The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-05-29


hood, they made up their minds to stay
from the fort. That same night they
were attacked, and all but five ofthem
were killed. Those who got away car
ried the news of what had happened to
the fort, and party was sent out to
| bring in the bodies.
The next day all the people in Fort
Sinquefeld went to bury their dead
friends in valley at some little distance
from the fort, and strange as it may
seem they took no arms with them. Be-
ieving that there we're no Indians near
the place they left the gates of the
fortress open, and went out in body
without their guns.
AS matter of fact there was large
body of Indians not only very near them
but actually looking at them all the
time. The celebrated Prophet Francis
was in command, and in his sly way he
kept as near the fort as possible to look
for good chance to attack it. Making
his men lie down and crawl like snakes,
he had reached point only few hun
dred yards from the stockade without
alarming the people; and now while
they stood around the graves of their
friends without arms to defend them
selves with, host of their savage enc
mics lay looking at them from the grass
and bushes on the hill.
AS soon as he saw the right moment
had come, Francis had sprung up with
savage war-cry and at the head of his
warriors made dash for the gates. He
had seen that the men outside were I'M
armed and his plan was to get to the
gates before they could reach them and
thus get all the people of the place at
his mercy in an open field and without
arms to fight with.
The fort people were quick to see
what his purpose was, and the men
hurried forward with Ill their might,
hoping to reach the TT before the
savages could got there. - running
at the top of their speed thy did this,
and closed the gates in time to keep he
Indians out. But to their horror they
then S.. i. that their wives and children
were shut out too.-Unable to run as
fast as the men, they had fallen behind,
and now the Indians were between
them and the gates!
Seeing that he had missed his chance
of getting possession of the fort, Fran
els turned upon the women and chill
dren with savage delight in the thought
of butchering these helpless creatures
in the sight Of their husbands, fathers
and brothereS
It was moment of terror. There
we're not half enough white men in the
fnr 70 ocfo 1f 1rI
and if there had been it was easy to see
that by the time they could get their ri
hes and go to the rescue it would be too
late.
At that moment the hero of this bit
of history came upon the scene. This
was young man named Isaac Haden.
He was notable huntsman. who kept
famous pack of hounds-ferceb rutes,
thoroughly trained to run down and
seize any living thing that their master
chose to chase. The young man had
been out in search of stray cattle, and
just at the moment when matters were
at their worst he rode up to the fort in
company with his sixty dogs.
Isaac Haden had cool head and a
very daring spirit. He was in the habit
of taking in situations at a glance, de-
Gliding quickly what was to be done,
and then doing it at any risk that might
be necessary. As soon as he saw how
the men and women were placed he
cried out to his dogs, and at the head of
his believing pack, charged upon the
flank of the Indians. The dogs did the
work with a spirit equal to the masters.
For each to seize red warrior and
drag him to earth was the work of
moment, and the whole body was soon
in confusion. For moment they had
all they could do to defend themselves
against the unlocked assault of the
fierce animals, and before they could |
beat off the dogs the men of the fort |
came out and joined in the attack, so
that the women and children had time |
to make their way inside the gates, only |
one of them Mrs. Phillips. having
been killed.
The men, Of course, had to follow the |
women closely, as they were too weak |
in numbers to risk battle outside. If |
they had done so, the Indians would !
have overcome them quickly, and then |
the fort and everybody in it would have
been at their mercy, so they hurried in
to the fort as soon as the women were
safe.
But the hero who had saved the peo-
pie by his quickness and courage was
left outside, and not only so, but the !
savages were between him and the fort. |
He had charged entirely through the
war party, and was now beyond their
line, alone, and with no chance of help |
from any quarter.
His hope of saving himself was very
small, indeed; but he had saved all
those helpless women and children, and |
he was brave enough fellow to die will !
ingly, for such purpose as that, if he !
must. But brave men do not give up
easily, and young Haden did not mean |
to die without last effort to save him |
self. Blowing loud blast upon his !
hunting horn to call his remaining dogs !
around him, he drew his pocket pistols |
one in each hand-and plunged spurs |
into his horses TANKS. In spite of the !
numbers against him, he broke through |
the mass of savages, but the gallant !
horse that bore him fell dead as he
cleared the Indian ranks. Haden had |
fred both. his pistols, and had no time
to load them again. Hewas practically
unarmed now, and the distance he had
to go before reaching the gates was con-
siderable. His chance of escape was
smaller than ever, but he quickly sprang
from the saddle, and ran with all his
might, holly pursued, and under a ter.
rife fire from the rifles of the savages.
The gate was held q little way open
for him to pass, and when he en-
tered the fort his nearest pursuers were
so close that there was barely time for
the men to shut the gate in their faces.
Strangely enough the brave young
fellow was not hurt in any way. Five bu1-
lets passed through his clothes, but his
skin. was not broken. h. ss,.#s .sss.s<s, il
The house committee on elections recently
decided in the Virginia contested election case
Of Massey, Democrat, against Wise, Readjus 81
and sitting member, that the latter Wa entitled
Q the eeat Il. s. : ss Ii.