Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-10-09

child. She was a coy mountain maiden Of TWEEN
ty, and as pretty as one OF the wild flowers that
peep from the ground in the Big Black valley in
March.
Bud had a neighbor, ST Withers. 81 lived down
the stream ways and the holdings Of the two
Joined. ST had a son, Bill Between the
two mountain farms over in the corner lay a
triangular piece of ground not more than two
acres in extent. Outside of the woodland this
the only piece of land on the Jackson-With-
ers holding that was not cultivated. 1t was
weed grown and though it would have supported
a goody crop Of grain, no seed sown by the hand
of ever fell there. 1t was known for miles
around as the debatable ground. Bud and 81
both claimed the piece and had wrangled over it
for years before the feud became deadly. At
the present status Of things if either one set his
foot the strip the other would have shot him.
Bud Jackson had hobby. He collector
of birds
Scientists from St Louis and from the west
ern state colleges came to his place every SUM-
mer to lock at his collection. He never would
add a bird to the lot unless it had been killed
in the state of Missouri, provided always, Of
course that the bird was known to be even q
visitant to the state Bud didn't expect to
get any 1amingoes in Missouri, but if he should
have heard Indian tradition that 500 years be-
fore q hamingo had been seen on the Big Black
he would not have added the bird to his coIlec-
ton until someone had sent him one with the
proper attestation that it had been killed inside
the limits OF his native state.
What a collection that was! There was pretty
near everything in it from the ruby-throated hum
ming bird to the big bronze wild turkey. Bud
| had to build addition to his house to store his
birds. Some people said that Bud cared more
for his birds than he did for Bess, which was a
lie For years Bud had secured the woods OF
the Ozarks. extending his trips to the adjoining
counties for the purpose of getting one bird the
ivory billed wOodpecker. He knew that the ivory
bill was dweller of the southeast United States,
but he also knew that struggling birds had been
seen in the deep woods of the mountains of Mis-
souri, and SO he kept up his search with his
shotgun his shoulder year after year He
could lave purchased ivory-billed woodpecker
killed somewhere else, for something like $40
but he would have a Missouri bird OF none He
slept out nights in the woods and starved and
thirsted on the trail of reports that the big bird
had been seen. Generally it turned out that
those who told of the appearance of the wood
pecker, not knowing much about birds, had seen
the log cock and had taken him for his still
bigger bird brother.
One day in the summer Bud noticed that Bess
had something her mind She started sud
deEiy whenever he spoke to her and more than
once blushed wildly. The old man didn't say
much, but just thought he would let the thing
come out by itself. But it didn't come out. Bess
just kept on acting though she were way off
somewhere in the clouds. One day as the old
man was coming back from a collecting trip he
could have sworn that he Bill Withers. old
81 S son. making on across the brook from the
direction of the Jackson home Bud eripped his
gun tightly and felt lump come I'D in his
throat. He thought he knew now how to account
for Bess blushing. He kept his own counsel
| however He knew that if old Withers knew of
it he would be just hot about it as he was
Bud eyed Bess curiously when she entered the
house and casually asked If there had been any
visitors while he had been away.
No stammered the girl, and fell to blushing
directly.
"Humph!" said her father.
Two days later Bess went out to pick black
! berries. Half an hour after her father followed
in her trail. The blackberry patch lay in the di-
rection Of the debatable ground. Bud came to
a rise in the land and looked off toward the tri-
angular BIT of ground in dispute. By the great
aux what was that he saw? There in the center
| of the debatabe ground Bill Withers and
Bess Jackson holding hands and Bess' sunbonnet
was pushed way back When Bud recovered suf
1ciently he looked beyond the patch and there
stood old 81 Withers grasping gun and looking
at the pair of lovers. There couldn't be any
shooting that day On either side and both old
! fellows turned and went home. It not
| pleasant evening that was spent that night in
! either the Jackson of the Withers home. Bud
| stormed and fumed and told Bess that she was
| bringing everlasting disgrace on him by taking
/ up with the son of that old thief, Withers
| 81 Nlthers said good deal of the same sort
! to his son Bill. but Bill being a fellow who
/ thought for himself held the old fellow pretty
/ well in hand.
| About week after this negro appeared at
] the jackson home and reported that he had seen
! an ivory-billed woodpecker in the big woods.
! Bess had been forbidden to leave the house Bud
! seized his sun and made for the big patch of
! timber. The negro had described the bird acct-
! rateIy. Bud reached the edge of the woods
/ plunged in and had not gone ten yards before he
! heard n strange rafting cry. He knew it from
! the description he had heard He went in its
/ direction. In minute he great big bird