The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1907-08-29
a Real
Heroine
BY Ella II. SfraffOn
by Joseph b. Bowles)

Forty-ive years ago my great-grand-
father Winslow left his comfortable
home in the western part of the old
Pine Tree state and, accompanied by
his brother, determined to found
home for his family in the wilderness
of the fertile Aroostook valley.
Railway facilities were not good in
Maine As years ago; even stage ac-
commodations We're limited, and did
not extend to the remote region to
which he was bound to go.
Grandmother Ruth was the eldest of
the family; then came Edward, a
sturdy lad of 13; Joseph, but two
years younger, and nearly as large;
John, who was almost nine and three
| girls, Sally, Molly, and little Jane. the
! latter not quite two years old.
The uncle's family, settled upon the
next lot" of land, was much the same.
Neighbors were scarce and were
reached by boats, or by narrow paths
through the unbroken forests.
In these woods were the homes of
numerous wild beasts, many of them
dangerous when startled or hungry.
More than once they had seen the
! black form of a bear lowering in the
edge of the clearing, watching the lit
| tie flock of sheep, doubtless with the
| thought of a mutton dinner. More
| than once they heard terrific screams
| beyond the clearing in the silent night,
and though grandfather Winslow
| knew the sound very well, he kept his
| own counsel, only commanding that
the children should stay near the
| house in the day time and be within
doors before nightfall.
He also purchased a new musket
| and loaded the old one, over the door,
| while every animal was safely housed
at night.
He even drilled the boys in target
! shooting, and tried to have my Grand
mother Ruth learn to fire a gun. Once
| she did attempt it, but her frightened
face pleaded her cause so well that
| she was excused.
Il need not tell you that I obeyed
my father faithfully" laughed Grand
mother Ruth, when she told this story
Il seldom went more than two rods
from the door, and l watched the
| others in nervous agony" A needy
neighbor was hired to help in the
spring cleaning that spring Mrs. Wal
dron, by name, an energetic Province
woman.
Law, now, You don't tell me that
you amt heard of the lnJun Devil
that's prowlin' th9se parts now" she
said in surprise, when they mentioned
those mysterious screams.
What is it," asked my great-grand.
father coming in that moment, sus-
pecting the truth by his wifes terrified
looks.
THE lnjun Devil, Square Winslow.
You don't mean to say you didn't
know the critter was 'round?" asked
the gossip. curiously.
mo, | don't mean to say any such
thing, for ! did know it" he admitted
reluctantly.
"Oh, father!' 1t was the terrified
voice of my Grandmother Ruth
And that's why you bought the new
musket! Why you kept the animals
housed; and why you were so anxious
that we should all stay near the house
for awhile?" cried my great-grand
mother nerVously.
Just that, my dear" he replied,
calmly. 1T is always well to be pre-
pared. But there isn't the slightest
danger, mother We will keep snug
awhile and the brute viii soon go
somewhere else. They never stay long
in one place, I've been told"
But, when weeks passed and moth
ing more was heard of the animal,
everyone concluded that he had gra-
ciously decided to leave them in quiet
for awhile.
One fine morning, toward the last of
June, my great-grandfather said as he
pushed his chair back from the break
fast table: Il think that your mother
and have earned a holiday, ell, Ruth?
A new family has moved in and set
tied at the creek, two miles down the
river-I suppose we ought to I've neigh
borly. You boys must husk what lit,
tie corn there is in the barn loft, then
you can go over and ask your cousins
to candy-pull"
Tlcu my greatgrandfather and
mother made ready and departed on
their neighborly visit, with one last
cmphatically repeated caution not to
leave the clearing until they returned
The rest of the story will be better,
perhaps, II told in Grandmother Ruth's
own words, as she told it to us, her
almost incredulous, but admiring
grandchildren:
when the boat went around the
bend the boys rushed away to husk
the corn, hurryng as fast as possible,
with the thought Of delicious, waxen
maple candy to urge them on
Il had the work nearly done up. and
was almost ready to take my knitting
and go out and sit under the great
maple tree by the door, when by
chance ! glanced from the open win
dow, and a sight met my gaze which
seemed to freeze every drop Of blood
in my veins, and chain me to the
spot.
II stood and stared in speechless,
helpless horror. | heard tho soft love
notes Of the pair Of robins which were
building their nest in the great maple
tree. heard the boys laughing in the
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