Willmar tribune., 1905-04-19

out OF hearing when we were all in the
road. My mother carried the baby, and
my father his sword and rifle and one
OF the little ones. & took the three
older children and set them on the
feather bed that was hound to the
back Of the COW. They clung to the
bed-cord. their hair flying, as the old
cow ran to keep up with us, tor at first
We were all running. In a moment wa
could hear the voices Of people coming
behind. One Of the women was weep.
ing loudly as she ran. At the first
cross-road We saw Arv Law and his
family coming, in as great hurry as
we. Arv had q great pike-pole in his
hand. Its upper end rose 20 feet above
his head.
What ye goin' t. dew with thet ?"
my father asked him.
Coin t. run it through the fust In
jun see," said he. II We broke the
lock o my gun"
There was crowd at Jerusalem
-Four Corners when We got there.
Every moment some family. was arriv-
ing in panic~-the men, like my ia
ther, with guns and babies and baskets.
The women, with the young, took
refuge at once In the tavern, while the
men surrounded it. Inside the line
were youths, some oddly armed with
Sings or clubs or cross-guns. had
only the sword my father gave me
and a mighty longing to use it. .Arv
Law rested an end of his pike-pole
and stood looking anxiously for red
devils" among the stumps of the far
ther clearing. An old tlint-locl, on the
shoulder of a man beside him, had q
barrel half as long as the pole. Da-
vid Church was equipped with ak and
gun. that stood at rest on either side
of him.
Evening came, and no sign Of In
dians. While it was growing dusk
borrowed a pail Of the innkeeper and
milked the cow, and brought the pail,
heaped with froth, to my mother, who
passed brimming cups of milk among
the children. AS night fell, we boys,
more daring than our fathers, crept to
the edge Of the timber and set the
big brush-heaps aflre, and scurried
back with the fear Of redmen at our
heels. The men were now sitting in
easy attitudes and had begun to talk.
Don't b'lieve there 8 no Injuns
COMM" said Bill Foster. "Ef they
wus they'd come.'
'"C0rdin' t. my observation" said
Arv Law, looking up at the sky, en-
juns mos gen'ally comes when they git
ready"
AN t amt when yer ready t. hev
'em, nuther," said Lon Butterfeld.
"B'lieve they come up n peeked out
o the bushes n see Arv with thet
air pike-pole, n med up their minds
they hedn't better run up ag'in' it,"
said Bill Foster. "Scairt 'em-thet's
whuts tn matter
MAN 'et meks light O. this pole
oushter hev t. carry it, said Ary, as
he sat fmpassively resting it upon his
knee.
"Cne thin s sure," said Foster: sef
Arv sh'u'd cuff an Injun with thet air
he'll squ'sh 'im.''
"Squ'sh 'im!" said Arv, with a look
Of disgust. '"Tain't med t. squ'sh with.
callate t. pint it at 'em n jab."
And so, as the evening wore away
and sleep hushed the :timid, better
feeling came over us. sat by Rose
Merriman on the steps, and we had
no thought of Indians. I was looking
into her big hazel eyes, shining in the
freight, and thinking how beautiful
she was. And she, too, was look
ing into my eyes, while we whispered
together, and the sly mink read my
thoughts, know, by the look Of her.
Great flames were now leaping high
as the timber-tops at the edge of the
clearing. A dead spruce caught fire
as we We're looking. The flames
threw over It lacy, shimmering,
cracking net Of gold. Then suddenly
1t burst into red, leaping tower. A
few moments, and the cavern of the
woods, along the timber side, was
choked with fire. The little hamlet
had become a spring Of light in the
darkness. We could see the stumps
and houses far afield, as if it had been
MONDAY. Suddenly We all jumped to
our feet. A wild yell came echoing
through the woods.
There they be!" said Asher East
man, as he cooked his gun. Il tor
ye so.'
As q matter Of fact. he had told us
nothing of the kind. He was the one
man who had said nothing.
Arv Law stood erect, his pike-pole
poised in both hands, and we were all
ready for action. We could hear the
rattle of many hoofs on the road. As
soon as the column showed in the fire.
light, Bill Foster up with his mus
ket and pulled the trigger. I could hear
the shot scatter on stump and stone.
Every man had his gun to his eye.
"Wait till they come nearer" said
Asher Eastman.
The Indians had halted. Far behind
them We could hear the wild hallooing
of many voices. In moment we could
see those on horseback go galloping
on in the direction whence they had
come. Back in the house a number
OF the women were praying. My
mother came out, her face whittier than
I had ever seen it before and walked
to my father and kissed him without
ever saying a word. Then she went
back into the house.
"Scairt?" inquired, turning to
Rose, who now stood beside me.
Il should think I was," she whis-
pered. II m all Of a tremble."
IL anything happens, ia like
something to remember you by"