Introduction
This first draft of the short story A Gent from Bear Creek is separate from the later fix-up novel of the same title. Told by Breckinridge Elkins, it centers on a family dispute in the Humbolt Mountains and preserves an earlier, more expansive form of the Bear Creek tale.
Summary spoilers
The story opens with Breckinridge Elkins interrupted from his whittling by his cousin Polk County Elkins, who tells him that Breck’s father Erath and uncle Joel Gordon are trying to kill each other. Breckinridge runs to break up the fight and discovers that the cause is a hidden bag of gold nuggets the two found and agreed to leave in a hollow tree on Apache Ridge for a month. Each accuses the other of returning early to steal it and attempting murder. Breck tries to reason with them but fails and decides to investigate the gold himself to prevent a fatal feud.
Upon arriving at the tree, Breck is surprised by Uncle Jeppard Grimes, who believes Breck is also trying to steal the gold. Jeppard reveals he is the actual owner, having found it long ago in a cave beside a long-dead prospector. When Jeppard tries to show Breck the gold’s hiding place, they discover it has been stolen. Jeppard, assuming Joel and Erath are the thieves, threatens to kill both.
Breck convinces him to hold off while he tracks the real thief. Breck follows horse tracks that don’t belong to his family into the Tomahawk Range. He finds a man cooking venison beside a buckskin poke that seems to be filled with gold. A shootout and fistfight ensue, but after the battle, Breck finds the poke contains only buckshot—he’s assaulted the wrong men.
Breck remembers one thief had said, “Did you get it?” implying they already took the real gold and swapped the poke. He returns to their abandoned camp, finds their trail again, and discovers a hidden valley. After surviving a life-or-death struggle with a grizzly bear and falling off a cliff, Breck reaches the valley on foot. He finds a cabin and assaults the man there, named Jackson, who is part of a larger outlaw gang.
Breck uses intimidation and a scorpion to force Jackson to reveal where his partners will arrive. Breck captures a rider—Jack Gordon, Joel’s brother—whom he mistakenly believes was sent to kill him. Breck eventually discovers that Jackson and his gang, believing Breck was working for a man named Ashley, have unearthed stolen gold bars buried by a deceased outlaw named Wolf Ormond. Just as Breck recovers the gold, Ashley and his partner Fitzgerald ambush them.
Jack Gordon, having escaped and tracked Breck, intervenes and disarms the villains. Jack explains that Breck’s entire pursuit was for nothing: Uncle Jeppard’s gold was found by his own youngest son Alexander, who had been using it as slingshot ammo. Meanwhile, Joel and Erath have reconciled, and the Bear Creek clan is once again at peace.
Comparison between draft and published story
Opening Scene & Narrative Framing
Draft: Starts with Breckinridge Elkins whittling on a pine knot outside his cabin when young Polk County Elkins runs in with alarming news. This gives a casual and highly personalized start that foregrounds a specific moment.
Published: Opens with Breckinridge finding Erath and Joel already fighting on the creek bank. This start is more immediate and focused on the conflict.
Observation: The draft begins with a more elaborate lead-in and features Polk County as an introductory device. The published version eliminates Polk entirely for a punchier, more streamlined start.
Tone and Dialogue
Draft: Includes additional rustic flavor, especially in the use of dialect and longer comic beats (e.g., Polk County hopping “like a cat on a hot stove”).
Published: Keeps the rustic dialect but is more concise. Some lines are shortened or omitted, likely to keep pacing tighter.
Character Dynamics
Draft:
Introduces more background context—such as Breckinridge lamenting how being the “biggest man in your locality” means you inherit everyone's problems.
Polk County plays a comedic side role that’s entirely removed in the published version.
Published:
Shifts the focus squarely onto the feud and Breckinridge's role as reluctant peacekeeper.
Eliminates some of the meta-commentary (e.g., about his “weakly” brother Jim) in favor of maintaining narrative momentum.
Plot Differences
Story Flow: Both versions share the same basic structure—feuding relatives, hidden gold, a mistaken accusation, and a third-party thief—but the draft includes more detours, elaborate explanations, and side characters.
Polish: The published version removes scenes or lines that don't directly drive the plot. For instance:
The draft has Polk County bet his slingshot against Breckinridge’s bowie knife—this is cut from the published version.
Some of Uncle Jeppard’s lines are shortened or made more poetic in the published version (e.g., “gore will satisfy me” becomes “I’ll fringe my leggins with their mangy sculps”).
Style Adjustments
The draft often uses slightly more descriptive or extended phrasing. For example:
Draft: “and lifting the two of them bodily, I throwed ’em into the creek.”
Published: “and throwed ’em bodily into the creek.”
Howard’s editing tightened sentence structure and removed redundancy while preserving the humor and rustic tone.
Summary of Key Changes
| Feature | Draft | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Personal with Polk County Elkins | Starts in medias res with fight |
| Tone | Wordier, more digressions | More concise and streamlined |
| Dialogue | Rich in backwoods slang | Kept rustic but trimmed |
| Characters | More side characters like Polk County and Jim | Focused on main trio (Breckinridge, Joel, Erath) |
| Structure | Looser, more discursive | Tighter narrative arc |
