Year: 1867

|


Away out upon the frontier, on the bank


of one of those beautiful lakes that abound


in Minnesota, lived Mr.. Henry Strader


He had emigrated from Pennsylvania il
| 1856, and had made claim on the mos


beautiful quarter section Of land within


circuit of ten miles. According to the 'pre


emption laws" the person who settles on
! unoccupied land, and observes certain for


lnaities, has tho right to purchase that land
from the Government at any time before il
! is brought into the Market at one dollar


and twenty-five cents an acre. But if he
| does not buy il before the day of sale, it is
| sold at auction to the highest bidder.
Mr.. Strader had three chill llren, Harry,
his eldest, Polly, about whom am gong t.,


tell, and little Jimmie. All the money that


the father could make by farming in sum.


mer and trapping in winter, he spent in
improving his claim. AS the land was not
likely to be advertised for sale for some
years, he did not think it necessary to make
any provision for buying it at once. But
Mr.. Strader was taken suddenly i'll and
died, and the burden OF paying for the
claim ard supporting the family came upon
Harry, then only seventeen years of age.
Not wholly upon Harry either, for, from tho
time her iather died, Polly, who was Just lif.
teen years of age had resolved to sha are every
burden with her brother. She was strong
ier than many boys of her age, end had al
ways been fond of outdoor life. In fact,
she was what you would call tam boz,
brimGul of life, as restless aud energetic as
she could well be. She had already learned
TO paddle canoe, and as the prairie chick
ems rOuLd come into the yard, she had be-
come an adept with the shot-guh. The
neighbors used to say she was too wild,
and she never would be good for anything.


But within week after her father died.
she had taken hoe aud gone into the field
by the side of Harry. All through the hot
days she did her part; and as winter drew
on, she practiced with the rifle until she
could shoot as well as her brother, and tax
ing lessons from him, she learned all the
craft of trapper, She knew the habits
of the muskrat, mink and otter as well as
any man in that region. Harry used to
make her face grow red, sometimes by de.
claring that she was a 3" glorious girl"


But the next spring came the commence.
ment of the war. | cannot stop to tell you
of all the discussions that were held in the
Straders cabin, on the subject of Harry's
him to go, that she would support the fam
"
market right off any way. And, whether
right or wrong, Harry enlisted.


That GUNNER Polly succeeded in culti-
waiting that portion Of the land that was
broken and fenced. in such way as to get
a tolerable crop. But during tho summer
there came the sad news that Harry was,
wounded, and must lie for a long time in
the hospital. aud, then perhaps be ds'a
C arged, on account Of disability TO do
further service. To add to their Distress
came the startling intelligence that the land
was brought into market, and must be pre-
empted before tue first Of January, or it
would be sold.


There was a merchant 1vo miles away,
by the name Of Van Dyke, who bought furs
of the settlers and sold them proyisioRs-
An utterly mean man, there was no advan-
tage TO be taken that Van Dyke did not take
lie was perfectly delighted to hear that The