they come as thick and fast as they did to Jimmie. For soon after all
the excitement died down at school, young Jimmie discovered a revolver
of small caliber that belonged to his mother, and so he brought it to
school with him one day. This added to his prestige, but in a minor sort
of way.
His exhibition of the weapon was met with sighs and glances of amazement
by the students but none dared inform the teacher of what they had seen.
They all realized the consequences if they were caught as informers.
It was during the afternoon of that early spring day that Jimmie secured
permission to leave the schoolroom for a few minutes. Upon arriving
outside he noticed two girls leaving an outhouse building. Ideas began
popping in his imaginative young mind and so he promptly began firing
the pistol above their heads. The effect could not have been worse had
he struck them, for the girls were thrown into nervous hysteria.
If Jimmie thought that he had received dire punishment for his earlier
prank, he was indeed badly mistaken. He had not realized the dangerous
folly he had let himself in for. He was punished more thoroughly than
ever before by school officials. But the worst was yet to come from his
parents, as the boy fully realized.
As he escaped from the small crowd that had gathered on the school
grounds and with head hanging low, Jimmie slunk across the fields toward
home, sorely afraid and indeed bewildered at the trouble he had caused.
His mind began to run wild as it had in his adventure stories. It kept
telling him over and over that this was the end. There was no possible
means of escape.
CHAPTER THREE
THE DISCOVERER
Many devilish thoughts plagued the eleven year old Jimmie’s mind as he
hurriedly made his way across the fields to his home. What was going to
happen to him? What would his parents do to him? Jimmie was afraid and
he had just cause to be so.
The very thing which he had done led the boy to believe that they hanged
people or else shot them for such actions. He did not stop to think that
he had not killed anyone, yet his child’s mind told him differently. He
had brought disgrace down upon the good name of his family, and forever
upon himself. And above all else, he did not want to be hanged. It
really seemed to the boy that the end of the world was near for him and
that there was nothing that could save him.
He was hardly a hundred yards from home when he almost burst out crying,
but he refrained from doing so for he felt that he was too much of a
man.
Then Jimmie thought of escape.
Only his sister Cora was in the house. And she did not see Jimmie until
he had packed all that he felt he needed for his trip “away from the
good old home.”
Among the possessions which he had gathered up were his hunting knife, a
butcher knife, fishing tackle and a very small parcel of food. The
quantity of food which young Jimmie had packed up was hardly enough for
more than two meals at the most. Also it did not occur to him to take
more than the clothing upon his back. In his mind he kept telling
himself that he never would return. But at this time there was but one
thought that stuck in his mind. That thought was to put as much distance
as possible between the schoolhouse and himself. Just as he started for
the back door, he was confronted by his sister.
“Where are you going, Jimmie?”
“I’m going out for a little hiking trip. Be back before long,” he
replied with his head hanging low. “Goodbye.”
Had Cora thought about it at the time, she would have realized that her
little brother was home early from school.
Taking one more fond glance at the old home, Jimmie turned and strode
out of the door and made for the nearby woods half a mile away. It was
with hurried steps too that he fled from his home, for deep in his young
and perhaps rather foolish heart Jimmie feared that a posse might be
organized to overtake him. Then if he were caught dire consequences
might result.
When at last he entered the woods he had little thought of what to do or
where to go. He just walked along glancing back occasionally when at
last he made up his mind to head for Lake Erie and there board a tramp
steamer bound for a foreign port.
Finally he reached the “Old Woman’s Creek” which flowed through the
woods.
This proved to be the place for his first stopover; darkness was falling
and he was afraid to go further alone into the night. This spot, too,
was a favorite of Skinny’s and his. Here he knew a hundred different
places to hide away without fear of detection.
Darkness fell quickly and quietly upon the wooded lands and the fear in
the youngster’s heart swelled. Out on the surface of the river the
splashings of leaping fish were to be heard. Near the banks came the
ever-present calling of the frogs, that eerie cry that comes to the
solitary traveler usually at this hour of the night.
Jimmie hurried on along the river’s banks to a vacant red barn. He
hurried inside the rickety old frame structure and searched in the dark
for a suitable place to sleep.
After several minutes of silent and cautious searching, Jimmie stumbled
onto a manger half filled with hay. But sleep for the young boy was
entirely out of the question at the present. For just outside the barn
flowed “Old Woman’s Creek.” Jimmie shuddered at the very thought of the
name. And, as if that wasn’t enough, the bull-frogs continued their
strange and weird calling in the night, adding still more fears to his
whirling brain. It seemed to the young boy that they were saying over
and over again:
“You’re a goner! You’re a goner! You’re a goner!”
Try as he might, Jimmie just could not go to sleep. His childish
imagination led him to believe that a posse of men were just outside the
door waiting for him to come out so that they could pounce upon him. For
with a screech owl high on the sagging roof hooting dreadfully and then
the dead silence that followed along with the beat of bats’ wings, it is
little wonder that the boy ever went to sleep.
With the first streak of dawn Jimmie slipped out of the manger with all
the cautiousness of an Indian scout and looked carefully about.
Feeling that perhaps someone had lain in wait for him during the night
he took no unnecessary chances. Seeing that no one was in sight he
hurried down to the spot along the river where his pal Skinny and he had
their log raft cached. He soon found it and without a moment’s
hesitation he climbed aboard and with the aid of a long pole pushed
himself out into the river’s current. All the terror which had possessed
him the night before seemed to have vanished and he once again began to
feel very much like a grown man.
The wind was now beginning to churn the river’s waters into a lather,
and was actually carrying the small, frail raft out into Lake Erie.
Jimmie was yards away from shore and was still going out. He frantically
attempted to pole himself back to the bank, but it was useless. Minutes
grew into hours and still Jimmie Curwood was seeking some way in which
to get back to the fading, distant shore. He was being tossed about upon
the little raft just like a piece of cork upon the ocean. Half afraid,
he eagerly scanned the fastly fading shoreline in all directions until
his eyes fell upon the dim outline of a sailing ship.
“No words in any language could have properly expressed my relief when a
sloop with snowy sails appeared on the horizon.”
Instantly the youngster began to yell, scream and wave his arms long
before anyone could have possibly heard him. Eventually the ship spotted
the drifting raft and picked the boy up. When taken aboard he drew one
long sigh of relief, started crying and then collapsed upon the deck.
It was the good ship _Sandusky_ whose white sails Jimmie had seen. Upon
being revived the Captain of the sloop began questioning the lad, asking
who he was, from where he had come and just what he was doing out on the
lake.
It was some time after he had been taken aboard that the Captain could
get any information from him. When at last he succeeded they were
several miles from shore and could not possibly return to the spot from
which Jimmie had embarked. Later on when he had unfolded his story and
had answered all the Captain’s questions, the Captain and his men all
enjoyed a hearty laugh. He, too, was forced to laugh in a timid manner
for it seemed amusing to him now that he had seriously stopped to think
about it.
For the next two hours Jimmie leaned over the railing of the ship taking
in of the broad expanse of water and the white caps which topped each
wave. This was his first experience at sea and the youngster was
enjoying every minute of it now that he was safely aboard a ship. This
to him was truly thrilling adventure.
Far ahead over the rolling waves Jimmie could see the mainland lined by
tall buildings and rows of stately trees. The storm was now beginning to
subside and the violent rocking of the ship soon came to an end. He
thanked his stars above for this, for he was nearly seasick.
Later in the day when they neared the port of Sandusky, the Captain
called Jimmie aside and explained to him in a fatherly manner that the
good people of Joppa and Vermillion would neither hang him nor imprison
him and that he had nothing whatsoever to fear upon his return as long
as he behaved himself. As for his parents, they were surely worried over
his absence, and they would without a doubt welcome him back with open
arms and warm hearts. After Jimmie had listened to all this talk from
the aged Captain the old world began to look bright and rosy once again
and he expressed the desire to return as soon as possible.
The ship sailed on past Huron and into the port of Sandusky where the
Captain and a handful of “gobs” took Jimmie to show him the town while
he waited to embark for home.
As the young boy in his tattered clothing was becoming interested in the
sights of Sandusky, the Captain detoured somewhere along the line and
sent a telegram to Jimmie’s father telling him where the lad was and to
come and get him immediately.
A short while later the Captain rejoined his crew who were showing
Jimmie the time of his life, and they all went to a nearby lunchroom
where they partook of a hearty meal. This was the first good meal which
the boy had had since he had left home the day before.
After having his dinner Jimmie then was taken for a walk through the
little lakeside city of Sandusky where he saw his first tall buildings.
He simply stood there with his mouth wide open as he gazed in silent
adoration and amazement at the towering structures. For Sandusky at that
time was a city of some eighteen thousand people and her streets were
wide and tapering as they wound their way through the parks and down
past beautiful homes.
Most awe-inspiring of all were the beautiful school buildings. Great
stone edifices that were as much as three stories tall and usually an
entire city block in length. Here the sailors stopped to let him watch
the students come out of school. They were all dressed well and seemed
to be so much older than those he had known in the schools he had
attended. But he realized that he was nearly as old as most of them and
that back at the one-room school near his home the people did not dress
nearly so well just to go to school. This was entirely different from
anything he had ever known.
After all the students had passed from his sight, Jimmie was taken still
closer so that he might be able to see the magnificent structure at
first hand. The huge building had great, wide halls covered with
carpets, and mammoth rooms with many desks. This was truly enchantment
of the first class for Jimmie Curwood. He felt certain that all this
must be a dream.
As he stood there looking upon the symbols of higher education, he found
that he no longer wanted to become a great Indian fighter, a buffalo
hunter, or worse yet, a bold pirate. Instead, he now wanted to become a
part of schools such as he was now standing before. He wanted to be one
of the kings among the beautiful queens. He actually believed that he
wanted to study. Until this moment his world had been the forty acre
farm back there at Joppa, with all of its stones. Now a great, new world
had opened up and Jimmie Curwood was determined to grasp it.
Later that same day his father arrived to take his son back home and
away from the beautiful school buildings of Sandusky. En route homeward
the boy tried his best to express to his father that which he felt in
his heart. He told him of all he had encountered since he had run away
from home. He told of the great lake he had sailed upon the first night
away, and the magnificent schools he had seen and visited. His father
understood.
The night of his return home found Jimmie sitting on the Fisher’s front
steps with “Whistling Jeanne.” There was a full moon overhead casting
down its beautiful light upon the green, fertile fields and hills. There
almost seemed to be a song in the air—a song of happiness. A soft breeze
was blowing through the cottonwoods and all about the house the crickets
and the katydids gave forth with their serenades.
And once again Jeanne Fisher was comforting Jimmie as she had always
done. Between their telling of their dreams of the future, Jimmie told
Jeanne of all the wonderful things he had seen while he had been away,
and of how he had visited the wonderful school building in Sandusky. He
told her how he wanted to attend school there. Jeanne explained in her
best manner that Sandusky was very far away and that it would cost a
great deal of money for him to go to school in such a place regardless
of how beautiful it might be.
But Jimmie vowed that some day, somehow, he would go to that great
school to study. “Whistling Jeanne” Fisher realized then that his mind
was firmly set and that he would go to any means to gain his objective,
as he had proven in the past.
Seriously thinking the matter over Jeanne at last came to the conclusion
that there were other schools equally as fine as the ones in Sandusky,
and that if he would work hard and save his money and speak to his
parents earnestly, he might some day get the opportunity he was looking
for.
With the following morning, Jimmie did begin work, at whatever odd jobs
he could find during his spare time. Regardless of what the task might
be Jimmie was on the job.
With winter’s arrival he hunted and trapped rabbits and continued with
this until the arrival of spring. When the snows had passed and winter
was no more he managed to get himself a job on an adjoining farm picking
up brush, trash and waste at the extremely low rate of twenty-five cents
per acre. The boy took this job and did his work without grumbling
because it meant a few more dollars toward his potential education. His
mind was fired with the ambition to go to school where he could study to
be a great writer, and go to school he would.
Spring and summer soon passed, and during this time Jimmie Curwood had
beaten carpets, picked up brush and accomplished many other jobs as well
as saving his rabbit pelts from the winter before. He now had enough
money to buy himself a brand new suit of clothes. But with the arrival
of fall Jimmie began to worry about achieving his ambition. Many days of
anxious coaxing on his part began to pay off in dividends. For Mr. and
Mrs. Curwood decided that if their son was so intent upon attending
school and college, they would see to it that he would do so, even if it
meant selling the farm.
That was it! That was the solution to their problem. They would sell the
farm and move into town where Jimmie’s father could once again set up in
the shoe-repair business. Days passed during which time the problem was
given much serious thought. It was only after a month of such deep
thought that Mr. Curwood at last decided not to sell the farm, but
instead to leave Edward behind to take care of it. So, at last, came the
day when the family prepared to move into the little town of Wakeman.
This happened to be Mrs. Curwood’s girlhood home town.
A great many things were loaded upon the old spring wagon and as the
first load began to pull out of the barnyard, Jimmie noticed tears in
his mother’s eyes. She hated to leave the farm but it was a great day
for her because of the educational desires of her youngest son.
Jimmie did not ride along with the first load of household goods but
remained behind to go with the last load. Although of late Jimmie had
not spent much of his time with Skinny, his pal remained with him for
the duration of his time on the farm. Naturally, lovely Jeanne was with
him, too, for it was partially through her pleading that Jimmie was
getting the opportunity that he so desired.
The fateful day for departure inevitably came. It was all that Jimmie
could do to keep back the tears, but he manfully refrained. He told
Skinny that he would see him again soon and then he kissed Jeanne
goodbye and climbed aboard the wagon. But hardly had he gotten aboard
than he jumped off and proceeded to walk with Skinny as far as Bingham’s
old orchard. Several minutes later the two young men saw the end of
their last walk together, for ahead lay the end of the long orchard.
It was an orchard that the two boys had played in often and which was
surrounded by a tall, six foot fence. Without a moment’s hesitation,
merely because he realized that he should, Jimmie Curwood climbed aboard
the spring wagon as they reached the end of the orchard with his mother
and father, and was on his way to his new home in the city. He was going
to a home wherein would come bright new horizons for the future.
Looking back a few minutes later Jimmie saw his boyhood chum standing in
the middle of the dusty road waving frantically at him. Skinny was
standing just where Jimmie had left him when he had climbed aboard the
wagon. Further back on the road in front of the old house stood the
Fisher family. There they were, Jeanne and her parents all waving their
last goodbyes. A great lump came into Jimmie’s throat as the wagon
rounded a bend in the road and his friends faded from sight.
When the Curwood family moved into Wakeman its population consisted of
somewhere around one thousand other inhabitants. It was a trading center
for a huge farming belt, and it was also a freight center. The Lake
Shore and Michigan Southern railroad lines passed through the little
community. Wakeman had but one main street and this was a beehive of
activity on Saturdays.
There were two large general stores where one could buy anything from
soup to nuts and from ploughs to jackasses. Wakeman also housed three
nice grocery stores, one blacksmith shop, one poolroom and one small
hotel. Therefore it was a very prosperous city for its size.
Wakeman also boasted of a cooperage in which thousands of apple barrels
were manufactured daily for consumption by most of the midwest and
northwestern states. Despite the number of years that have passed, this
cooperage still stands today with the usual output.
Typical of all mid-western cities and villages, Wakeman was always
converted into a thriving metropolis on Saturdays. On this day all the
farmers from miles around would manage to come into town. They would
gather about and talk about their crops, weather conditions, national
affairs and always those jokes which simply must be told. They would
purchase what they were going to need during the coming week and load
their buggies and wagons with their supplies and then head back for the
farms around nine-thirty or ten o’clock.
Wakeman had its rows upon rows of hitching rails and posts to which the
farmers tied their horses and teams. Today most of those historic relics
have vanished.
The first few days in Wakeman proved to be quite different from what
Jimmie had expected. He knew the farm people and their ways, but he did
not know the townsfolk and their standards and traditions. In fact it
was in Wakeman that he attended his first party where the boys and girls
were really dressed up in their finest. The boys were of an entirely
different type from what he had been used to associating with. Somehow
Jimmie managed to become accustomed to them and their mannerisms. It
seems that Jimmie possessed that certain quality that enabled him to
adapt himself to almost any type of environment.
It was at this first party that he learned many new and startling facts.
He heard of how his new friends had been as far away as New York and
Cleveland. Jimmie stood with mouth wide open in amazement as they spoke
about their travels and adventures. He hardly dared believe them even as
they were told, yet he knew they spoke the truth.
As the party went on and the conversation continued Jimmie spoke of his
travels and of how he was lost on Lake Erie during a terrible storm.
This increased his prestige among the younger set. As the talk
continued, it finally drifted onto the subject of books and the best
reading on the market. This was more along Jimmie Curwood’s line and so
he listened attentively as some young lady led the discussion. At long
last he had the opportunity he had been seeking. So he told of his
career in writing thus far, and how he so wanted to develop his talent
into an advanced study. Many of the others wanted to write but hardly
knew how to get started. Jimmie explained in a modest manner his
eagerness to write great works some day, too.
It was at this party that Jimmie acquired his new name. He was no longer
called Jimmie, but just “Jim.” It was here, also, that the young man
attempted to learn to dance with the aid of a very charming little lady.
He later admitted that although he felt clumsy and ill at ease, he
enjoyed it all immensely. Throughout his later life, however, Jim
Curwood had little time for dancing.
Thus began Jim Curwood’s social life in Wakeman, and at first he took
full advantage of it, for it was indeed truly social as compared to that
which he had heretofore been accustomed.
There were many new things that Jim was going to have to learn if his
social and everyday life in Wakeman were to be successful. Throughout
his life he had been under the constant guidance of his devoted mother.
She had cared for his personal appearance and insisted that he always
keep himself as clean as possible. But in this new environment he
learned that he must look after his personal appearance himself. He also
learned that one’s personal appearance and habits counted first and
foremost. He discovered that he must wear a tie. He found that he must
wear presentable clothing to school instead of the farm clothes. He had
to keep his hair trimmed and his teeth brushed. The things which had
before seemed utterly trivial now were of major importance to his new
life in the city of Wakeman.
Perhaps the most exasperating discovery which young Jim Curwood made
shortly after he had moved into Wakeman with his family, was the fact
that he must take more than one bath per week. So instead of the usual
Saturday night affair, the young man found himself in the tub as often
as three times a week. He hated it all.
As his new life opened before him Jim discovered that there were girls
in Wakeman. The startling fact was that he found they were very pretty
girls, too. Coincident with this discovery came the necessity for a
little spending money from time to time if one were to get along. So,
from the first time that he met one of Wakeman’s better type girls, he
was constantly in need of nickels or dimes. Soon his financial problems
developed to the stage where Jim was asking for quarters instead of
nickels and dimes, as is only natural when a young boy begins to get
“ideas.”
As Valentine Day approached, Jim met a very pretty girl whom he decided
he would like to present with a Valentine. Although the tiny card cost
but three cents, Jim was somewhat bashful and backward in giving it to
her when the time came. So he mailed it out the day before and signed
only his scrawled initials upon the back of it. Somehow the memory of
his Jeanne back on the farm seemed to have slipped from his mind, for
this new young lady filled his every waking hour.