned Chi
l, eagerly; "he used to tell me the spit
nd fix dad fore long, so he'd new
show up agin, m when l got big nj
he'd sneak me off some night n Ia
me to the settlement, whar l could a
a Twin. Old Tomah was the only o
who cared a cuss fer me. / used
bawl when he went away every spri1
an beg him to take me long N he
him camp m cook. I'd "a done me
anything fer Old Tomah. l did
: mind wearin' clothes made out O. {
buds m bein' cussed fer not work
hard huff. What | did mind was r
havin' nobody who cared whether
'kN lived or died, or said a good word
W. me. Sometimes I got SO lonesome
M used to go out in the woods nigf
when twas moonlight n beg t
aM spites to help me. | used to thi
ASA mother might be one on EN- n shJ
- keer fer me. l think she was,
d. twas her as kept me goin' till fou
you folks camp. / got awful skeel
them nights / was runnin' away,
~. when twas so dark l couldn't see
more, an heerd wildcats yowlin',
git, on my knees n beg mother to Ike
~, 'em away. l think she did, an al
SHALL"