The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-03-17

, on the crane in the big fire. place, An
Dlnah was very busy getting ready
: Soon a delicious odor began to pry
wade the house, and al last packin
was nearly done, aud the potpie in
big pan was steaming away on tn
table
The hungry household gathere,
around, soldiers and all, in pleasan
anticipation of a feast. The Ions
grace had been said, and my brother
dipped ladle into the dish.
AT that instant the latch flew v1o
lently up, and friendly neighbol
threw himself in, falling full Length
Oh the floor, and crying earnestly be
tween his gasDs for breath, For God.
sake, run! the Indiansr
I'VE were on our feet in an instant
and | ran to the door. O children. ]
can never forget what l saw at tha,
moment! l often see it in my sleeI
to this day.
"Opposite our house, in the river,
was an island, and On it house, the
hcme of friends. l saw that house on
fire surrounded 10y yelling savages,
Mrs. Osborne running for their life,
and close behind her an immense In
dian with tomshawk raised to strike.
l saw another painted fiend snatch up
the baby, a dear little creature whom
L had often held. He seized it by
one foot and swung it around-oh, L
could not see more!
Il turned away, sick and ready to
faint. But did not faint; 1 thou ght
OF our baby, sleeping quietly on the
bed. l ran across the room, snatched
up the precious bundle, blanket and
all, and ran madly out of the back
door, calling to my brother, Ill go
ahead with babyr
The rest of the family were hasti
ly hurried into the wagon, and straw
bed flung in for Sister Mary, who was
i'll. The soldiers took hold of the
pole. and away they went into the
woods behind the house.
Nobody thought of that pot-pie,
left smoking on the table for our ter
rlble enemies. No doubt they grunted
approval, surrounded the table and
dipped their fingers into the pan till
everv morsel was eaten.
Il had gone far ahead with my dear
burden, Ia my panic, when it sudden
ly occ -rred to me that baby slept
WONDERFULLY well. J stopped. lifted
the cover-and 0 God. 1t was not
the haby-it was bundle of clothes!
Then the tahy was left! it was too
late to go back | had done it.
''t'or the only time IN my life ut
tered a shrek of despair. and sank to
the ground That mpment'S agony
cannot describe The figure of Mrs
Oshorhe's baby WIS before me. The
world turned cold and black. and |
really believe | was dying, or losing
my senses.
My brothers voice aroused me.
g Sister, be stilI!' he said, sternly.
What is the matters?
T." The babyH l gasped 1T is left
behlndr
1T cannot be" he said, hoarsely.
as white as death, and fastened back
to where the wagon was slowly drag
ging along.
Again | was lost and unconscious.
with a terrible feeling that the world |
was slipping away from me, bnt ia
few moments my brother, as the best
cure for my critical state, placed in
my arms the laughing, growing baby
The relief was SO sudden that I |
was instantly reused, and violent
of foarS roIInunI
saved me from going wild.
The baby himself did not approve
Of this greeting, ana set up frighten-
ed cry, when my brother returned him
to the wagon, and l tried to 90 on.
Bnt l found myself SO weakened bv
my excitement that l could not stand
alone, and was obliged to be added
to the already heavy load in the wag-
On.
Through the woods we jolted till
t began to grow dark, and we found
hat a storm was coming up. By that
lime we were in deep woods, and NV
brother decided to camp for the night.
The straw bed was taken ont of
he wagon and laid on the ground. for
he sick mother, and the wagon box
urned upside town for sort of roof.
That was night of horrors, nv
iears, that you cannot imagine. We
Jared not have a fire because of To-
iians. We had nothing to eat but
Try coarse bread. A severe thunder
torn drenched US through, crowded
q q heap on the wet ground. And
here, in that most dreadful night of
'ur lives. homeless, cold, hungry, in
error OF wild beasts on one side, and
Wild savages on the other, the sick
mother came very near death.
The next morning, seeing her a
title revived, my brother went on to
ry and find nelp and team to get
is out. We stayed hidden there, in
uch misery, suffering and terror as I
lope you will never know.
"On the third day be returned with
lorses, and we went on to a settle
nent where the best house was owned
y rich man, who had been a friend.
'ut being Tory, was now bitter
'nemy.
My brother could not believe that
I'D friendship was all dead, and that
le would be at best decently hos
'ltable in our terrible condition. So
le drove up to the door, I'd to the
lost and hostess told his story and
pleaded our need of help.