The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-05-24
CHASED BY The INDIANS
STORY OF The EARLY DAYS
[PAUL WATT IN THE BOSTON TRAVELLER

after us. Our ponies were quite as
good as theirs and we always got
away"
Indian Girl Warns Them.
"Were there ever any real attacks
NADER" interjected the traveller man,
with hopes.
did you ever hear of the famous
Sioux massacre of 1872" came the an :
swer. "a half-breed Indian girl we
called Indian Mary, who had worked
in the family some years before,
walked twenty-five miles over the
prairie country to give us the warn
ing that the Sioux had broken out, I"
he continued 81 wildly remember
the excitement that prevailed. The
cruel Sioux were coming, burning
and numbering. My brother and l
mounted our ponies and began to
round up the cattle. The older folks
loaded the prairie schooners with
household belongings and supplies.
The Rapid Flight.
Every road and trail was filled
with these great wagons. Other set
tiers were already on the way to
Rochester. All day long hundreds of
these prairie schooners passed by.
Herds of cattle preceded and followed
them We didn't leave until the last.
Scouts were strung out behind, ahead
and on either side.
1--WE boys had our hands full keep
ing the cattle together. For days we
kept going, not knowing what the
next hour would bring forth. At Min
nesota Lake, hundreds of settlers
with their cattle and schoonerS, de-
cided to camp and await some defin-
tie word, which was hourly expected
from New Ulm. A huge barricade
was made with the hundreds of wag-
ons. 1t was tremendous circle. All
the cattle, women and children were
placed on the inside. Guards were
established and that night was an
anxious one.
"The next morning courier. white
with the dust of hard riding, arrived
with the news the United States
forces had defeated the Indians at
New Ulm, and that 124 of the In
dian leaders had been hung Where
for days before the thousands OF
prairie schooners had all been head
ed in one direction they were now
going in the opposite direction as
far as the eye could see. The set
tiers were returning to their homes
the danger passed. Other localities
were less fortunate than ours. His
tory tells the awful story. Hundreds
and hundreds of men, women and
children were butchered without
mercy.
Praises Mother.
80 my mother was a marvellous
example OF faith and courage!" he
added, as if he had pictured her back
in those trying times. 81 can remem-
Der just as plain as yesterday the
night she put a light in the window
to guide me home through the storm
was only about ten years old, and
had driven to Mankato, about
twenty-five miles away, for supplies
On the way back a tremendous storm
came up and the downpodr changed
the. rivers into raging torrents Many
q time in fording I came near losing
the whole outfit.
"The last fording was about three
miles from home and l had to &c
across on top of the canvas-top. The
horses had to swim for it. 1t looked
bad for me several times but / could
see mothers light in the window
shining out, and it. gave me strength
and courage. Through the years
that light has always been symbol
to me of the light in the window be-
| yond."
Thus this story ends.