The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-02-18
CHAPTER O..
THE AFFAIR AT TREssLER's

AiC OulIOIIls mt curIl, lie dumped
the chips and debris into the center OF
pennsylvania, n men called the heap
the Sever Mountains.
they are not mountains at all, but
long ridges like giant burrows plowed
deep into the very sandstone and left
go for leagues. making a right line Of
the horizon. the second and third
ridges following as if drawn with a
photograph. Here and there is a wild
slash across the furrow. a rip into the
very foundations OF the range. inc
through the rock-snarl at the bottom
worms O scared little stream. 1t is a
gap-so they call it-and II n can
Wrlggle through the Jagged litter and
the rhododendron. spiked like a wire
tangle, 1t will lead him into the next
valley, which Is often a narrow gut full
or torn sandstone and matted scrub,
where only the rattlesnake may freely
go. Often there Is a bend in the fur
rows. q mac swirl as IL the primal
dough had been stirred with a giant
mixer. Then the burrows run straight
again.
Thus the Seven Mountains. a ragged
hole In the heart Of the east. where
the wild turkey still wakes the morn
ing, where the bear n the deer still
flourish, n where the eagle and the
buz2ard wing undisturbed. The ridge
sides. rising sheer. and as steep as rock
debris will lie. are like the tailings of
mighty stone quarries. A few dead
scrags of trees break the sky line; here
n there In the rock chaos are scrub
al thickets blasted by fire. and in the
angle of the v always a little brook
tiltering through the rhododendron tan
gle. Then comes ridges and mighty
breaks and Jagged cliffs II right
angle turns, n sometimes there are
the ruthless tracks of lumbermen-val-
leys choked up with hemlock tops
snarled into the rhododendron, RAM
shackle sawmiils long since deserted,
winding "dinky" roads rusted out long
ago and half buried i'm the fire growth,
and the effect OF it all is indescribably
lonely and wild.
But the valleys are not all OF them
N-shaped and Uttered. There are places
where the riders leap far asunder leav-
ing a ribbon of bottom land, the seat
of prosperous farms. Sometimes there
are small, shut-in valleys. i k pockets
In the range. the homes of secluded
communities-a coy bunch of farms
strung on a winding road and bounded
sharply by two gaps and the stone line
at the foot OF the ridges. And Of these
might be counted the alluvial banks
OF Heller's Run. better known on the
local maps as Hell Bottom.
So much for geography.
II was December the fifth. Dan
Tressler's b%utchering day, as anyone in
the valley could have told as early as
"a NbISA AkCNOOAtA8 klC WAo
right and the moon was "in the up"
Squire Hartswick. lord Of h Bottom,
had %butchered on Thanksgiving day;
Jake KisterbocS had duly followed, and
now by every valley right 1t was Dan
Tressler's day. Things are not done
by nance among the thrifty Dutch"
Baer's almanac and the tradition of the
fathers rule central Pennsylvania with
despOtic sway.
There was no lack of help. A meet
L f~s " 800 Zee - 4 49,
brings out q good,y number, IL the
weather be fine; a funeral gathers the
old people: q "schnittin'" in the fall.
h young: but a "butcherin'" calls
for everybody not "bed-fast,' be the
weather what 1t may. Not that all the
Inhabitants, hit or miss, are called.
Civilizations
For your 'lations"
goes the valley proverb. u the rule
bars no one; for another valley saying
Is to h effect that nobody fire
q stone" at random in any of the
Dutch" valleys and not hit his second
cousin.
It promised ideal butchering weather.
AS early as four in the morning
lanterns were dancing like fireflies. All
was hustle n din. Water was heat
Ing In copper kettles-the valleys sup.
Ing upon temporary bookings; scrap
ing tables were arising; knives were
grinding, the sound coming UP a dull
creaking from behind the corncribs:
II h boys. eager n excited. were
scurrying hither and back in the half
they were like hens with their heads
Off" In the kitchen the housewife,
calm but pale. was presiding like a
general at the outset OF a campaign,
for the valley eaters, like a flock of
~buzzards, were to descend at noon. and
81 Qhn we'll knaW that her dinner 'OnN6 or
bad, would be q topic for a year to
come.
It was one Of those clear. crisp morn
ings when there Is a steel ring in the
whiffs of smoke. An inch OF frowsy
snow had whisked over everything the
day before. and 1t had grown colder
during the night. In h east Over the
black silhouette of Nan mountain,
hung long iron bars OF cloud. untouched
as yet by the approaching lawn. From
h valley there came up a faint muir
muir, which on the vibrant air, soon
became dtstinguishable as the grumble
of wheels over a frozen road. Dan
Tressler caught 1t and Strengthened up
Bet yeh that's old Mill still. Vas?
Hear them wheels clunk?" He ran his
thumb critically over the knife edge.
then alopped the stone with water from
q gourd. "Old Mtn d set up all night
IOFc kC u lcl dllyOOuy 6SS W OUlCa.
erin fore he did wunst. Turn FER right
up smart. Jakey."
He was q picturesque figure as he
crouched over the flying stone in the
uncertain light, his grizzled beard al
most wv ping the knife in his hands
and his eyes blinking small n sharp
behind iron-bowed spectacles. He
wore a "warmus." which fitted
tightly at the waist. and a WOOL
en- cap pulled down over his
ears. He was an eager little man. who
OH great occasions like this went about
on the dog-trot. A wagon drove heav-
lily into the yard, and with a nervous
jerk he wheeled about to meet It, the
long knife fiourishing in his hand.
Wal. now. who'd "a thought Il
wunst? It's you sure enough. amt y
now, Milf? And you here, Maria? Wa
by Chimminy! How gents? JumI
right out now; the womnn's in there
crazy's q bedbug still. Better go right
in and help 'er out. Here. punt vel
boss right in the barn. Milf. There
you be-" He was busting jerkily about
the wagon.
That's a nne day. Dan"
Yes. sir-r-r-! BY Chimminy, here
M LENT" Another farm wager
drove into The yard. and then another
md another. The crowd was appear.
fnD TyI,~ Man, ..n,~ Rol,1,p an~~O1 q,