, 1883-10-27

| means OF suicide IN hcr hand. She
would never be taken alive.
The day of her trial came at last.
They had been moving their en-
campment in the early winter, and
the party of women and children
with which she was were delayed
and camped over night in an open
field. In the might a heavy snow
fell. Her location was such that the
snow drifted over her, and when
morning came she was completely
hidden. She heard the Indians as
the searched for Ter and made their
plans for her recapture. The could
not understand how she could steal
away from them and yet not wake a
single sleeper. There were no woods
near them, and they all agreed that
they could soon overtake the sup
posed fugitive. They hurried their
preparations for departure, and fin
ally went away, leaving her in her
snug hiding place. She was warm
and she was not hungry. She re-
manned twenty-four hours longer in
her hiding place. When she emerged
from her cOncCllmcnt her chances
for escape We're 50 few that she al
most regretted that she had not de-
Clared herself to the Indians and
gone with them. She knew the
country all about her. Her late life
had made her senses as'keen as those
Of the tribe with whom she lived.
If she could only provide herself
with food and escape the Indians,
she would gain her old home and be
able to learn whether her husband
was dead or alive.
Her first act was to satisfy the
cravings of her famished stomach on
the remnants Of the last meal of the
Indians. There was some dried corn
split upon the snow in one place, and
that she carfully gathered and car
ried with her when she began her
journey. At the end Of the second
day she was again without provis-
ions and without any means or pros
pect of securing any. With some
threads taken from the fringe Of her
blanket and some pieces of wood she
made rough trap and placed in it
her last remaining kernels Of corn.
Weary and hungry she then fell
asleep. In the morning she found
the corn gone and the trap demol-
ished. She regretted that she had
not eaten the corn. She made but
little progress that second day. Her
head was light and giddy. Strange
fancies oppressed her. She thought
her children were crying to her, and
yet knew not which way to turn to
find them. That night she slept
lightly and dreamed continually Of
food. She arose early and recon-
menced her tramp. There was n
light possibility that she might find
some dead bird or frozen animal.
At length, while crossing river,
she espied some distance away from
her route an opening in the ice. Her
practiced eye recognized it as hav-
ing been made by the. Indians for
the spcaring of fish. Satisfied that
her enemies had passed that way,
and certain that they would not soon
return, she sought the spot Of their
encampment in hopes Of finding the
remains of their repasts. Not far
from the river bank there was still
standing a wigmam. 1t was, how
ever deserted. So hastily had it
been vacated that some half-coOked
cakes Of corn were still among the
ashes. After she had eaten a part of
these and secreted the rest for future
consumption, she hid herself again
in the woods. She was now upon
the trail of II few Indians who were
in pursuit Of OtherSof n hostile tribe.
Following them, she did not so much
fear her own pursuit. The next day
she came upon the body of n dead
Indian. This was most for
tunate discovery for her for the dead
Indian had all his weapons about
him. She took them from him, and
soon after had the satisfaction Of kill
ing a rabbit. From that time to the
end Of her journey she never was in
wantO of food.
Through all her danger, her hard
ships, her toll she thought only of
her husband. She feared that he
was dead, yet If it was true that
he still lived she counted all things
as naught if she could but regain his
side.
Even If he had been seeking her
all this time she should not have
known it, so closely was she watched.
She was six weeks in making her
way back to New Ulm. Had not the
rivers been frozen, and so passable,
her weary journey would have been
prolonged And made still more haz-
ardous, > Her fears would never have
allowed her to ask any Indian for
his canoe, and so all the rivers and
many lakes which rImify northern
and eastern Minnesota would have
every one proved barrier in her
path.
She reached her old home at night
fall. The twilight came so early and
so quickly that she quicked her pace
lest night should overtake her. The
cemetery was on the outskirts of the
village on the road by which she
came. She saw its white headstones
shining in the gray light, and en-
tered the enclosure. A thought had
struck her that it would be well to
see If her husbands name were