The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1914-05-01
The Sowing of Anderson Cree
By MARGARET P. MONTAGUE
The Life of a Willful Boy
Who Set Upon Himself the
Responsibility Of Avenging
His Fathers Murder :: :

an
mans w%rongdoing. Moreover. he and
his father were cast along strangely
lines. so that what the man
did was almost always instinctively
what the boy would have done also.
Nor was there ever in David's mind q
to evade his promise. When he
had given his oath to his father he had
given it in 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 II way to
60 to Rattlesnake run. There was an
other which was slightly shorter. but
On that morning David chose to 60 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
~ <h4 1o~ An -I{rH ~ o~J I{o <oAho~
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 I amt eve forgot, pappyw!
But in a moment he laid stern hold
pom 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 a 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 nee more.
About 4 in the afternoon the path,
which for some time had lain between
~koon noI un1l- rloI1,.I ~~,.,A:~o
opened out slightly into a long, gentle
slope downward, and David guessed
he was come to the head Of Rattle
snake run. Keeping on a 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 tine yard a shiftless looking
man was at work IN a chicken coop,
while three unkcmpt women. two with
| babies in their arms, watched him with
dull interest. AS David approached,
the dogs set up an excited barking and
the man stopped his hammering and
turned around. At sight Of David he
jerkcd his head in salutation. but did
not speak.
"Howdy." said David. kin you tell
me where erbouts in this Draft I would
be likely ter find Kip Ryerson:
come over ter see him."
The man regarded him Il moment
longer in silence, then he said slowly
you'll hey ter travel or right smart
farther than this Draft Of Yer want
ter find Kip l;yerson."
Flows that said David. II thought
he lived over in here
"IIe don't live nowhere no mo- sait
the man, cXpcrtorAtinE with dcllhcr:i
ton and turning back to his work
"IIc went out west two year ergo, an
word come las summer that he got xii
in err railroad rick. Where mouSht yoi
be from he inquired, turning aroun
again with some show Of interest.
II come from over in Jumpin' creek
David answered duly. He was stun
ned by the %suldenness with which tn
possibility of CARRYING out his promis
had been swept away from him.
".Ah-aa"' said the man. Kip Try
erson was over in thcr fer or spell. W
hccrcd he'd shot or fcller thcr-Wh:
was his name
anderson Cree" said David.
"And what mOught your name ID
!, stranger" the man persisted.
David Cree" the boy answered sin
/ ply.
: At his words the man looked at Iii
quickly and ut his rifle.