Year: 1878

ten wears of age stepped out IN the
moonlight He gave q shrill whoop.
which was answered By roar from
Nose; no other greeting was exchanged
between them.


"And this is jack" l thought What
a singular companion for such giant as
Mose.r


l bade him good evening, and shook
him BY the hand. He looked pleased,
but without making reply TO my greet
ing. led me into the house, pointed to
a rough bench by the fire and busted
himself in placing venison and coffee
before me. Having brought basin OF
brown sugar covered with myriads Of
ants, he left the cabin, and presently re
turned with a pitcher of milk. Then
sitting down opposite to me he stared at
me with his large eyes in evident Won
derment but made no response to my
occasional observations


When Nose had disposed of his horse
and brought my baggage into the house,
he found me half though with my sup
per. He helped himself to venison and
coffee, and then nudging Jack pointed to
the pan on the fire. Done eatin," Jack
answered; and this was the first and last
word heard from him thst night.
was shown into back room Of the
cabin, which on hasty examination by
the light of a wax match found to con
tain a homemade bedstead, two stools
and small table. The bed consisted of
a hay mattress and pile of bear skins,
neatly dressed and trimmed with red
blanketing, as though woman's neat
hand had had its share in the furnish
ing of the chamber. This impression
WAS strengthened when, on awakening
in the morning l found many evidences
fits having once been the habitation of
a woman. Some garments we're hang
ing on the wall, dusty like everything
else in the room, but of good material
and of better make than it would have
been possible for 9 woman brought up
in the wilderness to possess. On the
little tab.e,on which was spread neatly
worked deer skin cover, lay needle
case and scissors Of fine English manu-
fcture, and PRAYER book of the Epis
copal service. somewhat torn and stain.
ed, but an elegant edition. Instinctively,
l looked at the fly leaf TO see ifthere was
any name on it, but the first leaves of
the book had been torn out. Deer skin
moccasins of small size and neat make
were at the foot of the bed, and there was
a skirt and woman's leggings oflhe same
material among the clothing on rhe wall
"a singular mixture Of savage and civil
lied life.


Jack was ready with the breakfast
when l came from my bath in the brook
Nose had already left for the woods
While eating. l piled the boy with ques
lions, and by the time / had finished m!
meal, / had found out that Nose was
Jacks dad" and that lack had never
been away from the cabin except on
short independent expeditions after
squirrels or fish. He told me he had
never had any mother, and he did no
know whose "them duds were in the
back room; the old man didn't like his
going in thar" He could not read, and
knew nothing about the book l had
found. He had now become sufficient,
familiar to look at the drawings in my
sketch book, and even ventured to ask
some questions about them. But his
vocabulary was very limited indeed, and
of things not Immediately connected
with his life and surroundings he knew
absolutely nothing. lie was a very
handsome little fellow, refined edition
Of his father, except that his eyes and
hair were black. The latter was silky and
curling, quite unlike the coarse hair OF
The Indian or half breed.


The cabin was romantically situated
within few yards ofa mountain stream
over which a rough bridge Of logs had
been thrown. Some acres in front were
cleared and partly fenced. In ever,
were fine subjects for pictures
rock and wood scenery of the grand
est effect There Was view of Mount
Hood through an opening in the pines
behind the cabin, and the atmosphere
was go clear that the giant mountain.
hough nearly hundred miles distant,
seemed to be within an easy walk. Afte,
a short survey of the surroundings !
made up my mind to stay here for some
Ime; and returning to the cabin 1 took
formal possession of the back room b.
unpacking my bag and sitting up my
easel. When all was in order was de
lighted with the picturesque and odd
appearance Of my studio.


Nose was an industrious hunter, and
was rarely at home. He left all the work
about the house for Jack.who was natur
,llv handy and neat, and kept things in
far better state than could have been
expected, considering his age and his
want of his mothers training. 1t was
some DAYS before he manifested much
interest in my doings or addressed me
without being spoken to; but the mind


fla bright child is naturally hungry for
knowledge, and once having made a
start he piled questions to such an ex
tent that / was often at my wits end
how to answer them suitably for his
comprehension. Gradually even Nose
began to thaw, and l succeeded in coax
ing out of him the relation of many
thrilling adventures of bis hunters life
while ever and anon be made remarks
which disclosed a startling abyss of ig
norance.


One evening, as we were sitting under
a big cedar near the cabin, smoking our
pipes, asked him whether he could
read. Read" said he, read, I don't
hardly know whether can read. /
know I haint read none since I was as
little as Jack here, durn HIM" patting
Jacks curly pate with his big brown
hand. Il used to could read onctI know,


but dad he died when / WIS ten years
old, and runned away from the man as
owned me after that. That was in North


Carolina, think; and then l got in with
chap that took me to Texas, and there


/ tended cattle until was a man grown


and could fight Injunsand kill bars; and


then 1 took to hunting and got in with


Ike-Ike Parson, as you may have hearn


on. Me and Ike were pardners. And


arter while we Joined White Bulls


band Of Utesand lived with them don't


hardly know how long, until the time
u -