The next winter Clark and I: for we were alone again, went to New Windsor and trapped Rat on Storms Lake. We also caught a lot of skunk and coyotes, with fair success we continued til spring and took all our fur nearly $3,000,00 worth and sold to different houses in the East. Then we bought good clothes, I managed to visit parks and ride shoot the shoots Conversed with Indians and enquired of strangers concerning good trapping grounds through the summer—while Clark studied so he could do our writing. That winter we trapped in Pine Bluffs Wyoming. For Coyotes, Rat and skunk, But we grew tired toward spring and moved To Scotts Bluff Nebraska, where we finished the winter and sold out in the spring I lounged around and got pointers and the Kid attended school as we did the year previous.
Back to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The old routine of trapping even among the great rocky mountains grew stale, so I decided that I would go back to upper Michigan locate Long Knife, and Shopnegon and trap on the Stergeon River. So Clark and I set out from North Platte in September and arrived in Gladstone after four days traveling. It so occurred that Chief Long Knife was in town and that same day we counciled on the winter work and decided to go together as Shopnegon was too old. We made a great catch of mink, marten, otter and lynx. The kid spent his winter with us enjoying every day and night, he skined cooked and made snow shoes, loaded shells and did many other odd jobs. We sold our fur in the spring and was about to leave town for Oshkosh Wisconsin. When Long Knife came to me and told me a Dr. Harris had a son who was lost in the woods. And wanted me to assist in locating the boy. I went to the Drs, home and applied for the job—the Dr. was worried very badly but said that "i was only a kid and would get lost to if I ventured out sight of town" I reassured him that I was away up in my teens and had tramped the woods for eleven years and still could keep track of myself. So with his consent I took a lunch and got what information I could and struck out alone. I followed the river bluffs up to where he had been picking wintergreen berries and then I could not tell anything about it because so many folks were looking for him. after several hours I circled around and got out of reach of all spectators then I made a bee line for upstream,—(as that is the way all lost hunters and tenderfeet go) after I had traveled about two miles I found a raveling on a briar and then I was sure I had a trail. This discovery gave me courage and I took up the labor with all the instinct of my nature. I followed his trail till pitch dark and camped under a maple tree till the gray dawn announced day—then I resumed my search; after going about four or five miles I found his hat—which had been discribed to me. this proved two things that I had the right trail and that he had lost his mind, or was what we call "Woods Mad" That after noon at about five oclock I found where he had picked berries and an hour later I came upon him sitting on a log, He started to run but I was too quick on foot for him I soon caught him and after while I reasoned with him and he consented to return home with me. I had to fight all the way back he declared I was taking him the wrong direction to reach home. When I came to town every body was surprised and delighted. His father gave me fifty dollars and the citizens bought me a handsome Colts revolver, they made a real party for me that night and Long Knife was invited and Clark sat and looked on.
After we spent the summer we went back to Trout Lake after scouting around a few days I heard that a very excellent Mink Trapper was in town. I soon located him and we chummed up and planned to go to Red Lake Minnesota. This trapper was no other than the far famed Joe Whitecup. On the last day of October we reached our destination; bought a load of chuck hired two Indians to take us to the Lake London. There we built one headquarter camp, and three off-sets. The third off-set reaching to Indian creek. We found plenty of wolves, bear, lynx, sable mink, otter and beaver. Here Whitecup taught me more than I had ever dreamed about catching mink. I found out that he used a compound and that he got it by mail; but I could not hire him to tell me what it was nor where he got it I found out later; but if I had have known it sooner I would have saved me from much embarrassment and great losses of money—Be patient It cost me much to get it but I am going to tell you before I finish this book just how to get it. And how to get it very reasonable. One night while I was staying in the Indian creek off-set I was surrounded with grey wolves. they came up and even sniffed at the camp door. I shot five that night by chance shots, and had a lively shooting match most of the time. About mid-winter we broke camp it grew cold and heavy snows covered the whole country; so we went down to Duluth and sold our furs.
Here I parted company with Whitecup after getting him roaring full hoping he would squeal what bait he used—but he was tight as a tick and mum as a toad.
With my adopted son—so I figured; we bought tickets for Deadwood South Dakota. Here we met as we had arranged beforehand our two old Partners Terrel and Ed Scott. After a few days of rest and plan laying we determined to go back to Fort Collins again and trap where we did several winters before. We found even more game than when we first had trapped this country.
We got nicely settled and things looked favorable for a charming catch we were happy and had always been lucky. But I had often been told by old Woodsman and Plainsmen and Pioneers that no man ever run long without getting into a mixup. One morning I swung into the saddle I never felt better I was full grown nearly seventeen and weighed 203. pounds. Without an ounce of superflous flesh on my whole frame with the possible exception of a pound or two of hair.