The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-07-22
Sam Harding S
Trophy Duke By c.y'.,

OSSlpee ldhe was IL man ny tue NAME
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 sus-
pended from a smoke-stained beam
above the broad fireplace trophy OF
the early days he had spent on the
shore of the lake.
1t was an Indians scalp.
So long had it hung there that 1t
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 it Is that / keep
that thing in the house? Well, will
tell you.
When l first came up here to set
tie on the banks of the Ossipee, it was
bowling wilderness for miles and
miles on every side.
81 hadn't but one white man for
neighbor, and he lived two miles away,
down at the foot of the bay.
But / 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 I could get along
pretty well.
when they got too neighborly,
would spend a few days in hunting,
and get them thinned out, so that for
time / could live in peace.
But with the redskins it was diff
ferent. 1t want no use to try and thin
them out, although there was times
when had to try my hand at it. My
plan was to keep on the right side of
them il | could, but | could not al
ways tell which side that was. The,
were mighty uncertain. You nevel
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
IN IA bud Ami chal =
to make anybody's temper rise. 1t
seemed as though the critter had
trampled down and destroyed a good
five bushels of it.
There was not any trouble in fol-
| lowing the trail he had left behind,
| for his feet were as big round as a
peck measure, and you could see
! where he had planted 'em, half dozen
rods ahead.
THE valley became narrower and
narrower as you went up, until at last
! the rocks came so close together that
they shut out the sunshine, and kind
of twilight filed the place.
81 had just made up my mind that
should find his bearship not far from
here when all at once | heard a deep
| growl only little ways afore me.
THE next minute / saw him-he
! had seen me and was sitting up on
end, to give me a hugging when
come near enough.
1t was good chance for a shot, and
| bringing my rifle to bear, | took good
aim for the spot right between his
| fore shoulders and fired. The next
moment he was kicking among the
| dry leaves, giving up the ghost.
81 knew that there would be no
need of another shot, so siid not stop
to load my rifle again, but rushed right
| up to the spot.
81 wasn't long in getting there, and
when l did, | found that there was
somebody before me.
"a redskin, a fellow | had had some
| trouble with before, was standing over
| the bear, who was jest gasping his
last, and the varmint had sent an
| arrow into it, and knew in a moment
that he meant to claim the carcass
for his own. But / had no intention
of being cheated out of my meat in
this way so / walked up to the bear
and whipping out my knife, cut its
throat.
The redskin looked as ugly as p'izen
and in broken English wanted to know
what / did that for; the bear was his
and he was going to have it, he said.
Il showed him that it was my bull
let, not his arrow, that had killed it
but that did not NAL the matter any
better.
"'White man let it alone, or InjuI
have his scalp he cried as he drew
his knife.
"'You1l have to take it first, you
thieving redskin,' said !.
81 had not hardly got the words GU
of my mouth before he sprang upoT
me. But was ready for him.
knocked aside his hand. which he
meant to twist into my hair,