Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-10
DAILY STORY
A YANKEE TRICK.
IOriginal.1


was the scene of continuous quarrel
On one side of this line lived Jona-
than Ppm, 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
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
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 Il 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 TRUSTING 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 Il man.
The next day all the Yankees living
near Jonathans 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 little six FOUNDER 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 Dutchmens appetite or
that the fort was we'll stored with pro-
visions, the starvation process was Il
failure. Still there must be 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-
proachcs, 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 Il barn
that had been incautiously left stand
| ing quite near the fort
The next morning the Dutchmen saw
Il number of women, with baskets on
their arms, making their way across
the swamp. They came on, chatting
among themselves, and when Il short
distance from the fort sat down their
baskets and themselves for Il rest. The
baskets contained butter and eggs. and
the women kept up Il clatter 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 We're hailed to know
If they would sell and why so many of
them We're 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-
Igether for protection from the In
Idians, whereupOn they We're invited
into the fort. This was part of iona
than's Yankee trick He had dressed
himself and dozen of his adhevents
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 fol-
what he was, though the Dutchmen
We're not quick at seeing through STRAIT
agem and he might well have strained
I a point. Be this as it may, the gates
of the fort were thrown open, and tho
butter and egg vendors entered.
n They had scarcely got inside and sci
I down their baskets when the main
\ Yankee force concealed behind the
\ barn made rush upon the gates. Tie
\ Dutchmen were about to run to the as
\ sistance of those who were shutting
\ them when they We're set upon by the
u women and either held or driven back
h while those coming from without over
Y came the gatemen, and in a few min
X utes the whole Yankee army was il
y the fort. A Dutchman is no hand tt
\ defend himself against surprise, an(
Y those defending the fort surrendered
X at discretion. Jonathan told them tina
Y his only requirement was that Katrin;
\ should be permitted to choose between
y going with him or remaining witt
4 them. Katrina was brought forth ant
y chose to go with her Connecticut lover
I Then there was a wedding at which
y much Holland gin was consumed ant