The Opelousas courier., 1891-02-28
THE PIONEERS FAMILY.

] was a boy only eight years old when
my father moved into the hill country of
Western Minnesota. He was known to
all the pioneers about as "Big Dave
and to the Indians as the stIron Man.
He was six feet tall, weighed 80 pounds,
and, at forty years of age, was perhaps
the strongest man in the United States,
and certainly one of the most fearless of
men. Mother was above the average In
height, and weight, and, if she lacked
fathers strength, was not behind him in
nerve and courage. She could shoot a
rife, skin a deer, set a bear trap, or pad.
die a canoe, and, as a family, we were
able to take care of ourselves.
We had been settled about six months
when father set a trap for a bear which
had been prowling around. / went out
with him next day to visit the spot, and
we found the bear had been caught, but
that the Indians had killed him, and
taken both the carcass and the trap. All
along the border at that time there was
peace, but the red man was jealous and
sulky, and whenever he could harrass or
damage a settler he was pretty apt to do
so. Many of them had visited our cabin,
but none of them knew aeyaHf.in,s saout
father except that he was a Sfs man.
There a an Indian village four miIes
away, and the fellows who got the bear
showed their contempt for father by
dragging the body over the snow and
leaving a plain trail for him to follow.
Father was justly indignant, and we at
once took up the trail for the village. /
had a light shotgun, while he had q rife,
Ratchet and hunting knife. We followed
the trail right into the village, and there
found the meat being cut up, while the
pelt and trap were lea by.
aWhere is the thief who stole my
beargn shouted father, as we came to a
halt within four feet of the crowd around
the meat.
No one answered.
81 say he is a thief!n continued father,
g and if you will point him out to me,
I will pull his earsl Let that meat alone!
It belongs to mel"
A dozen of the bucks began to growl
and murmur, and father handed me his
rifle, threw down his knife and Ratchet
and cried out:
'sThere was more than one thief ]
saw by the tracks in the snow that there
were four. Are they squaws or menl
If they are men let them lay aside their
knives and come out here. ] win take
the four at once!"
This declaration was hailed with q
shout, and in less than a minute the four
who had stolen the bear came to the
front. They were all stout and supple
young men, and every Indian in the vii
lage gathered around to see the fun. II
was fully expected that he would get q
good drubbing, and the four advanced
with mischief in their eyes.
"You just keep out of the way and
don't get frightened, " said father to me,
and just then the four rushed in on him
from four sides.
For an instant he was hidden from sight
and there was a great hurrahing, but the
next thing we saw was the body OF an In
dian sailing in the air, and a second roll
ing owe and over backward, and then
father gave the crowd an exhibition Of
his strength. He grasped an Indian in
each hand and played with them az easily
you can handle broomsticks. He
circled them about, bumped them to-
and finally gave them a ding,
which rolled both of them into the ice
cold waters of the creek.
aHave you six men here7n demanded
my father, as he turned to the chief. stIf
so, let them come forward and seek to
put me down. If they can accomplish it
/ will 60 home and say no MORE
There was q general fiutter of excite
ment, and as the chief named six of his
best men each stepped forward with q
Mhoop. Father was smiling and con-
fident as he spat on his hands, and he
told me that I need have no fears. At q
given signal the six Indians made a rush.
They got hold of arms and legs and body,
but with a mighty wrench father shook
them off and then took the aggressive.
There was neither striking nor kicking
in the struggle, but the way he did twist
those redskins about made the crowd
dizzy. In two minutes he was victor,
and the chief came forward and shook
bis hand, and then and there gave him
the title of ttThe Man of Iron" Ever
thereafter the Indians held him in the
greatest " and respect, and any one of
invited to eat at our table felt high
II honored. Igot a title at the same
time father did. If / was scared while
in The village I wa at least determined
not to betray the fact, and 50 it happened
that they dubbed me 1.-THE Boy Who
Stood-Fast.n
In April of the next year I cut my foot
while chopping and was laid up for sey-
aral weeks. This was during the sugar
making season, and father and mother
necessarily in the bush q good
Of the time. Our cabin had but
room below, and my bed was in a
lar corner The path from the sugar
bush came I'D at the rear Of the house.