The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-10-28
ROBINSON CRUsoE.

ROBINSON CRUSOE.
There is no literary success greater
from the publishers point of view than
that attending a first-class boys book.
Youth is an enthusiastic patron, and
when it gives it's appreciation does so
without reserve. Robinson Crusoe''
and Treasure Island are both boys
books.
Doubleday & Mcclure have made a
strong bid for the attention of Young
America in story of the far west,
written by Russell Doubleday This
volume is entitled From Cattle Ranch
to College" and relates the adventures
of a boy who was born at Bismarck at
d time when that town was merely
frontier station and was compelled TO
fight for it's existence with the maraud-
ing Sioux John Worth, the hero, is a
boy of IL years of age at the time the
story opens, some twenty-five years
ago The town of Bismarck in those
days was merely d collection of rude
houses more or less strongly built or
logs and dried mud. and struggling
along a single street. town of con-
siderable size had been mapped out
and many streets with high-sounding
names projected. But only the main
street was laid out. Fort Abraham
Lincoln, situated directly across the
river (the Missouri was supposed TO
afford protection to the settlers against
the Indians, but the hardy frontiers
men were generally able to take care
of themselves. Those of the citizens
who remained the year around were
the saloonkeepers, the horseshoers, the
StablekeeperS. These occupied the more
pretentious houses, but the remainder
of the population, who came and went,
inhabited mere shanties. Around the
outskirts of the town were always a
number of freight outfits CumbrouS
wagons were drawn up in a. half circle,
harnesses lying in seemingly hopeless
tangle on the wagon tongues, greasy
men sleeping in tents or canvas lean
tos, or sittinng about the camp fire.
Brought up amid such surroundings,
it is small wonder that John Worth
should have been a precocious ard self
reliant frontiersman at the age of Il.
The story begins with an Indian at
tack John and his brother Ben, lO
years of age, figure in the defense. The
two boys catch and saddle the horses
for the hurried flight of Mr.. WoTths
family to a place of safety, and later
on, when the Indians are momentarlly
expected, Johnny dashes out on his
famous horse Badly and saves a herd
of horses that have been stampeded-
The whites make their defense from
behind a barricade of wagons. The at
tackS from the redskins, as we'll as
many other incidents in this book are
told by one who must surely have been
an eyewitness of the scenes he de-
scribes. First, two painted and be-
feathered savages appeared and rode
~ LII H. n liver
view of the camp, calling and waving
their blankets in derision.
Keep steady, there" called McKen-
zie, the sheriff, as several rifles were
raised, There's no use shooting now;
they're only trying to draw our fire
and find out how strong we are.
There'll be more presently. Wait for
them" i
A few moments later a dozen braves
repeated the ruse. The flying figures,
almost naked. being poor targets, the
fire of the little garrison was still re-
served. A dozen then made the run,
one following the other at regular in
tervals More and more of the painted.
yelling gesticulating savageS followed,
dashing along the slope in single file
and disappearing over the ridge, until
what was a short line became a pro-
cession Presently they began to creep
fore the one preceding him, all yelling
epithets of contempt as they came
nearer the silent garrison. This was
the regular mode of Indian attack. A
desultory firing began. Each Indian,
letting go his reins, fired his rifle
as best he could as he rushed
past The rushing line came closer
and closer, the colors of the war paint
and futtering feathers could now be
plainly seen. Each Indian had worked
himself into a frenzy. AS the distance
was lessened the savages' aim became
better and several bullets struck the !
barricade. At last Mackenzie, who
showed signs of suppressed eagernessi |
said, just loud enough to be heard /
Boys, don't shoot when your man is
opposite; wait till he is past, then aim
at his back and shoot straight. You
can't hit him otherwise. Ready, now. !
fire." The Indians rode by at full |
speed, their bodies hugging their horsea
closely. They made difficult targets, SO
the first few shots did nothing more /
than kill and disable horse or two +
but soon the fire became more rapid and /
accurate. A big buck was seen to fall |!
out of his saddle, another was thrown /
from a wounded horse, sew /
eral were hit in arms and legs. The /
yelling diminished and the line moved I
OA IhSl 0P bAC SiOPCs
Shortly after this occurrence Custer /
and his band were wiped out by the I
Indians at the Little Big Horn. This |
affair threw the whole country into I
spasrn of fear. All enterprises were 4
checked, all peaceful journeys post /
poned, but the following autumn the I
Worth family carried out their plan /
Of pulling up stakes and leaving Bis 7
marck. The household goods were /
packed into great numbering prairie .
wagons, canvas-topped and wide of
beam; the little log-built house was
left intact. it's rough. heavy door
swinging open. The whole outfit was
ferried over the river and then struck
out across the open prairie. 1t made I
quite a procession. the light wagon in
front, drawn by two horses driven by
the father, then long string CT prairie
schooners drawn by mule teams The
cooking utensils hanging under the We
1icles banged and clattered, the wheels
the Transfers long whips
which took two n ndS IN WELD f.rapked