Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-11-28

again. It lacked only two days of
Thanksgiving when father received word
from q man over in the next settlement
to come over and attend to some urgent
business. He took Nick Vose with him
and also Eph, he being the Oldest, as it
was necessary to bring back several
loads of lumber, AID Eph could manage
oxen as we'll as Nick could. Well, that
very evening Jerry and / hurried
through our chores to help Aunt Hull
dab pick some ducks for Thanksgiving.
Mother was sick with cold and she did
not help; but she talked and laughed
with us as we worked. Pretty soon we
heard steps outside, and Aunt Huldah
said:
hope they are.
But Jerry jumped up quickly, and
drew the bars across the door. Bath
sheba's blue eyes grew round with
amazement, and she said: " Why, Jerry,
do you mean to lock father out 2
LookP he said, pointing to the lit
tie window. All! that lookl how it
frightened lis, and our sick, timid mother
fairly shrieked. AS for Bathsheba, she
wrung her hands in agony.
"' Hush! every one of you Jerry
said iii a commanding tone, as if he was
general of an army. Here, Phil, you
get mother and Bathsheba over in that
corner and keep guard, while Aunt Hui
dab and [ run up the ladder and look
out the loOp-hole, and see If there's many
of them"
Alf's curiosity could wait no longer.
"What did We see, Mqssa? Was it
bars, big, black bars, lookin' in at do
windy ?"
"No, Alf," answered uncle Phil.
"Not bears, but savage Indians. We
looked out the loop-hole CHATS what we
called q little round hole over the door
and we saw one Indian near our house,
and another. with his back to the house,
little way off. Father, Nick and Eph
had taken the guns, and we were at
loss to know what to do If the Indians
should try to break In. Suddenly there
was loud pounding on the door. We
went down and Aunt Huldah asked what
was wanted. They wouldn't answer,
but whacked away until l thought every
minute the door would give way. Aunt
Huldah rushed down the ladder, and
motioned to Jerry and me to follow her.
We went with her into little room, par
titioned off from the kitchen, where q
barrel of the strongest kind of soft soap
stood. We each carried pail of that
terrible soap up the ladder to the loft,
and then crept up from the loft to the
roof. Then, creeping along softly to the
edge of the roof we saw the two Indians
flashing their bright blades into the cot
tonwood door.
"tNo time to lose,' whispered Aunt
Huldah. And we three emptied our
buckets of soft soap over those redskins.
Oh such shrieks as rent the air, as the
Indians danced around and rubbed their
eyes, in awful pain. We felt sorry,
Jerry and I; but Aunt Huldah said she
didn't. If we hadn't done it, they
would have killed and scalped us all,
she said, wisely.
No one slept that night, and the
ducks did not get picked either; but by
early daylight father came home. His
face was ashen gray as we drew back
the bars to let him in. He looked at
each of us In turn, then, seating himself
in chair, he, strong man that he was,
burst into tears.
"'Are you sick, dear father?" Bath
sheba said, going up to him and putting
her arms about his neck. Ny father
was a Christian, and, gathering Bath
sheba's golden head to his bosom, he
said: Not sick, child; but overcome
with thankfulness. Word came to us
this morning that several families had
been scalped during the night and that
mine was one of them. / didn't wait to
tell Eph and Nick. but sent word to
them to come home as soon as they
could, and hurried on ahead. When [
reached the Corners, l found that the
StevensOns were gone, root and branch,
and my heart sank within me; but find
my home unmolested, thank Godr
Then we told him that we had been at
tackled and that our weapon had been
laugh; but he did not. He only said,
reverently: Thank God for soft soap
Nick and Eph came home that 8fter-
noon. They had heard the sorrowful
story, too, and I tell you We had gen
eral hugging all around.
"And then Thanksgiving Day dawned.
Such dinner! Seems to me [ can
taste is yet. Any way, can remember
every single thing we had. We had
roast wild ducks and baked fish, and the
incest, roundest little roast pig you ever
saw. It had lemon in it's mouth and
bunch of parsley around It's curly tail,
and it stood on bed of green parsley.
Then we had big, mealy baked potatoes
and turnips, and the best succotash and
baked beans that could be imagined, AID
then those broiled quails. Oh! Rob, I
wish you could taste such quails."
Didn't you have any pudding ?"
81 don't think we did; we had pies
pumpkin, mince, apple and custard."
"And was that ali ?" asked Rob.
"No, We had one thing more. We
all got down on our knees and thanked
God. Father said that was the finish
ing touch"