The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-09-19
A Yankee Trick.
[OriginaI.l

| The colonies of North America, hav-
| ing been composed of different nation
alities, were diverse. New York was
| Dutch, while the adjacent colony on
| the east, Connecticut was English,
| and the two no more mingled than oil
and water. Indeed, the border line
| was the scene of continuous quarrel.
On one side of this line lived Jona
than Ppm, a young Yankee, while on
| the other lived Katrina Blocker, a
young Dutch girl. Pym used to stray
across the boundary line to hunt and
fish in the Dutchmen's territory, which
only tended to increase the hostility
between the two peoples, especially
firing the sluggish Dutchmen against
the sharp witted New Englander. But
when it was learned that Jonathan's
| incursions were for very different
| game than fish or fowl, indeed that he
was counting Katrina BECKER, all the
Dutchmen on the border laid down
their clay pipes, set their schnapps
Dutch girl should marry with the
hated Yankees. Then they took up
their pipes and their mugs and began
to consider how they should prevent
such horrible catastrophe. The re-
suit was that Katrina was shut up in
| one Of those little forts built along the
eastern edge of the Dutch colony.
When Jonathan next stole over the
border to the trysting place he did not
find his love, but a note scrubbed In
mixture of Dutch and English tell
ing that she expected to be shut up
Immediately in the fort. Jonathan
went back to his people and told them
Of his misfortune. They listened to
him with occasional Interruptions
such as 'Dew tellr' and "Want t.
know" and when he had finished and
asked them to help him out Of the
difficulty they volunteered to man.
The next day all the Yankees living
near Jonathan's home collected, with
pixies, matchlocks, scythes and pitch
| forks, and set out for the fort where
Katrina was prisoner. The approach
( was over an open field, and the Dutch
man on guard in the fort happened to
| be awake. He raised the alarm, and
| presently a little six FOUNDER sent
shot over the heads of the advancing
| Yankees. Jonathan called a halt
Now, Jonathan did not wish to sacri-
fee the lives Of his friends simply to
gain wife for himself, so he invested
son. But, whether it was that fear had
taken away the Dutchmen's appetite or
that the fort was we'll stored with pro-
| visions, the starvation process was a
failure. Still there must be a dearth
of fresh food, for the Yankees had kept
the vendors of perishable property
away. Jonathan, true to his Yankee
blood, preferred stratagem to blood
shed and concluded to try to reduce the
fort by the former method. He with
! drew his forces from one of the ap-
| proaches, swampy piece of ground.
leaving the Dutchmen to suppose that
he had been driven off by the mos
quitoes. Then he concentrated the prin-
| cipal part OF his force behind a barn
that had been incautiously left stand
ing quite near the fort
The next morning the Dutchmen saw
number of women, with baskets on
their arms, making their way across
the swamp. They came en-, chatting
among themselves, and when a short
distance from the fort sat down their
baskets and themselves for rest. The
baskets contained butter and eggs, and
the women kept up a clatter, discuss
I'M fhn of fhair
what prices they would get for it when
they reached the settlement The sight
Of the rolls of fresh butter and the
white eggs tickled the stomachs of the
Dutchmen gaping at them over the
parapet of the fort, and it was not long
before the women were hailed to know
If they would sell and why so many of
them were together. They replied that
| they would sell if they could get as
much for their wares as at the settle
ment and that they were going to-
gether for projection from the In
dams, whereupon they were invited
into the fort. This was part of Jona-
i than's Yankee trick. He had dressed
| himself and a dozen of his adherents
like Dutchwomen, and each had arms
| concealed under his feminine apparel.
/ He alone replied to the hail from the
| fort, for he alone had learned enough
Dutch from Katrina to reply and could
sufficiently conceal the Yankee nasal
twang to prevent being discovered for
what he was, though the Dutchmen
| were not quick at seeing through STRAIT
agem and he might well have strained
a point. Be this as 1t may, the gates
of the fort were thrown open, and the
butter and egg vendors entered.
They had scarcely got inside and set
down their baskets when the main
Yankee force concealed behind the
barn made rush upon the gates. The
Dutchmen were about tossShn to the as
sistance Of those who were shutting
them when they were set upon by the
| women and either held or driven back