Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-11-28
A VA .kEI lyv-h'o
SHREWD THICK
How Jonathan Won His
Beloved Katrina.

ing been composed Of different nations
allies. We're diverse. New York vas
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 a continuous quarrel.
On one side Of this line lived Jona-
than Ppm, u young Yankee, while on
the other lived Katrina Blocker, a
young Dutch girl. Ppm 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
vas counting 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. The result 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
a mixture of Dutch and English tell
ing that she expected to be shut up
Immediately in the fort. Jonathan
wop+ no oly RI bio poop1o opd told fhor
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
pixies, ~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
men on guard in the fort happened to
be awake. He raised the alarm, and
kpresently a little six FOUNDER sent a
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 a 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 well stored with
provisions, 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, a swampy piece of ground,
leaving the Dutchmen to suppose he
had been driven off by mosquitoes.
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 q rest. The
baskets contained butter and eggs, and
the women kept up a 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 owe the
parapet Of the fort, and it was not long
before they were hailed to know II
they would sell and why sc many If
them were together. They replied that
they would sell if they could get as
ment and that they were going to-
gether for the protection from the In
dams. whereupon they were invited
into the fort.
Now, all this was a part Of iona
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 fol
what he was, though the Dutchmen
were not quick at seeing through STRAIT.
agem and he might we'll 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 barr
made a 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 il
the fort. A Dutchman is no hand tt
defend himself against surprise, ant
those defending the fort surrendered
at discretion. Jonathan told them thai
his only requirement was that Katrina
should be permitted to choose between
going with him or remaining Will
them. Katrina was brought forth ant
chose to go with her Connecticut lover