Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-16


beading straight for the bayou On either s'de-
As there was no longer any danger from oai-
lets, the boy put himself down to MS UTMOST
spesd, and bent his bad toward the nearest
point OF rashes. He was hampsred BY hav-
ing bis hands tied behind. and the triumphant
yells, which sounded little louder at each
passing minute, caused hun TO lear greatly
that they would oyertake him
Over moved ground, through tail grass for
several minutes he ran like an antelope. He
bad gained number Of rods the start OF the
Indians while they were picking up their
guns and firing, and this advantage was what
saved his life. He reached the lov bank OF
the inlet in advance Of the foremost Sioux,
but 50 near were they that, as he plunged
among the rushes, a Ratchet thrown by one
Of them swished past his head, and dropped
into the water in front.
He threw himself headlong into the water,
and Owed amid the rIishes. Then he pushed
himself along by kicking in the mud at the
bottom When his breath gave out, he raised
his head out long enough 10 get fresh breath,
then duckei II and showed ahead
In this way he was speedily out Of sight
and reach Of The Sioux, who did not follow
him into the PUSHES His purslers spread out,
hope. no doubt, TO catch him in the grass as
be attempted TO crawl out upon the other side
But Bat had no notion OF going out OF the
bayou at present. He found bottom shallow
enough TO stand upon. and then began wnrtt-
ing his wrists out Of the thecggS which bound
them Tbs ttie was soon able 10 do, as the
water soaked buckskin stretched at every
strain
4 tsa
heard Indians talking upon the bank OF the
BAYOU opposite his entrance. They were
looking for his trail at the edge Of the water,
and asking each other if he had crossed, and
which way he would 60. Finally one Of
them said, No. he is in there; the dog will
not come out" Then all was quiet.
Bat would not Sur again, for fear he should
be discovered by TIE rafting of the PUSHES
The time wore on heavily. Toward night
mosquitoes rose out OF the water, and pesterei
him frightfully He dared not thresh about,
for fear his whereabouts should be discovered
and fired upon by lurking Indians. Bullets
and buckshot were to he dreaded, even
though r,lshes enough interviewed to hide him
completely although the bank was only
few rods dIs-ant on either side.
As the vicious insects alighted upon his face
of alternating his sufferinss. Every few SEC
onds, as his face became black with them,
and their stings began to make him vince, he
would quickly and softly lower his head under
the water and hold it there as long as he
could keep his breath The cool water soothed
the irritation of their bites, and gave him
refuge from them good part of the time.
Darkness came at last, and with it a breeze
1aI ha hos IN ha cOnll sfIr
about without attracting attention by noise
He now speedily made use Of his legs and arms
ill working his way down nearer the lake,
where in thicket Of tall cornstalk grass, he
crawled ,ut of the bayou, feeling stiff and
waterlogged.
He lay in the grass resting and listening for
an hour or so, and then, bending low in the
grass, made-hs way to the high land prairie,
a mile or SO distant Not daring to attempt
to reach Fort Ridgely through the country
which he had learned from his captors was
overrun by the Sioux, he set out for St
Cloud, nearly 200 miles distant on the Missis-
sippi
He Travelled three days and nights, occa-
sionally lodging war parties OF Sioux Dur
ing that time he lived upon roots and grass;
these he chewed and swallowed the juice.
At length he walked into the streets C st.
Cloud. There was large gathering Of set
tiers there, and the buildings, mostly Of
logs, had been fortified and put in q state of
defense
There was a crowd of men in front of the
first store he reached on entering the village.
Faint and exhausted, Bat pushed through
them and asked inside for something to eat.
A number of settlers and others Immediately
came inside, and in rough tones asked him
what he, a half breed-he was a quarter
blood-was dong among the whites.
Bat told his story in broken English, but
the crowd, incensed at the hundreds Of
murders committed and the loss of friends
and relatives, were in frenzied state of
fury at the sight of ono belonging to the race
which had committed such ravages.
Hes miserable spyl' shouted one of
them. "A sneakin' Sioux, come among us to
see how many they is Nv u.s. Let's hang
HIM"
Beardless, more than naturally swarthy
from exposure, haggard and ugly in counten-
ance from hunger and fatigue Bats'appear
ance was against him. The crowd fiercely
took up the cry, Hang himr'
The nearest men sprang forward and Sc
cured the unfortunate fellow. His hands
were speedily tied with cord. from the
stock OF goods rope was procured and
he was hustled out Of the store by
the incensed settlers, who declared their
intention Of stringing him to the first tree on
the river bank. 1t was useless to plead or
struggle and despairingly the poor exhausted
youth allowed himself to be dragged along
the street But villager, who had the year
before lived at Big Stone, pushed into. the
crowd to have a look at the prisoner, and
fortunately recognized Bat at once.
"Hullol" he shouted stop this, mem
know that boy. He's one of Roberts men at
Big Stone
This, of course, put an immediate end to
the proceedings An innocent life had nearly
been sacrificed to the intense feeling wrought
up over the treacherous and wholesale muir
ders 50 recently committed by Indians and
half breeds nil about them.
1t is hardly necessary to add that the men
were sorry enough of their conduct when they
learned of Bats innocence, and that they
treated him afterward with all the kindness
of which they were capable. Frank Welles
Calkins in The Youths Companion