Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-07-22
Sam Harding S
uo~I- By
1 IOpIly Duke Cuyler

Of Sam Harding.
Alone with his wife and child he
had threaded the forest that lay be
tween the settlements at Dover Point
and the lake, and. once arrived upon
its banks. he built his cabin, and set
about his work at once Of clearing up
a homestead.
For many years there had been sns-
pended from smoke-stained beam
above the broad fireplace trophy OF
the early days he had spent on the
shore Of the lake.
Il was an Indians scalp.
So long had It hung there that IL
was as dried and smoke-begrimed as
the beam itself
Few there were Of his visitors who,
remarking it, failed to inquire why it
was thus preserved.
To these he did not fail to tell its
history. as we shall do now.
We will give it In his own words
so the reader may imagine that he is
sitting in the cabin of the old pio-
neer. with the strange trophy sus-
pended before him.
you ask me why 1t is that / keep
that thing in the house? Well, l will
tell you.
"When / FIRST came up here to set
tie on the banks Of the Ossipee. it was
bowling wilderness for miles and
miles on every side.
Il hadn't but one white man for a
neighbor, and he lived two miles away.
down at the foot of the bay.
but l had plenty of another kind.
There were wild beasts and savages
on all sides, and there were times
when they both gave me lots Of
trouble
with the beasts ! could get along
pretty well.
when they got too neighborly. l
and get them thinned out. so that for
time l could live in peace.
but with the redskins IL was diff
ferent. 1t want no use to try and thin
them out, although there was times
when l had to try my hand at IT, My
plan was to keep on the right side OF
them if could, but could not al
ways tell which side that was Thel
were mighty uncertain You neyel
could tell for a certainty when they
were friendly to you or when they
were waiting for a good chance to
take your scalp.
"A big bear, one which judged by
his track would weigh at least 500
pounds, had been into my corn. and
the way he had finished it was enough
to make anybody's temper rise II
seemed as though the critter had
trampled down and destroyed good
. Ave bushels of IT,
"There was not amy trouble IN fol-
lowing the train he had left behind,
for his feet were as big round as a
peck measure and you could see
where he had planted EN- a half dozen
rods ahead
p "The valley became narrower and
narrower as you went up, until at last
: the rocks came so close together that
y they shut out the sunshine, and a kind
I of twilight filled the place
u had Just made up my mind that ]
p should find his bearship not far from
e here when all at once ! heard a deep
r growl only a little ways afore me-
J. "The next minute saw him--he
o had seen me and was sitting up on
end, to give me a hugging when
come near enough.
Il was a good chance for a shot, and
bringing my rifle to bear. ! took good
aim for the spot right between his
4 fore shoulders and fired The next
| moment he was kicking among the
] dry leaves. giving up the ghost
~ knew that there would DC nc
F, need Of another shot. so I did not stol
,, to load my rifle again. but rushed righi
q up to the spot
Il wasn't long In getting there, and
when l did, ! found that there wa.
. somebody before me-
z "a redshn. a fellow / had had some
: trouble with before. was standing oyei
the bear, who was Jest gasping hi.
last, and the Farmint had sent an
y arrow into it, and knew in a momen
that he meant to claim the carcass
: for his own But ] had no intention
of being cheated out of my meat II
this way, so ] walked up to the bear
and whipping out my knife, cut ia
: throat
h The redshin looked as ugly as p'izen
and IN broken English wanted to know
j, what / did that for; the bear was his
:. and he was going TO have IT, he said.
~ Il showed him that it was my bul
D let, not his arrow that had killed it
/, but that did not NAL the matter an,
10 better.
It "'White man let it alone, or Iniul
have his scalp he cried, as he drew
his knife.
= you'll have TO take it first yol
/ thieving redskn said l.
81 had not hardly got the words on
Of my mouth before he sprang upoi
ic me. But l was ready for him.
T. Knocked aside his hand, which b.
s. meant to twist into my hair.