Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-03-04
SYNOPSIS.

suddenly moves with his wife to the
adjoining state of Tennessee, where,
between himself and a stranger who
visits his cabin at night, an agree
ment is entered into for the removal
of young child,
Soon after this agreement the Bad
1eighs leave the South and journey to
the Mississippi river taking the child
with them. There Mr.. Badleigh falls
in with a party of gold seekers and
going with them to Pixies Peak loses
his life.
Mrs. Badleigh joins an emigrant
family and all become residents Of
DEBORAH, where young Jesse, the
adopted child makes good in an en-
counter with a school-fellow.
Between Hiram Schockey and
Jesse Badleigh there had sprung up
a warm and lasting friendship. The
boys had become strongly attached
TO each other. In some respects they
were quite dissimilar, in others they
were much alike. Hiram, who was
three or four years the senior of
Jesse, was larger of frame and
stronger than his friend; but the
greater activity of Jesse as in the
case of Jim Cobb, quite Offset the SUI
perior strength of the other. In taste
and in the leading features Of their
characters, the resemblance between
them was very marked and it was
this more than anything else that
led to the fast friendship they enter
tanned for each other.
Naturally fond of outdoor life, Of
ten when Hiram was not needed at
the store and Jesse was out of school
the boys would wander out to the
woods or stroll along the river, har-
kening to the songs of the birds, or
watching the fish darting from place
to place in the limpid waters at their
feet.
On the morning that Mrs. Bad
leigh had called for Jesse from the
door Of her cottage, expressing
soto voce-her anxiety at his un-
explained absence; he had arranged
with his friend, Hiram to spend the
forenoon in the woods gathering hic-
kory nuts, walnuts, butternuts, and
hazel nuts, which were very plenti-
full in northern Iowa, and were the
fully ripe.
On nnEnnx1yn IN M
had quietly left the house after eat
ing his breakfast, taking with him a
good-siZed sack which he was expect
ing to fill and then return home in
plenty of time for dinner. He had
intended it as surprise to his moth
er and that is why he had said moth
ing TO her about it.
The boys had nearly filled their
sacks and were about to return home,
when Jesse looking up from the
ground where ne was shocking hic-
kory nuts, noticed some distance
from the west, what appeared to be
"a cloud of dust raised by a whirl-
wind, but as it seemed to be coming
his way, he kept his eye upon it,
and as it came nearer he was con
WINGED that it was no whirlwind, but
team running away. He shouted
10 Hiram and together they started
at the top of their speed, Hiram eX-
hibiting an astonishing display of
fleetness which was surprise even
TO Jesse who understood him better
than others. They reached the road
in plenty of time to stop the runa-
ways, which were nearly exhausted
by this time, SO as Jesse sprang for
ward and caught the bride of the
horse on the nigh side and Hiram the
off one they were, after a brief strug-
gle, brought to stand still. AS the
wagon was found to contain only a
few sacks of potatoes which the
boys inferred were to be disposed of
in town, they climbed into the wag-
on and turning the horses round has
tened back over the road leading
westward, expecting to find the own
er either killed or badly hurt. The
horses were found to be entirely un-
injured so the boys pressed forward
as urgently as possible. 1t was not
more than fifteen minutes from the
time they started back over the road
they believed the team had travelled
before they reached a / oint where
the road made sharp curve to the
left. 1t was at this point they dis
covered the owner of the team; 9
Scandinavian whose name was OLAF
Petersen, a farmer, living a few
miles northwest of town.
Some years before, Peterson, who
was at the time employed in a saw
mill had had the misfortune to lose
his right hand, which had been Sc
vered from his wrist by a circular
saw. The best equivalent he wa.
able to obtain for the loss of the hanC
was an iron hook which was fasten
ed TO his wrist. This poor substitute
which mac hnf mara mo L acbift ;lIx