The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1913-10-09

n
wv was rude but comfortable and his
~ ~ daughter Bess tended 1t with house
wifely care. Bess~ Buds only
child. She coy mountain maiden OF TWEEN
ty, and as pretty one of the wild flowers that
peep from the ground in the Big Black valley In
March.
Bud had nelghbor 81 Withers 81 lived down
the stream a ways, and the holdings of the two
men Joined. 81 had 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
was the only piece of land on the Jackson-With-
holding that was 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 II known for miles
around as the debatabe ground Bud and 81
both claimed the piece, and had wrangled over II
for years before the feud became deadly. AT
the present status of things II either one set his
foot on the strip the other would have shot him.
Bud Jackson had hobby He was a collector
of birds.
Scientists from st. Louis and from the west
state colleges came to his place every sum-
to look at his collection. He never would
add bird to the lot unless II had been killed
in the state of Missouri, provided always, OF
course, that the bird known to be even a
vistant to the state. Bud didn't expect to
get any famingoes in Missouri, but If he should
have heard Indian tradition that 500 years be-
fore famingo had been seen on the Big Black,
ton until someone had sent him one with the
proper attestaton that 1t had been killed inside
the limits OF his native state.
What collection that was! There was pretty
near everything in II from the ruby-throated hum
ming bird to the big bronze wild turkey Bud
had to build an 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
Mt for Of ffivey hir1
ivorybilled 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 he kept up his search with his
shotgun over his shoulder year after year He
could have purchased an ivorybilled 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
thirsted the trail of reports that the big bird
had been Generally 1t turned out that
those who told of the appearance OF the wood
pecker, not knowing much about birds, had
the log cock" and had taken him for his still
bigger bird brother.
One day in the summer Bud noticed that Bess
had something on her mind. She started sud-
denly 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 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 sworn that he Bill Withers old
SIS son, making of across the brook from the
direction of the Jackson home. Bud gripped his
gun tightly and felt lump come up 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
1t he would be Just hot about 1t 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
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.
rection OF the debatable ground. Bud came to
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 debatable ground 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 graspng gun and looking
at the pair of lovers. There couldn't be any
shooting that day either side and both ole
fellows turned and went home. II was not
pleasant evening that was spent that night ir
either the Jackson of the Withers home But
stormed and fumed and told Bess that she was
bringing everlasting disgrace on him by takinl
up with the of that old thief. Withers.
81 Withers said good deal of the same sor
to his son Bill, but BILL being a fellow who
thought for himself, held the old fellow prett,
well in hand
About week after this a negro appeared a
The Jackson home and reported that he had seei
an ivory-biled woodpecker in the big woods
Bess had been forbidden to leave the house Blu
seized his gun and made for the big patch O
timber. The negro had described the bird accu
ratey. Bud reached the edge OF the woods
plunged in and had not gone ten yards before h
heard a strange rafting cry. He knew II fror
the description he had heard. He went in II
direction In a minute he great big Dir