Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-11
A Yankee Trick.
[Original.]

W Dutch, while the adjacent colony on the east, Connecticut, was English, and the two no more mingled than of and water. Indeed, the border line was the scene of a continuous quarrel.
 On one side of this line lived Jona- than Pym, 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 Dutchmens 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 Jonathans incursions were for very different game than fish or fowl, indeed that he was courting Katrina Blocker, all the Dutchmen on the border laid down their clay pipes, set their schnapps mugs on the table and vowed that no 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 a 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 hI1t taI {vN a 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 tell" and Want t know" and when he had finished and asked them to help him out of the difficulty they volunteered to a man.
 The next day all the Yankees living near Jonathan's home collected, with bikes, matchlocks, scythes and pitch forks, and set out for the fort where Katrina was a 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 little six pounder sent shot over the heads of the advancing Yankees. Jonathan called halt.
 Now, Jonathan did not wish to sacri- flee the lives of his friends simply to gain wife for himself, so he invested the fort, hoping to starve out the garri- 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- breaches, a 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 barn that had been incautiously left stand ing quite near the fort
 The next morning the Dutchmen saw a number of women, with baskets on their arms, making their way across the swamp. They came on, 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 chatter, discuss ing the merits of their produce and 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 protection from the h. dians, whereupon they were invited into the fort. This was part of Jona- 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 strat- agem and he might well have strained a point Be this as it 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 q rush upon the gates. The Dutchmen were about to run to the as- sistance of those who were shutting them when they were set upon by the women and either held or driven back, while those coming from without over came the gatemen. and in a few min utes the whole Yankee army was in the fort. 4 Dutchman is 10 hand to defend himself against surprise. and those defending the fort surrendered at discretion. Jonathan told them that his only requirement. was that Katrina should be permitted to choose between going with him or remaining with them. Katrina was brought forth and chose to 20 with her Connecticut lover.
 Then there was a wedding at which much Holland gin was consumed and
 r-r--- n--.-..-.- aE.. N--n-.--.