The unrest cure at Bella union flats

Mischief making can be a grand and glorious thing and if there is one thing we Heysers did well, it was to make mischief. When our parents were young and ignorant they pulled off a coo that went so well we decided to give it a try.

The Paiutes had a camping place Bella Union Flats just off the main road. Frankly I thought it was a dreary place, no river, mostly sage brush and sand, not a place to take a man's thoughts off his troubles so we decided to help them to freshen their lives.

Kampe, Fritz and I told mother we were gong to take a little walk, though it was after dark and something we did not usually do. We picked up a shovel and grabbed a gun on the way out and headed down the road to Bella Union flats. There were three or four campers there who really needed our help and experience.

When we found the camp the men were talking softly and playing cards. We stood at the top of a little hill about four hundred feet from them and planned our moves.

Now at night on the mountain, when the air is still and cold, sound will travel at least five miles and probably eight. I have heard men up at the sawmill walking or talking behind the smoke stack when they thought no one could hear them late at night. So we knew that the campers would hear every word and sound we made.

Kampe and I started talking loudly, just ordinary conversation held by a couple on a walk, and then Fritz howled like a wolf. Then Kampe and I both talked about the wolf like we were afraid. Kampe said not to worry as he had a gun. Then I screamed and fired my gun three or four times while Kampe said "Oh God, you are hit, Oh God". Then Kampe cried into the darkness moaning about my supposed death, then silence. Then Fritz took the shovel and started to dig, our hearts were pounding and the campers had become very quiet. Then we silently slunk away as the campers pondered their unrest cure. Their lives were no longer boring and we felt good about our labors.

On the way home in the dark silence we sang a hefty song about a little puppy's love. It went some thing like this. "Its our time for love, its our time for romance said little puppy he to little puppy she, its our time for love" When we said "love" we howled it loud and clear, the whole mountain probably heard us and thought "it 's just the Heyser kids on the prowl".