The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-01
Sam Harding $
Trophy Duke b c.,'..

cabins on the She OF. the beautiful
Ossipee lake was man by the name
Of Sam Harding.
Alone with his wife and child he
had threaded the forest that lay be-
tween the settlements at Dover Point
and the lake, and, once arrived upon
its banks. he built his cabin, and set
about his work at once of clearing up
homestead.
For many years there had been sus-
pended from smoke-stained beam
above the broad fireplace trophy of
the early days he had spent ON the
shore Of the lake.
1t was an Indians scalp.
So long had it hung there that 1t
was as dried and smoke-begrimed as
the beam itself.
Few there were Of his visitors who.
remarking 1t. failed to inquire why it
was thus preserved.
To these he did not fail to tell its
history. as we shall do now.
We will give it in his own words,
so the reader may imagine that he is
sitting in the cabin of the old pio-
neer, with the strange trophy sus-
pended before him.
"You ask me why 1t is that l keep
that thing in the house? Well. l will
tell you.
when first came up here to set
tie on the banks of the Ossipee, it was
bowling wilderness for miles and
miles on every side.
Il hadn't but one white man for a
neighbor, and he lived two miles away.
down at the foot of the bay.
But l had plenty Of another kind.
There were wild beasts and savages
on all sides. and there were times
when they both gave me lots Of
trouble.
with the beasts l could get along
pretty we'll
when they got too neighborly, l
would spend sew days in hunting.
and get them thinned out, so that for
time l could live in peace.
But with the redskins 1t was dtf
ferent. 1t want no use to try and thin
them out. although there was times
when ! had to try my hand at it. My
plan was to keep on the right side Of
them If I could. but could not al.
ways tell whidh side that was. They
were mighty uncertain. You never
could tell for certainty when they
were friendly to you or when they
were waiting for a good chance to
take your scalp.
"A big bear one which l judged by
his track would weigh at least 500
pounds, had been into my corn, and
the way he had finished it was enough
to make anybody's temper rise. 1t
seemed as though the critter had
trampled down and destroyed a good
five bushels of it.
There was not any trouble in fol-
lowing the trail he had left behind,
for his feet were as big round as a
peck measure, and you could see
where he had planted 'em. half dozen
rods ahead.
"The valley became narrower and
narrower as you went up, until at last
the rocks came SO close together that
they shut out the sunshine, and kind
Of twilight filled the place.
II had just made up my mind that l
should find his bearship not far from
here when all at once l heard deep
growl only little ways afore me.
"The next minute saw him-he
had seen me and was sitting up on
end, to give me hugging when l
come near enough.
1t was a good chance for a shot, and
bringing my rife to bear. l took good
aim for the spot right between his
fore shoulders and fired. The next
moment he was kicking among the
dry leaves, giving up the ghost.
81 knew that there would be no
need of another shot, SO did not stop
to load my rifle again, but rushed right
up to the spot
II wasn't long in getting there, and
when / did. found that there was
somebody before me.
"A redskin. fellow had had some
trouble with before, was standing over
the bear, who was jest gasping his
last, and the varmint had sent an
arrow into 1t, and knew in a moment
that he meant to claim the carcass
for his own. But l had no intention
of being cheated out of my meat In
this way, so | walked up to the bear,
and whipping out my knife. cut its
throat
The redskin looked as ugly as p'izen,
and In broken English wanted to know
what did that for; the bear was his,
and he was going to have it. he said.
81 showed him that it was my bull.
let, not his arrow, that had killed It,
but that did not max the matter any
better
white man let 1t alone, or Injun
have his scalp he cried, as he drew
his knife.
you'll have to take 1t first, you
thieving redskin,' said l.
Il had not hardly got the words out
OF my mouth before he sprang upon
me. But | was ready for him.
knocked aside his hand, which he
meant to twist into my hair
For about minute il was as hard
a tussle as ever had In my life; but
at last / managed to trip him up. and
down we went across the carcass OF
the bear. AS good luck would have it.,
l came uppermost, and the next min.
ute I plunged my knife to the hilt into
his heart
That did for him; and rolled his
carcass off the bear, and went to work
a-skinning the animal | took as much
OF the meat as could carry. and the
scalp of the redskin, and started for