The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-06-10
late OF the Prussian army, marched brave

action, toward the Rapids, on the north
side, intending to sweep everything be-
fore it and to return to the village by the
way Of the Rapids road. Carefully, under
the generslship of returned soldier the
men crept along the fences, from stump
to stump, from tree to tree. Suddenly
the captain whispered a word of warning
and all sagaclously sank behind fallen
log. And there IN the darkness, not
moro than dozen feet behind them, were
distinctly seen m0ring fgeres! INDIANS!
Not mao stirred. Breathlesssly they
covered in the most cramped positions,
behInd their natural Notifications. Not
a sound escaped them. Brave as they
we're. they we're not SO rash as to risk
discovery by perhaps thousands of In
dams. Thus they lay until, IN the early
dawn, they were enabled to distinguish
one another's pale Ind terror stick
en- faces. And now the warrior bold, the
captain, proved bis intrep:d1ty by care
fully raising his head, and reconnolter-
ing the position of the enemy. And alb,
the relief! Before him, peering cautious
ly over tamerack stump, was the pale
face of the distinguished veteran of the
Prussian army, equally sagacions in the
face Of the supposed enemy.
The forces were Joined and as the com
pasionately smiling sun rose grandly, over
what might have been the bloody waves
of the lake, the valorous and uncon-
qnered army reentered Manitowoc. Here
all was we'll. The first rale light IN the
east had dissipated the alarms of the peo-
pie. Messages had informed them that
Centerville was not a site of desolation,
and that the hair on the heads of the
Green Bayltes was still intact. Farmers
were hitchins up their teams. Most of
the residents were out of sight. Some
were walking up and down, laughing and
sneering at the fright Of their neighbors
and friends. Guns and pitch forks were
DO longer in evidence And now came
the recollectlons Of the many ridiculous
incidents of the memorable night.
! l have never met an old settler who
will admit that he was at all frightened
by the Indian Scare, but he is generally
ready with Il Imaginable little anecdote In
which IA friend or nelghbor is held up to
the ridlcule of the listener. these ludi-
crous little stories usually run something
like this: But / wasn't scared. /
knew 1t was the rankest lunacy.
wasn't fooled Now, with due respect
to the old settlers. / am convinced that
the great majority were smitten with
terror and the others are unnccounted
for.
One man, who by the way told me the
next story, sat in an arm chair at home,
pale, In tears, and frightened beyond all
description, While h,s pucky wife was
gathering all possible implements of de
tense. rusty sabre never left her hand.
Many Of the neIghboring women gather
ed in the house for safety, knowing tn
man to be in the house. This is vouched
for by the women present, but on asking
the gentleman regarding the Indian
Scare, he asserted:
II was one of the very few who was not
fooled by the rnmor. quietly remained
at home talking courage into the women,
"Of course I carried a gun, Just to
please the women" says Mr.. B-.But
his very good friend tells me thai Mr.
b trembled so that he could not hold
a gun. He disappeared early in the eve
ing and was discovered the next day in
the cellar, barricaded by three barrels of
potatoes. He thought his hour had come.
and was paralyze with fear.
Another stalwa-t young married man
ran up and down the street wringlnp his
hands, loudly lmploring divine aid, while
his brave little wife attempted, in vain,
to laugh HIM to his senses One man,
who intended politely to assist a mother.
by carrying her infant up the Court
house stairs, was met at the landing by a
sharp eyed and sharp tongned woman
with: away with you, you miserable
l.
skirts of the women? Geta gun o. pitch
fork and kill Indians. Be man."
mother living on the north side.
wrapped her little son into a RED blanket
and started for that Mecca, the conrt
house. The red blanket nearly caused
her trouble. There is an Indian" some
one cried. and Immediately a new cause
of excitement set the nelghborhood IN a
panic.
A woman IN the country, who lad lust
finished the boiling of softsoap, when the
sensational warnings reached her, exc1t-
edly loaded jars of the stuff upon the
wagon, and hurried to town. Bnt
IN her trepidation she had forgotten her
infant. Thus she reached town. Noone
would return for the baby, and as a re-
suit the crazed woman ran up and down
the streets waIling and lamentlng. The
next morning the little one was found
safe asleep and unmassacred.
Late in the evening. young man. who
was to be married in a few DAYS to the
daughter of neighbor. hitched a horse
to blackboard and called for his affiaur-
ed. Curiously, her parents we're not in
fected by the mental contagion. But the
girl prepared to share the danger with
ier lover, of wild ride to town Away
| they flew, the rafting vehicle bounding
over stones and rnts until. alas, -the axle
broke. The young. man however, was
eqnal to the emergency. In moment be
lad unEitched the horse. To another
moment he was on it's back and with the
assuring words: I'll return for Won
with the soldiers" he disappeared IN the
darkness. Since none tf the passing
teams would stop to pick her mp. the
frightened girl returned, without the