Track's End

  TRACK'S END

  Being the Narrative of Judson Pitcher's Strange Winter Spent There AsTold by Himself and Edited

  by

  HAYDEN CARRUTH

  Including an Accurate Account of His Numerous Adventures, and theFacts Concerning His Several Surprising Escapes from Death NowFirst Printed in Full

  Illustrated by Clifford Carleton

  With a Correct Map of Track's End Drawn by the Author

  KAISER AND I FIGHTING THE TIMBER-WOLVES--see page 63]

  Harper & BrothersNew York and LondonM - C - M - X - I

  Copyright, 1911. by Harper & Brothers

  Printed in the United States of America

  Published September, 1911

  TO

  E. L. G. C.

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER PAGE

  I. Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other. 1

  II. The rest of my second Night at Track's End, and part of another: with some Things which happen between. 12

  III. A Fire and a Blizzard: with how a great many People go away from Track's End and how some others come. 22

  IV. We prepare to fight the Robbers and I make a little Trip out to Bill Mountain's House: after I come back I show what a great Fool I can be. 32

  V. Alone in Track's End I repent of my hasty Action: with what I do at the Headquarters House, and the whole Situation in a Nutshell. 43

  VI. Some Account of what I do and think the first Day alone: with a Discovery by Kaiser at the End. 52

  VII. I have a Fight and a Fright: after which I make some Plans for the Future and take up my Bed and move. 61

  VIII. I begin my Letters to my Mother and start my Fortifications: then I very foolishly go away, meet with an Accident, and see Something which throws me into the utmost Terror. 69

  IX. More of a strange Christmas: I make Kaiser useful in an odd Way, together with what I see from under the Depot Platform. 79

  X. A Townful of Indians: with how I hide the Cow, and think of Something which I don't believe the Indians will like. 88

  XI. I give the savage Indians a great Scare, and then gather up my scattered Family at the end of a queer Christmas Day. 97

  XII. One of my Letters to my Mother, in which I tell of many Things and especially of a Mystery which greatly puzzles and alarms me. 105

  XIII. Some Talk at Breakfast, and various other Family Affairs: with Notes on the Weather, and a sight of Something to the Northwest. 115

  XIV. I have an exciting Hunt and get some Game, which I bring Home with a vast deal of Labor, only to lose Part of it in a startling Manner: together with a Dream and an Awakening. 128

  XV. The mysterious Fire, and Something further about my wretched State of Terror: with an Account of my great System of Tunnels and famous Fire Stronghold. 141

  XVI. Telling of how Pike and his Gang come and of what Kaiser and I do to get ready for them: together with the Way we meet them. 153

  XVII. The Fight, and not much else: except a little Happening at the End which startles me greatly. 162

  XVIII. After the Fight: also a true Account of the great Blizzard: with how I go to sleep in the Stronghold and am awakened before Morning. 171

  XIX. I find out who my Visitor is: with Something about him, but with more about the Chinook which came out of the Northwest: together with what I do with the Powder, and how I again wake up suddenly. 185

  XX. What the Outlaws do on their second Visit: with the awful Hours I pass through, and how I find myself at the End. 203

  XXI. After the Explosion: some cheerful Talk with the Thieves, and a strange but welcome Message out of the Storm. 210

  XXII. The last Chapter, but a good Deal in it: a free Lodging for the Night, with a little Speech by Mr. Clerkinwell: then, how Kaiser and I take a long Journey, and how we never go that Way again. 220