Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1909-12-24
Sam Harding S
ro1l By
L IOiJily Duke Cuyler

u cabius on the shore OF the beautif
& Ossipee lake was a man by the nan
4 Of Sam Harding.
Alone with his wife and child i
haG threaded the forest that lay b.
Y tween the settlements at Dover Poif
and the lake, and. once arrived upo
its banks. he built his cabin. and Sc
about his work at once OF clearing II
a homestead
For many years there had been sui
pcnded from a smoke-stamed bear
above the broad fireplace a trophy 0
the early days te had spent on th
shore Of tie hike
II was an Indians scalp
So Ions had II hung there that i
was rs dried and smoke-begrimed al
the beam itself
Few there were OF his visitors who
remarkng IT, failed to inquire why il
was thus preserved.
To these he did not fail to tell It's
history az we shall do now
We VIII give II 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 I first came up here to set
tie on the banks OF the Ossiree, it was
a bowling Wilderness for miles and
miles on every side.
Il hadn't but one white man for a
neighbor, and lie lived two miles away
down at The foot 81 the bay
but had plenty OF another kind
There We're Wild beasts and sayages
on al sides, ard there were tines
when they both gave me lots OF
trouble.
with The beasts / could get along
pretty well
when they cot too neighborly
would spend few days in hunting.
and get them thmned out. so that fer
time I could live in peace
But with the redskins it w8s diff
ferent It want no use 20 try and thin
them out aithoegh there was times
when I had to try niy hand at it, MY
plan was 20 Keep on the right side Of
them If I could. but could not al
ways tell which side that was They
were mighty uncertain You never
could ten for a certainty WHEN they
were friendly to you or whoa they
were waiting for 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 ne had finished it was enough
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 EN-, a half dozen
rods ahead
"rhe valley became narrower and {
narrower as you went up. until at last \
he rocks came so close together that
hey shut out the sunshine, and kind
If twilight filed the place.
Il had just made up my mind that |
should find his bearship not far from
lere when all at once heard a deep
srowl only a little ways afore me.
"The next minute | saw him-he
lad seen NE and was sitting up on
md. to give me hugging when
ome near enough.
1t was good chance for a shot. and
ringing my rifle to bear, took good
i'm for the spot right between his
ore shoulders and fred. The next
noment he was kicking among the
ny leaves. giving up the ghost.
Il knew that there would be no
eed of another shot. so | did not stop
D load my rifle again. but rushed right
p TO the spot
II wasn't long in getting there, and
hen did, found that there was
omebody before me.
"A redskin, fellow had had some
'ouble with before, was standing over
ne bear. who was jest gasping his
Ist and the yarmiut had sent an
rrow into IT, and knew in a moment
lat he meant TO claim the carcass
n his own. But had no intention
being cheated out of my meat in
his way. so | walked up to the bear.
nd whipping out my knife. cut its
lroat.
The redskin looked as ugly as p'izen.
I'd in broken English wanted to know
hat | did that for; the bear was his. !
I'd he was going TO have it, he saids :
81 showed him that il was my bul-
t. not his arrow. that had killed it. H
1t that did not make the matter any /
,tter.
F." 'Whi!e man let it alone. or Injun Il
I'VE his scalp he cried, as he drew II
S knife. II
" You'll have to take it first, you II
ieving redskin. said l. III
II had not hardly got the words out II
my mouth before he sprang upon