Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-09-28
THE RAID ON
MINERVA ISLAND.

dhu AhoAa5Cd ~ NOIAcu 1uey OOll'(
allow any men there. Cot guns
mounted to protect the channel"
"Old girls or young onesT
MOSTLY young ones"
That was enough for the yachtsmen.
A council was held. and it was deter
mined to make a conquest Of Minerva
island or die in the attempt. There
were Lynn Pomeroy, TRULY Miller.
Reid Scarborough and Henry Rud-
dock. They had all been graduated
the preceding June in the same class
at college, and POmeroy the wealthy
one of the lot, had invited the rest for
a summer cruise on his yacht the Vul-
can. Ten minutes after the council
broke up they sailed between two
points Of land up toward the narb0r
They had not gone far before q bort
put off from shore manned by SIX
girls III white, with blue sailor collars
and blue tam-O' -shanter hats with
white bands. They came alOngsi6esthe
yacht, and one In the stern politely
requested the party to keep off. Pom
eroy bowed nearly to the deck and
declared that he had come to make
an inspection Of Minerva island and
write up an account Of it for the bene-
fit of the womensof America who were
interested in it, He WIS informed
that this would not be permitted
Then, WITH q warming to ivoeed nc
farther, the boat was PAID away.
81,
between two forts Suddenly a dozen
girls fn each fort aprang to the guns,
and two shots were fired simultane-
0usly. One cut away the yachts bow
spirit; the other put a hole amidships.
This looked serious The wreckage
forward Occasioned a loss of control,
and the yacht drifted down stern fore
most. AS soon as possible the anchor.
WAS dropped, and the Vulcan remain
ed hors dc combat half a mile below
the forts. Not having guns aboard, an
offensive move was inspractieGble.
Soon after DARK Henry Ruddock, a
scapegrace of the firsr order and sthe
crack liar Of his class in college, bid ;
adieu to his shipnates and, pIunging
into Tie water, struck. out for the shore.
He got within a few yards OF 1t when
he gave cry for help. x boat put out
from landing, and, following. Eis cries.
he was rescued. Taken ashore and
revived, lie was asked to explain.
''Those men on the yaciE;" he gasned,
"are a set Of devils. Just because L adj
vocated letting YOU yoUng ladies' alone
they pitched me. overheard knowing I
couldn't swim q stroke"
''The wretchesr' exclaimed the girls
at once.
Glow I got as far as l did don't
know. Permit rae to thank you young.
ladies for my life" The last words.
were spoken in a tremulous; voice, anCs
the girls simultaneously exclaimed:
''Poor- fellowrT
Nothing: YVES heard aboard the yaclE~
Of the, man who had been ''thrONTR,
overheard" He was treated kindly Isy-
the. owners and defenders OF Minerva
island and at once started a violent
love affair Concealed, of course) with
the captain Of the battery. The next
evening TRULY Miller was pulled in,
the, dingey under cover of the darkness
past the forts; up to- the main dock hear,
where were the, principal buildings of
the community. He; toor was pitched
overheard and, reaching the DOCK,
asked the first woman he met to take
him at once before the governor o3Ettie'
island. The governor sc0wfed, and Mill
Ter told his. story He had Swum ashore
to. inform the ladies' that the men, OH
the yacht were Intending to tow the
yacht past the forts at midnight With.
the dingey. He had protestedS bsst'
without avail, and had then resolved TO-
spoil the game
The governor Informed hin4 that
searchlight was in position and woFIld
be used if the night was So dark Ehat
1t would be needed, but sinceothe' moon
would rise at 10 o'clock it would prob
ably not be needed She thanked him,
however, for his noble conduct and or
dered him treated well tin he could
be sent away.
No attempt was made to pass the
forts, and the next Cay man was
seen from the shore to cut the dingey's
painter and pull away from the yacht,
Followed by shots. 1t was ScarbOr-
ough, who came. ashore with another
cock and bull story about the men on
the yacht and their intention to steal
ashore in a body and put the deniZens
OF the island to the. sword. The crew
on the yacht now consisted of Pom
eroy, who was Obliged to fire revolvers
with both hands TO make an appear
ance of men instead of a man. Then
Pomeroy deserted, and the four men
agreed to protect the women against
those who remained in the yacht, and
not one should get ashore if it required
| all their four lives to prevent it. The
| yacht was now lying at anchor with
out a soul aboard.
Several days passed. The yachtsmen
| averred that the deserted appearance
| of the yacht indicated some underhand
Cutthroat scheme was to be perpetrat-
ed. On the evening Of the fourth day