United labor bulletin., 1913-10-11

-fNA Just his age His habitation
A~,A, rude but comfortable and his
~ ~ daughter Bess tended II with house.
wifely Bess Buds only
child She was coy mountain maiden OF twen-
ty. and pretty OF the wild flowers that
peep from the ground in the Big Black valley in
March
Bud had a neIghbor 81 withers. 81 lived down
the stream ways and the holdings OF the two
men Joined. 81 had son. Bill Between the
two mountain farms 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 the Jackson-W With
ers holding that not cultivated. II was
weed grown and though II would have supported
goodiy crop OF grain. no seed sown by the hand
of man ever fell there. It known for miles
around as the debatable ground. Bud and 81
both claimed the piece. and had wrangled II
for years before the feud became deadly. At
the present status OF things II either set his
foot on the strip the other would have shot him.
Bud Jackson had n hobby. He was a 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 would
add bird TO the lot unless II had been killed
in the state OF Missouri. provided always OF
course. that the bird known be even a
rare yisitant TO the state. Bud didn't expect to
get any famingoes in Missouri but II he should
have heard Indian tradition that 500 years be-
fore namineo had been seen on the Big Black.
he would not have added the bird TO his collec-
lion until someone had sent him with the
proper attestation that II had been killed inside
the limits OF his native state.
What collection that was There was pretty
everything In IL from the ruby-;hroated hum.
ming bird to the big bronze wild turkey Bud
had to build addition 10 his house TO store his
birds Some people said that Bud cared more
for his birds than he did noar which wnn 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
iyory billed woodpeckcr. He knew that the ivory
bill was dwellcr OF the southeast Infted States
but he also knew that struggling birds had been
scen In the deep woods OF the mountains OF Mis-.
souri and so he kept up his search with his
shotgun over hfs shoulder year after year He
could have purchased an ivory billed woodpcrker.
killed somewhere else for somstSing like SEQ
but he would have Missouri bird or 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 II turned out that
those who told OF the appearance of the wood.
pecker. no; knowing much about birds had seen
the log cock" and had taken him for his still
bigger bird brother.
Ono day in the summer Bud noticed that Bess
had something her mind. She started sud.
denly whenever he spoke TO her and more than
once blushed viyidly. The old man didn't sas
much. but just thought he would let the thing
come out by itself hut It didn't come out pess
just kept on acting as though she way on
somewhere In the clouds. One day as the old
man was coming back from n collecting trim he
could have sworn that he saw Bill withers old
Sis SON making of the brook from the
direction OF the jackson home. Bud Eripped his
gun tightly and felt lump come up In his
throat He thought he knew now how 10 account
for Bess blushing. He kept his own counsel
however He knew that II old Withers knew OF
1t he would be just hot about Il as he wa.
bud eyed Bess curiously when she entered tho
house and casually asked II there had been any
visitors while he had been away.
No" stammered the girl. and fell to biushing
directly.
'Humph." said her father.
Two days later Bess went out to nick black.
berries. Half hour after her father followed
In her trail The blackberry patch lay in the d.
rection of the debatable ground. Bud came TO
a rise In the land and looked on toward the tri.
angular bit of ground In dispute BY tho great
aux. what was that he saw? There in the center
Of the debatabie ground were Bill withers and
Bess jackson holding hands and Bess' sunbonnet
was pushed way back. When Bud recovered suf-
ncientiy he looked beyond the patch and there
stood old 81 Withers graspng gun and looking
Mt the pair OF lovers. There couldn't be any
shooting that day on either side and both old
fellows turned and went home. II 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 him by taking
up with the son of that old thief. withers
81 Withers said good deal of the 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 n 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-
rately. Bud reached the edge OF the woods
plunged in and had not gone ten yards before he
heard a strange rattlins cry. He knew It from
the description he had heard. He went in It's
direction In minute he a great big bird