Smyrna times., 1870-02-09


Then he walked Willie, not daring to stay /
here longer, and, too tired to carry him, led I
him slowly, for the little feet could not travel
more than mile an hour. So they went on /
through the long afternoon, stopping now and |
then to rest, till at last almost at sunset. they
came out on the open prairie. Willie, who had !
thought for an hour or two that he was going
home, began to cry, when he saw only the red |
sky and waving grass before him. For anoth- !
er mile Burton cOaxed him along, by running
before him little way and saying, Now Will !
lie, see it you can catch me- Then the
weary little feet could go no farther, and Bur
ton sat down by him on a sand-knoll, deter
mined to watch, all night; but, too exhausted
to keep awake, he fell asleep. Dawn awaken
ed him, and be reused Willie and started on,
frightened at having lost so much time.
The day journey was a hard one. The
want of proper food began to tell on both chill
dren, most of all on Burton who, when the
second night came, lay down at once, too weary
to think even of watching. Willie cried pitt
fully for his supper, and could not be comfort
ed by the promise of something tomorrow ~
but he slept quietly all night. SO the third
day came and passed. Burton finding only few
wild plums; and the fourth, and the fifth, on
which they caEe to a deserted house and a
cornfed Everything had been destroyed by
the Indians; but searching carefully, part of a
SPOhSU Nsto lOuilus duu iL6 JWO CUlluTSu
ate heartily Of this, saving the remainder for
future use This with the wild plums and raw
green corn, was their only food, till late on the
eleventh day, when Burton, carrying the baby
brother, who was now too weak to walk, enter
ed Mankato, where tugitiyes from all directions
had come in. -.
Here every house was thrown open, and the
two children were soon cared for. When he
had seen Willie drink glass of milk and lie
In in a fob ho1 l,o1
some crackers and bag to put them in.
What doyOu want of crackers?' asked the
| lady who bad taken the children into her
| house -
10 eat on the road. am going back to
look for mother"
But, my dear child, you cannot find her |!
If she is alive at all, sOme of the wagons have
picked her up and brought her in. She may
! be here in town"
Then will look here first said Burton
! AS he insisted, Mrs. Hutchinson went with
him through the town,.asking one after anoth-
er II they knew whether any of the people at
! Lake Shetek had been saved. AT last, as they
were passing one house, Burton saw their old
neighbor, Mrs Hurd, at the window, and run
ming in he found his mother, too week to speak,
! and sorrowing for the children whom she sup.
posed to be dead. Little Willie was brought
to her at once, and the thankful mother scarce
ly thought of her past suffering, as she held
the two close to her again. There were few
questions that night, tut the next day Mrs
Estlick told Burton how she had crawled along
for three days, till found by the mai-carrier
who In his little wagon had turned back from
Lake Shetek having heard that the Indians
were on the warpath against whites. He had
given her a seat, and driven on night aud day
tll they reached Mankato, where she had beer
for day or two, unable to move, bur sending
out to Inquire of every party Of fugitives if he
7 children had been seen.
r For fortnight the terrible massacre lasted
The people of the State, trusting in the friend
' ship of the Indians, had been totally unprepar
t ed for such an outbreak, and the Indians them
e selves, who had been assured by half-breed
E that the white people were too busy fghtin
d each other to pay any attention to them, expect
II ed fully to take possession of the whole Stat
o and burn and murder where they would. Tel
; rible wrongs had been done them, and the
:. avenged them even more terribly. Two hun
'r dred miles of beautiful country were made deS
e olate. Hundreds died by savage hands, Will
q hundreds more were taken into a captivit
worse than DEATH which lasted till late in tn
,r fall, when they were rescued BY General Sill
ley's command. Long before this Mrs. Estlic
d had left Minnesota far behind. But even now
It at times, in her quiet New England homey
J, shudder creeps over her, as she recalls tht
2 August morning eight years ago. and reInen
e bers the weary way over which Burton carrie
e the baby.
;. Burton is real boy, for this is no "mak,
& believe" story, as you may think. In the hi
4 tory OF his native State, and the long chapter
d on the Sioux massacre Of 1862, you will find b
p name, aud hint Of all have told you here
II Our Young Folks. '.''