The Redwood gazette., 1902-08-20
JEAN MAULEY's HEROIC DEED.

l.
of Minnesota .g9tlers by the Sioux In
dams in 1862 was begun by Little
Crows band at the trading post near
Redwood Falls at sunrise on Monday,
August Is. The first persons killed
were the employees of the trading COM
panies. After they were dispatched,
the slaughter became general and with
the exception of two persons who were
protected by friendly Indians and those
who were fortunately enabled by the
bravery of the ferryman, Jean Mauley,
to escape across the Minnesota river
and hide in the grass, were all killed.
The ferryboat was fiat scow capable
of transporting one team and was OPP
Grated by a rope and pulley, after the
boat had been pushed out into the
stream far enough to catch the force Of
the current. In an emergency the craft
could probably carry fifty people. At
such a critical time as that which wit
messed the fight Of the agency people,
the ferryman was exposed to the great
est risk, because his position at the be-
ginning of the: journey would be on
the bow and when nearing the other
shore, on the stern. All of his passen-
gers might escape by leaping of the
! Beneath a spreading cottonwood
! The ferryman, Jean Mauley, stood:
And because he was brawny and six feet
tall
And knew his rifle as plainsmen do.
His mind dwelt not on the threatening Sioux
| But went back to his home in Montreal.
| great white silence Tapped the dawn
| Which the red sun rose upon
| To gaze at startled and alone:
| And there in the calm when the dew was yet
On all the hazel bushes there,
| He hummed lively chansonette
| That oft in boyhood he had sung.
| The river twixt the terrace-knees
| SO silent ran you heard the breeze
| Rem ark upon it to the trees.
One other sound began to fall
! An apprenenSive undereall,
Less sound than sense: and that was all.
| "A question ClOSSeu the IcII uldu > lace
But still he fingered in his place
And sang his song of Montreal:
| " Fringue! fringue sur la riviere!
| Fringue. frnguc sur lavron."*
Their like stone in some still we'll,
Down c> ashing through this crystal spell,
Sudden a hurried hoof-beat fell
| It's shock spread out upon the air
Coating and echoing everywhere
Until the whole sky rang again
| With throb of hoof and cry of men.
Come one to where Jean Mauley stood and
| cried,
| They're in the cottonwood
| A mile up river!-A score saw
OF the bloody band of Wabashaw
And galloped down for child and wife
And to warn the neig bors to fee for ife!'
Behind him big-eved women pressed
With children strained to heaying breast,
And the men-left to keep the rest
Who were not lighting the red tends or
Marching South for the Nations War.
Calm as morn on the terraces
Along the Minnesota is,
Jean Manley stood in that strength of his,
He loaded his ferry with shivering freight
| And bade the men on shore to wait,
Patrolling the near bluff open-eyed,
TIL the rest were safe on the other side,
| The signal of imminent foes was set
! AS a kerchief waved rom bayonet.
! Then with laugh and CHEEKY CALL
BE braCed his great legs to the cleat
And mid-stream sang to them. clear ant
sweet,
His chansonette Of Montreal.
Fringue! fringue sur la riviere.
! Fringue! fringue sur raviron,'
Children forgot their woeful cries
And hearts of mothers looked out at thei1
eyes
AZ the measured pull of the precious rope
Swung all OF them into tune with hope;
And ,hen in their safety, they all began
TO sob their thanks to the ferryman.
Scarce was the last child set ashore
And the ferryman turned to his rope one,
II more,
When. out of the green on the farther side,
A waving kerchief Jean Mauley spied;
And quick to the signal his stroke replied.
He beut his powerful back and swung.
A never before his clumsy barge
Hard came his breath - his veins swellet
\ large
His bruised hands Redeemed the hemper
cord
He strained his eye to the distant sward
While still the duttering kerehief hung
Terribly white on the rivers marge
And again to his heart the ferryman sung
Fringue, friugue sur la rvieret
Frtngue, frir que sur L aviron.'
Far on southwark blur there woke
An evil curl of signal-smoke
Which north and west its message spoke
| RECALLS THE OUTBREAK,