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Show , r ; rhey They TheyCold Could Cold lick Lack Their The r Weight eagbtr in Wildcats- Wildcats inWiIdcts WildcatsJ J - - - { T t tBy By ELMO EL1\IO EL1 IO \ SCOTT WATSONOWEVER WATSON WATSONuj OWEVER numerous may have been the faults of the uj > IOWEVER 1 1American American frontiersmen , modesty of the shrinking shrmkmg shrinkingviolet 1- 1 1violet - violet variety was not one of them them.Muscular themMuscular . truscular uscular , reckless , daring darmg , bumptious , boastful-he boastful he boastfulher boastful - heed r e epical d in m his lus prowess and he told the world about It it'epical itepical ! ! , ' plcal pical of his Ius self-esteem self esteem - was the characterizationi characterizationthe characterization charactenzation " _ _ . _ _ . . _ _ _ _ _ _ , i r r1 > - --1- 1 - - 111 - -1--1 1 - - - - - .I.I- I.I .I.I II .I.IA - A 1-- 1 1T - - T ! - - A- A AOrleans - the rIflemen , who Inarched marched wIth Andrew Jackson to toSOrleans toOrleans SOrleans ( Orleans late in m 1814 to repel the attempt of a Britishy Britishto BrItlsh British r rto to capture that city , applied to themselves . Everyaccording Every \ ( according accordmg to his Ius "tell tell " , " was "half half " a horse and half halfhigator halfIhffator . . " H Hso i . so , when " Hlclcand Hlck- Hlck Hlclc- Hlclc Hlckand - - , and his frontier rille- rille rifle- rifle rifle.had riHe-had riHe had - - J.had Jhad .had had rilleJ.had ) . [ . won that amazmg amazing amazingover amazingTV amazingy l " PackenI Packen- Packen PackenGeneral PackenGeneral lY lover Y over "Old Old - ' ( General Pakcnham Pakenham ) I ' us s red coats , the fame fameese fameese fameese ese bach\ bach back backwoodsmen bachoodsmen . \ oodsmen 'oodsmen ' was was"d waskd wasid kd "d d " across the land . Then Theniel ThenUel iel el Woodworth V/oodworth V oodworth / ( yes , theSamuel the thetSamuel thep ( p Samuel ' Woodworth who who"The whoe whoi whoi"The tSamuel e "The The " Old Oaken Buck- Buck Buckt.sat Bucksat Buck-it Buck it Buckitsat - t.sat tsat sat himself down and andrated andrated ( rared rated : . their feat in m a aL awhich awhich [ L wluch which he called "The The "Theers "Theers "Thefers Thefers " ers ers of Kentucky . " First Firstruin Firsttin ' ruin 1111 aNew a New Orleans the- the thek theta the-n the n - - k | ta 1822 , it was publIshed publIshedfrude publishedCrude publishedIrude frude Crude little book of songsBallads songs songsiallads ) iallads Ilads four years later later.Is laterIs . . ts\also ts also ls \ also printed prmted m 111 in Boston BostonbroadsIde Bostonbroadside Bostonbroadside broadsIde and it becamc'itable becameitable became becamc itable 'itable ' "hymn hymn " of faIth faith"ery faithery " ery cry frontiersman frontlersman on ev- ev evmencan ev-Imencan ev Imencan - \mencan mencan merican \ frontier . yas vas wluned whined out by cowboy cowboys s ( the real , not radio , hmd kind kindd ) d campfires or on nightduty mght night mghtduty nightduty duty . . It was roared out by byrjacks bysrjacks 1'Jacl.s 1Jacl.s 1Jacls rjacks ! ' . . m in their bunhhouses bunkhouses bunkhousesy bunhhousesr bunkhousesf r f goldseekcrs goldseekers m mmmgsaloons miningsaloons mining mmmg miningsaloons saloons . . . And today it IS.ung islung is isung > . ung .ung lung m in many a mountain mountam mountainin mountamm in m the AppalachIans AppalachIanshaps Appalachianshaps Appalachianshaps haps not every frontIers- frontIers frontIersJoastc frontiersioasted frontiers-aoasted frontiers aoasted - - Joastc ioasted that he was "half half "haU haU " a aand aand aand . " Per- Per Perhe Perhe Per-he Per he and half haU an alligator - - he stated , a little httle m morestiy 0 o r e esUy estly sUy stly , that he was the kindhter hmd kind hmdhter kindhter hter who could "whip whip "wlup wlup " b.1s b1s his . b.1st hist hist t in m wildcats " So whenIi when Ii & ( ' Daugheity Daugherty Daughe1 ty decided to tolo toogether ogether ( lo ! gether a collection of old'tales oldales old- old oldales - - 'tales tales ' # ales which t \ would \ ould "makeimage "make make "makemage " image mage or pattern that mIght mightst mightst st t the sprawling sprawlmg fecundity fccundIty , i 'ast ast ' st human drama of the therpntier theyntier [ ' rpntier nber " he chose for the theDf theof theat Df of his book the lugl highly.ap- highly.ap highly.aplate highly y.ap- y.ap y.aplate < . ap-iate ap iate - - - " Wildnave Wild- Wild Wlld- Wlld Wlld1 Wildhave late "Their Their Weight in m - - nave 1 < l have ve tried to call up the thet theunages theimages thei t images unages , the wild proces- proces proces18 process proces-c proces c - - - 18 s , the swift S\t S t sw.ft swft \ . . ! . , , fierce action actionencounters actionencounters actionencounters encounters - andall and all this.with this thiswith with .with . a tiny tmy brush , a scrap scrapper scrapper scrapper per , a pot of ink mk , and a ae aenthusiasm aenthusiasm e enthusiasm thuslasm , , " he says in m m- m ex- ex - mtion exton e\-Uon e Uon \ . . - - tion ton tonof of the illustrationsr illustrations r he drew for the bookB book bookof bookof of these illustrations arc are areuced arcuced | uced ced with thTs this article by byy byy byfy y of the Houghton Mlffim Miflim Mlffim.l.y Miflimy MifflinyY .l.y l.y ly . y , publishers ) ' " immense I 1 lore are o r e belund behind belundew behindew behindew ( ew tales and sketches IS isBTS , to me , a vast Iliad and andm andin andBy m in the raw , " says Mr Mrrty Mrrty Mrerty ( rty further "From From " It it"and itp | 1 ' 1and "and and " and and sculp-U1 sculp U1 sculpll painters pamters sculp- sculp sculpU - - - | U ll be taking takmg themes andg and andg andg | g up glorious songs and andand andand andt and colossal can cars carved ed and andfriezes andl - fnezes frlezes friezes and facades and andlonals andiionals andionals lonals ionals as long as the ge- ge geugh ge- ge geugh ge-ugh ge ugh - - - ugh , cantankerous spirit Splrlt of ofa ofa ofa ; a endures " . . , . i ise use "KingSeel KingSeel ? Mike Fink FlIlk , the "Kmg Kmg "King King "Kmgeel "Kingeel " perfect-fied perfect fied eel Boatmen , " so perfected perfect- perfect perfected - - [ ed this "tough tough " , , cantan- cantan cantansplnt cantanspirit cantan-L cantan L - - - spirit splnt " of the men who whoWhIP whowhip whoEwhip WhIP their weight wClght in m wIld- wIld wIldt wild-Bt wild Bt - - t is appropriate appropnate that hish his hisACL h < 4 4N 4N 4y 4Nf N N y r Nf Nfr Nfr Nfh NfY r h Y y b br4 r4 r4N r4w N w u uI I I/ I / t It Io IF + tN ' ' o F . a ar aa $ , " ' 5 r a " .lh lh . .lhAUL . -ACL ACL - AUL BUNXAN BUNYAN BUNYANaster BUNYANaster BUNXANaster [ aster Woodsman Woow.man Woowman woodsmanshould . . i \should should \ , , frontisthe fronhsthe should be the frontis- frontis fronhs- fronhs - - - , the bookand book and that one of ofies ofles ofyes bet ies les yes about him rum should be "Thefed Thefed liThed "Thed t one in it It ISliThe is liThe "The The " d Scalp - lock . , " taken takene takenLhe Hunttten e Hive of the Bee Hunt- Hunt Huntf Hunt-llten Hunt llten - - tten by T . B Thorpe and andid f andd d back in 1854 LIsten LIstenIke ListenMike Listenhike hike Ike as he "talks talks " big " ; : I will walk tall into 1Oto intoarMid \ar-Mid ar Mid \ ar- ar arnd arI - - I nd ad Indian ' ; it's its a way waypt t wayt , and it comes as nat- nat nats nat-s nat s - - s gnnn.nc gnnnnc grlDn.ng grlDnng grmn.ng grmnng . . lo to a hVLna hvcna hVLnarc hvma.resular hvmaresular . . i tornadotoughi nadotoughckory touchckory tornadotoughckory rc regular u1ar tOl tornado-tough tornado tough toinado nado-tough nado tough - - ckory lon - - - lonwinded loft-Winded loft Winded ; - .winded winded -winded . - as asester asester asWcster ester . I can strike a a1i 1i aike akc kc ke a tailing fallmg falling tree-and tree and treeandt tree - and r { t every lick makes a gap in the thecrowd thecrowd thecrowd crowd that lets in an acre of ofsunshlDe ofsunshine ofsunshine sunshlDe sunshine . Wliew Wllew IVliew , boys ! If the theChoctaw theChoctaw theChoctaw Choctaw divils dlVlls devils in them 'ar ar 'arwoods 'arwoods 'arwoods arwoods ' woods thar would give us a abrush abrush abrush brush , just dust as I feel now , I'd Id I'dcall I'dcall I'dcall Idcall ' call them gentlemen . I must mustI mustfight mustfiht I fight ? something sometbmg , or I'll Ill ' catch catchthe catchthe catchthe the dry rot-burnt rot burnt rot - - burnt brand brandy ' won't wont won'tsa won'tsage won'tsa\e won'tsa wontsa e ' ' sa\ sa sae sage \ ' \ e me"The meThe me . " The fact that the "Choctaw Choctaw "ChoctawdevIls "Choctawdevils "Choctawdevils Choctawdevils " devIls in m them ar woods wooos " \ werepeaceable \ ; ere erepeaceable erepeaceable peaceable Indians didn't didnt ' de- de deter de- de deter de deter - - ter Mike Fink Fmk m in the least To Todemonstrate Todemonstrate Todemonstrate demonstrate his skill ShIll with the thenBe therifle therine nBe rifle , for which whlCh he was famous famousand famousand famousand and of which he was illordmately inordinately illordmatelyproud inordinatelyproud inordinatelyproud proud , he shot the scalplock from fromthe fromthe fromthe the head ofa of a Cherokee named namedProud namedProud namedProud Proud Joe To avenge this msult insult msultProud insultProud insultProud Proud Joe anda and a party of hisfriends hIS hISfrIends hisfriends frIends follo\\ follo follot followed folloed \ \ ed the flatboat on onlllch onwhich onflinch \\lllch lllch flinch \ \ Fink Fmk Fmlk was working workmg down downthe downthe the river , attacked it one mght night nightand nightand and in m the fight which thich \ \ luch resulted resultedone resultedone resultedone one of the leis boatmen and two In- In Indians In Indians - . dians d13ns , one of them Proud Joe Joehunself Joeimself Joehimself hunself h imself , were killed hilled . , . More Admirable Qualities Quahhes . Such is 15 the picture of the more moreruthless moreruthless moreruthless ruthless and brutal side of thesefrontiersmen these thesefrontiersmen thesefrontiersmen frontiersmen "wluptheIr "whiptheir who could "wlup wlup "whip whip "whiptheir whiptheir " theIr weight m ill wildcats wl1dcats " More MoreadmIrable Moreadmirable Moreadmirable admIrable are some of their oth oth- other oth- oth othr other - - e er r qualities quahtIes as revealed in the thetales thetales thetales tales which Mr Daugherty has hascollected hascollected hascollected collected m ill in his bookFor book bookFor For instance mstance , , the backwoods backwoods- backwoodsman's backwoodsman's backwoodsman's - man's mans ' resourcefulness is illus Illus- Illustrated illus- illus illustrated illustrated - - trated by the amusing amusmg anecdote anecdotefrom anecdotefrom anecdotefrom from John M Peck'sClL Peck's Pecks ' ClL "Life Life " e of ofDamel ofDaniel ofDaniel Damel Daniel Boone " ( published m in in1817) in1817 1817) 1817 1847) 1847 ) which wluch tells how that fa- fa fallow fa fac far fawiJw1 - I ' c / / r wiJw1frT14 wiJw1 frT14 ? Y YY Yv Ye Yk YR Ylow Y v ? e k R llow low Davy Crockett Kept Warmmous Warm Warmmous I I mous pioneer outwitted the band bandof bandof bandof of capturehim capturelum capturehurt Indians who tried tncd tied to capture lum hurt one day in m the cabin cabm where wherehe wherehe wherehe he was curing curmg tobacco . . Boonepretended Boone Boonepretended Boonepretended pretended that he was glad to tosee tosee tosee see them , offered to give them themsome themsome themsome some of his tobacco and then thenthen thenwhen then \ hen they were completely off- off offguard offguard off-guard off guard - guard crushed the dry leaves In inhis hIS InhIS hands and hurled the stmgmg stinging stingingdust stmgmgdust dust into mto their faces . . Then he hesped hesped hesped sped for the safety of his cabm cabin cabinThe cabmThe cabinThe The story of "The The " Captivity of r : 1 1t t ' ' i : i % I YI r Y , Y , , - Tv b lb r lr l 1 1IJc \IJc IJc \ ( v . J Jv v , - J r 1 1"s "s s "sr "sI "sl1IIKE " r I MIKE l1IIKE rINK PINK , KIN3 KIN OF THE TIIE KEEL-BOATMEN KEEL BOATMEN - . I ' I I Simon Slffion Kenton , " as reprmted reprinted reprmtedfrom reprintedfrom reprintedfrom from Henry Hethry Howe's Howes ' "The The " Great GreatWest GreatWest GreatWest West " (1855) 1855 ( ) is 15 not only an 11- 11 il- il 11lummatmg illummating il illuminating - - luminating lummatmg lummating example of the amaz amaz- amazIng amaz- amaz amazing amazing - - ing endurance and mdomltablc indomitable mdomltablcwIll indomitablewill indomitablewill wIll to live of the typical fron fron- frontlersman frontiersman frontiersman - tiersman tlersman but , as a later biograph bIOgraph- biographer - - er of Kenton has said smd , "for for " Its Itsmomentous itsmomentous itsmomentous momentous succession of perlIs perils perilstransitions , transitIOns and hairbreadth es- es esI escapes es escapes - - capes , has no parallel m all the the'adventurous theadventurous theadventurous 'adventurous adventurous adventurous annals of western westernborder westernborder westernborder border history . . " Equally thrIllmg thrilling thrillingis thrIllmgIS IS the story of "The The " Fight in m the theCanyon theCanyon theCanyon Canyon " from "The The " Adventures Adventuresof of Big-Foot Big Foot - Wallace , the Te\.as Te.as Te .as as Texas Te.asRanger TexasRanger TexasRanger ' \ . Ranger and Hunter " by John C CDuval CDuval CDuval Duval ( (1870) 1870 ( ) . It reveals also the thecluvalrous thecluvalrous thechivalrous cluvalrous side of the frontiers frontiers- frontiersman's frontiersman's frontiersman's - man's mans ' character m in that Wallace Wallacegave Wallacegave Wallacegave gave his Indian foe a ChrIstian ChrIstianbUrIal Christianburial Christianburial bUrIal after he had killed lolled hIm hImAnd himAnd himAnd And for a variation vanabon on the "WhIp WhIp "WhIptheIr "whiptheir "whiptheir whiptheir " theIr weight m in wildcats " theme IS ISanother isanother isanother another story of this hero of the theLone theLone theLone Lone Star state-"Blg-Foot state "Blg Blg Foot state-"Big-Foot "Big Big state - - "Big-Foot "Big Big Foot " - Wallace Wal Wal- Wallace Wallace - lace Whips His Weight In InWolvestruly inWolvestruly mWolves Wolves-truly Wolves truly " - truly an Homeiic Homellc feat featIF featIF featIF IF it can be belle\- belle behe believed belleed \ - ed m all its itsdetaIls itsdetails itsdetails itsdetailsWhere detaIls details11'here Where 11'here 11here ' Fact Leaves Off . The trouble is one never can be besure besure besure sure where fact leaves off and andfictlon andfiction andfiction fictlon fiction begins begms m in these tales For Forclosely Forclosely Forclosely closely allied to the frontiers frontIers- frontIersI frontiersman's frontiersman's - ownI man's mans ' ' boastfulness of his lus Ius own ownprowess ownprowess ownprowess prowess was his Ius fondness for tell- tell tellmg telling tell telling - ing mg "tall tall " tales " Davy Crockett may not have haveor1gmated haveoriginated haveoriginated or1gmated originated this pleasant Ameri Amen- Amen Amencan American Amencan - can diversion of telling tellmg "whop whop "whop- "whoppers "whoppers " _ - pers " but he was one of the theearIlest theearliest theearliest earIlest earliest and most skillful sk1lliul expo expo- exponents expo- expo exponents exponents - - nents of the art . For who else elsebut elsebut elsebut but this immortal lffimortal bear-hunter bear hunter bearhunterand bearhuntera bear-hunterand bear hunterand - and a n d "coonskin coonskin "coonskm coonskm " congressman congressman"could congressmancould " could have invented mvented ( and made madebehevable madebelievable madebelievable behevable believable ) suchan such an mgemous ingenious mgemousmethod ingeniousmethod ingeniousmethod method of keeping keepmg himself hlffiself from fromfreezmg fromfreezing fromfreezing freezmg freezing on |