Nelson Family Juvenilia
Box 1 Folder 1
An Adventure on Red Rover
Transcribed by Pamela Russell
Notes: Ms is all caps, transcription is caps and lower case. Ms has little punctuation. Transcription adds periods only, to separate sentences. Punctuation in ms is surrounded by {}.

[cover]
ADVENTURE EDITION
AN ADVENTURE ON RED ROVER
BY WILLIAM J. LITTLE
PUBLISHED BY GREEN & LITTLE
[p. 1] AN ADVENTURE ON RED ROVER
It was on the isle of Red Rover that the miners lived and dug for coal. It is not a large island only about fifty miles [around?] a[nd] nearly as long. The miners were situated on the west end near a chain of mountains. The miners boys were everywhere on the island hunting and fishing. Walter Allen a boy about 12 years of age had by hard labor made out to save one hundred dollars and with this he had bought a little claim the other side of the mountain.

One day Otho Strong came into the mine where the miners were working and said I believe I will go down and see Walter. I have not seen him for five days. I will be back tomorrow.

So saying he stuck his revolvers and his knife in to his belt and started away. He was a stout and rugged looking boy of fourteen. Arthur Little just then came in from a hunt. He had had good luck for he was a good marksman.

Where is Otho said he.

Gone down to Walter’s said a miner.

[illus.] Arthur Little comes in from the hunt

[p. 2] AN ADVENTURE
I wish I had come in a little sooner said Arthur for I would have liked to have gone with him.

Arthur was a common size boy of fourteen years not so large as Otho but more muscular than he. The next day cam[e] and went but Otho Strong did not come back. Where is Otho the boys kept inquireing and the all ways got the anser {“} Oh he has gone done to Walters for they did not feal anxious at all. The next day came and went but Otho did not apear.

The third day Arthur said I am going over to Walters and if I dont come back you may know some thing has happened. Either that I have got drunk or fallen into the clutches of some monster.

So saying he too[k] down his little muzzle loading rifle and started. When he got to the top of the mountain he met Elmer Green and a number of miners.

Where you going Arthur said Elmer. {“}

Down to Walters. Oh to look up Otho. Yess.

A new snow had just fallen.

[illus.] Arthur finds some bird tracks

[page 3, entirely illus.] On RED ROVER
Arthur sees the bird

[page 4] AN ADVENTURE
He walks about two miles after he leaves Elmer Green. Walter lived in a cave on his claim as Arthur. And as Arthur neared the cave he was very much surprise to find no foot prints comeing out of it but as he drew nearer he saw some tracks comeing out of it but it was not a boys foot print. It was the print of a gigantic birds foot. Arthur dropped on his knees to examine them. It was unmistakeably a birds track and a monster two. It was at least six inches long with great claws at the end.

As he looked he thought he saw the handle of a revolver. He brushed away the snow and it was one of Otho Strongs revolvers. Arthur hunted around and soon found the other. He brushed away the new snow off the crust and there found great spots of blood and every appearance was there had been a great struggle. Arthur went into the cave and there found Otho Strongs nife all covered with blood.

What thought Arthur Otho and Walter have not had a fight had they. It can’t be. I wonder he said to him self if this great bird has killed them. What an awful fate.

Just then he saw a large hole in the rocks big enough to crall into. He stepped to it and peered in but could see nothing. Then he put his mouth to it and hollared.

[page 5] ON RED ROVER
Chapter 2
The Rescue
But he had no time to listen for the next instand he heard the rush of wings & rushed to the entrance of the cave in time to come face to face with the gigantic bird. It looked like the great birds we see and read about in the natural histories where it tells about the great monsters of a thousand years ago with a large curving beak much resembling that of an eagle and with a large fierce eye all so resembling that of the eagles with very large wings and as Arthur soon found out it had very long claws which were in reality two inches long just the toe nails. Everything resembled a mam[m]oth eagle.

Arthur waited untill the great bird was with in a yard of him then fired. Bang went the rifle. The bird with such an un earthly yell as Arthur had never heard dashed at him and grabbed him by the colar. Arthur grabbed a young birch with both hands and planted his heals firmly against the rock. The buck jacket held and for and instant the bird was baffeled by this young muscular boy.

Arthur thought Elmer Green is but two miles away. I will holar and he did holar as he never had before. In a few minutes he heard an ansering yell. Good thought he. They will be here in time if I can only hold on. Just then the threads that sowed his colar to his buck skin jacked [jacket] parted and the

[page 6] AN ADVENTURE
bird fell back but prepaired for another atack. Arthur grabbed his rifle and as the bird flew at him he struck it and then a tussle insued in which Arthur found him self being dragged into the cave. He made out to get hold of a crag and hung on. Blood was flowing freely from his hands and face. His rifle was not with in reach of him nor the revolver and nife which had had got knocked out of his pocket in the fight. He had nothing to do but hold on.

The great bird was digging its great beak and claws deap into his flesh. How hands were num now and it seemed as if he had been there an hour when he heard a rustle at the door and Elmer Green rushed in. He had outdistenced the others by a good ways for he was swift and long legged{.} In his han he carried a large club which he swung with tremendous strength and between Elmer and Arthur they had nearly killed the bird when the miners came up and then one

[illus.] Elmer Green comes to the rescue

[page 7, entirely illus.] ON RED ROVER
Otho and Walter are found

[page 8] AN ADVENTURE
of them finished it with a knife. Have you found Otho and Walter asked Elmer.

No.

Do you think you know where they are.

Yes. I rather guess they are where this bird tried to draw me.

Where is that.

In to that hole.

And you think they are in there.

Yes I do and you wait.

Arthur walked to the hole and hollared. He heard a groan for an anser. Arthur imeddiately loaded his rifle and stuck his knife in his belt.

I am going in to get them.

Well said one of the miners let me tie this rope around you so that if they atack you we can pull you out.

What atack me the boys.

No the birds.

Oh yess.

Arthur now began to crall into the hole. He had crawled a little way when he came into a large open place which was lighter than the hole on account of its beind [being] lighted up by a crack in the rocks. Here he saw Otho and Walter with blood dried all over their hands and faces not hardly able to move and garded by to more of the feroceous birds.

Otho and Walter are found he yelled back but no sooner was it out of his mouth when one of the birds dashed at him. He aimed and fired. The walls echoed and reecoed with the report and the screams of the birds.

Bravo Arthur said Walter. Now finish up this other company. I will help you.

And with a great effort he raised him self and with one of the bones of a fox in his hand he advanced on the bird.

[page 9] ON RED ROVER
Chapter 3
Walter Tells His Story
The bird dashed at Arthur who had also advanced on Arthur with his long knife. The bird jumped at him. Arthur struck it with the knife in the side and grabbed it by the neck. Just then the men began to pull and Arthur and the bird came flopping out of the cave and the bird faired hard in the hands of ten miners.

Just as they got him killed Walter apeared his blue jacket all covered with blood drawing Otho who was not able to walk. Walter was so weak from the loss of blood and from hunger that he would have fallen if it had not been for one of the miners for he had been in the cave for five days. The miners carried them home and put them on the bunks. Walter allthough much worse torn up then Otho had a very stout constitution and soon recovered. It took Otho quite a while to recover but when he got over it he was all right and Walter told his story.

He said I went down to my cave there and I noticed big bird tracks but did not think but what they were eagles so I worked my tunnel back on till I came to that inner cave. It took me to days to do this. When I got in there to my great horror there were three great birds. They all pitched on to me and after a great struggle I found my self stretched out on the floor of a cave all strewn with feathers and bones and skulls of birds and animals. I layed in there every now and then trying to escape but could not. At last 3 days past

[page 10] AN ADVENTURE
and I heard a rustling out side. Then the old bird dashed out. I heard a scuffle and then two revolver shots and some one yelled. Then some more scuffling and Otho was dragged in here. I then could hardly move to help him. I was so stiff so that we could not get away then and we had given every thing up as lost on the fifth day when we heard some one tramping around out side. The some one hollared. I tried to anser but could not make much noise. Then I heard a rifle report. Otho was asleep and so I waked him and told him. Then I heard muffled blows an some body yelled awfully and so did the bird. Then there was a lot of scuffling for ten or fifteen minutes. Then I heard Elmer come up and soon we were rescued and then Otho told his story.

He had come up there to the cave and not being any body in sight he looked around. All at once a great monster came out and attacked him. He fired both his revolvers at it but did not wound it very bad. They had a fierce struggle but he was soon pulled into the cave and Walter has told the

[illus.] Walter atacked by the big birds

[page 11, entirely illus.] ON RED ROVER
Otho shoots at the bird

[page 12] AN ADVENTURE
rest. These birds were proberbly some that had survived their old ancesters and had lived on theis desolote island catching birds and animals. The way they killed their game was to keep it penned untill they starved and then eat the when they were dead. The old bird weighed 100 pounds and the others about 75 pounds. There has not been any more birds seen so far but I guess Arthur and Otho and Walter will never forget those birds.
By William J. Little