The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-12-23
A Christmas Story

time after time attacked by rovine
band of Southern guerillas.
while out on scout duty one
day, and about twenty compan.
ions were cut off from the main
body by company of Col Coffee's
cavalry. After a running fight,
! which lasted several hours, our
boys escaped, while 4, less for
tunate than the others, was left
upon the field with badly shat
tered hip. All that day and the
next night. / lay concealed in a
clump of bushes, not daring to
show myself, for only too well
knew the cruelty of those murder
Gus guerillas. 1T had only been a
few days since our Colonel had
informed US that Monk, one of the
most notorious of all that outlaw
ed band, and second to Quantrell
in cruelty, was in our vicinity.
CAL night long as lay there
wounded and helpless, not daring
to move, his face, dark bearded
and sinister, danced before my
eyes until was ready to cry out
in anguish and fear.
"When dawn at last came and
the sun began to appear over the
distant tree tops, / crawled to a
little creek which was but a few
rods distant from my hiding place.
After drinking my fill of the clear,
cool water, I felt stronger.
although my leg panied me
almost beyond endurance, I man
aged to wash and bandage it with
strips of my shirt. After this was
done, I started to crawl along the
bank of the creek, keeping within
the kindly shelter of the hickory
and butternut trees which grew in
abundance, marking the course of
the little stream as far as the eye
could see.
"My haversack had been empty
when we were surprised, conse-
quently was growing exceeding
ly hungry. Thirty-six hours with
out food for a boy of sixteen is as
bad as a week for man, yet in
spite of my growing weakness and
trailing limb, / crept doggedly on,
hoping against hope that l might
chance upon some stray morsel to
stay my gnawing stomach.
GAS the first evening shadow
settled around me, it began to
snow lightly, and as the first great
flakes fell splashing against my.
cheek, realized for the first time
what night it was. 1t was Christ
mas Eve, and burying my face in
my hands, / sobbed as only boy
of sixteen, alone, wounded and
friendless in strange land, can
sob.
''It was my first Christmas away
from the old home fireside, and to
me it seemed my last. After a |
while / continued on my way and
as I crawled to the top of small |
knoll, l saw "a light not far ahead.
By this time the earth was COW
cred with a mantle of whiteness
which chilled my hands and wet |
my clothing through and through |
as worked myself along blindly |
through the fast gathering dark
ness.
"At last, chilled to the bone, I |
was forced ito stop and rest, and |
as I lay there a stupor came over
me and / seemed to be back in my
Did home again. How long I lay
here dreaming I do not know, but
was aroused at last by the bark
ng of a dog not far distant. On
working myself forward, l found
hat the light / had seen came from
The window of a little log house
which sat a few rods back from
he creek in small clearing made
the cottonwoods.
GAS I neared the house, the dog
ceased barking, and came shifting
around me, uttering low growls, as
,hough he resented my intrusion.
"Crouching low, / worked my
'elf along the wall toward the
expecting any moment
hat the dog would either dash up
IN me or set up such a racket that
lie would arouse the inmates IF
he house.
"On reaching the window, | !
rev myself up as well as my
leg would permit and
ooked into the room. At first, the
fright fire dazzled my eyes, but as
at last became accustomed to it,
Kings began to take shape. The
.oom, as l could see from my po-
;ition at the window, was about 90
'eet long, the floor was covered
With rugs, made of skins of every
description, while the furniture,
With the exception of the small
cooking sove in the corner, was
homemade. As my eyes travelled
lround the room they came at last
lpon a scene that sent a thrill
through me, and for the moment
though I was dreaming; for
here, in the corner, stood Christ
mas tree, all ablaze with lighted
apers, while a woman, whose face
could not see, was playing with
;wo little children on the floor.
There were no men in sight and
vas about to throw myself upon
Ter mercy, when / saw a pair Of
feet appear through an opening
n the ceiling just back of the tree,
where stout pegs had been driven
INTO the log wall to form a stair