The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-04-17
The Sowing of Anderson Cree
By MARGARET P. MONTAGUE
The Life of a WiIlful Boy
Who Set Upon Himself the
Responsibility Of Avenging
His Fathers Murder :: ::

helu lo unit OF the unSS1nllltv or the
mans wrongdoing. Moreover. he and
his father were cast along strangely
similar lines. so that what the man
did was almost always in%stinctively
what the boy would have done also.
Nor was there ever in David's mind a
desire to evade his promise. When he
had given his oath to his father he had
given it III that moment with his very
soul. and his fathers death had clinch-
ed it.
When he came sixteen. in the hazy
weather of November, touched by a
certain chill of winter. he rose very
early on the morning of his birthday
and. packing himself some cold store ,
of food and leaving a slip of paper for
his mother to say he had gone hunting
and would not be back until the next
day, he took his fathers old rifle down
from its rack on the big stone cham
ney and crept out of the house long
before it was light or any one awake
to be aware of his departure.
The first gray streaks of dawn found
him almost at the Maple spring. TO
pass the Maple spring was one way to
go to Rattlesnake run. There was an
other which was slightly shorter. but
on that morning David chose to go by
way Of the spring.
When he reached the lonely little
hollow lying SO breathlessly in the still
woods Of early dawn he crossed over
to the log on which he and his father
had sat together on that hunting morn
ing four years before. and in the dull
gray light. through which the trees and
low bushes showed faint and cold, he
dropped down on his knees and took
off his hat.
"Pappy!' he whispered, II promised
yer an I'm goin' now. l promised
yer an l amt never forgot. pappy!'
But in a moment he laid stern hold
upon himself, and, rising, stole out of
the hollow and took his way along the
path In the direction Of Rattlesnake
run.
1t was a thirty mile tramp to the
run, and noon found the boy with still
a weary distance before him. He
stopped by Il little brook and drank
deep and ate some of his store Of food;
afterward he rested for a time, and
then, looking carefully to the loading
Of his rife. took up his steady, swing
ing gait once more.
About i in the afternoon the path,
which for some time had lain between
steep and rock stabbed mountains,
opened out slightly into a long, gentle
slope downward, and David guessed
he was come to the head Of Rattle
snake run. Keeping on Il little farther
he presently espied a desolate looking
farm with a small gray cabin cooked
on a grassy hillside in the middle OF it.
He left the road and struck a mar
row, beaten path across a dried up
stream, which presently led him to the
house. In the yard a shiftless looking
man vas at work on a chicken coop,
while three unkempt women. two with
babies in their arms. watched him with
dull interest. AS David approached,
the dogs set up an excited barking and
the nan stopped his hammering and
turned around. At sight of David he
jerked his head in salutation, but did
not speak.
"Howdy..' said David. kin you tell
me where erbouts in this Draft l would
be likely ter find Kip R%yerson: |
come over ter sec him.
The man regarded him a moment
longer in silence. then he said slowly:
You'll hev ter travel or right smart
farther than this Draft eff Yer want
ter find Kip 1iyerSon."
Flows that said David. II thought
he lived over in here"
lie don't live nowhere no mo-" said
the man, eXpcctorating with delibera-
ton and turning back to his work.
lie went out west two year ergo, an
word come las summer that he got kilt
in er railroad rick. Where mought YOU
be FROM he inquired, turning around
again with some show Of interest.
II come from over in Jumpin' creek"
David answered duly. He was stun
ned by the suddenness with which the
possibility of carrying out his promise
had beer swept away from him.
"Ah-a2" said the man. Kip Ry-
erson was over in Their fer err spell. We
heered he'd shot err Teller thcr-what
was his name"'
Anderson Cree said David.
"And what mouGht your name be,
Stranger the man persisted.
David Cree the boy answered SIM
ply.
At his words the man looked at him
nuicklV and at his riho