The Elbert County tribune., 1913-10-10

~ ~ daughter Bess tended II with house
wifely Bess was Buds only
child She was coy mountain maiden of twen-
ty, and as pretty as OF the wild flowers that
peep from the ground in the Big Black valley In
March
Bud had neighbor. 81 withers. 81 lived down
the stream ways. and the holdings of the two
men Joined 81 had a son, Bill Between the
two mountain farms over in the lay
triangular piece of ground not than two
acres In extent Outside of the woodland this
was the only piece OF land on the Jackson with
ers holding that not cultivated. 1t was
weed grown and though 1t would have supported
goodly crop OF grain. no seed sown by the hand
OF man ever fell there. 1t was known for miles
around as the debatable ground. Bud and 81
both claimed the piece. and had wranged over it
for years before the feud became deadly. AT
the present status of things If either set his
foot on 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 look at his collection. He never would
add bird to the lot unless 1t had been killed
In the state of Missouri, provided always OF
course, that the bird known to be even n
rare visitant to the state. Bud didn't expect to
get any famingoes in Missouri. but II he should
have heard an Indian tradition that 500 years be-
fore damingo had been the Big Black
he would not have added the bird to his collec
ton until someone had sent him with the
proper attestation that 1t had been killed inside
the limits of his native state.
What collection that wasl There was pretty
near everything in 1t 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 n
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
fvory-bilied woodpecker. He knew that the ivory
bill was a dweller of the southeast United States
but ne also knew that struggling birds had been
seen In the deep woods Of the mountains of Mis-
souri, and 30 he kept UP his search with his
shotgun over his shoulder year after year He
could have purchased an ivory billed woodpecker
Killed somewhere else, for something like $40
but he would have Missouri bird or none He
slept out nights in the woods and starved and
thrsted 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
tne log COCK and mad taken him for his still
bigger bird brother
one day In the summer Bud noticed that Bess
nad something on her mind. She started sud
denly whenever he spoke to her and more than
once blushed vividly The old man didn't saw
much but Just thought he would let the tbins
come out by itself. But 1t didn't come out Bess
Just kept on acting as though she were way of
somewhere In the clouds. One day as the old
man was coming back from collecting trip he
could have sworE that he saw Bill Withers old
Sis son, making of across the brook from the
direction or the Jackson home. Bud gripped his
gun tightly and felt lump come up in his
.nroat he thought he knew how to account
for 8ess' blushing. He kept his own counsel,
however He knew that II old withers knew of
IT he would be just hot about 1t as he was
BUD eyed Bess curousy when she entered the
house and casually asked II 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 d.
recton OF the debatable ground Bud came to
rise In the land and looked of toward the tri-
angular bit OF ground In dispute. By the great
aux, what was that he saw? There in the center
OF the debatable ground were Bill Withers and
bess Jackson holding hands and Bess' sunbonnet
was pushed way back. When Bud recovered suf-
nciently he looked beyond the patch and there
STOOD old 81 Withers grasping gun and looking
Mt the pair OF lovers There couldn't he anv
shooting that day either side and both old
ieows turned and went home. II was not a
pleasant evening that 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 Withers said good deal of the same sort
10 MS son BIZ, but Bill. being a fellow who
thought for himself. held the old fellow pretty
well in hand
Abodt week after this negro appeared Mt
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 gun and made for the big patch of
timber. The negro had described the bird accu-
rstely. Bud reached the edge OF the woods,
plunged in and had not gone ten yards before he
heard strange rattling cry He knew 1t from
the description he had heard. He went in it's
direction. In minute he saw a great big bird