ith apparent heartiness. To Barker he was frien

d our supper on the boat, and I will just spread my blanket on the

ad you took the boys with you to St. Paul. It is a bit lo

rie road with Barker, and the trapper kn

ger within sight of t

uldn't take those lads away from my place. I'm th

the boys ought to have a guardian. But I want to tell you

becoming more pronounced, "it would suit me just as

is isn't a matter of business at all. You claim to be the friend or guardian of th

what...?" Hicks started,

do that a storm is brewing here and that the Indians may break into murder and war almost any day. I

aighten his lank and stooped body, "you and y

arm comes to those lads, I'll hunt you down and make you pay for it. Remember that! Your duty is to take those

old gray hat of Hicks, and he hurriedly caught it and put it on again. Th

seen this man years ago? Then he leaned against an old gnarly bur-oak. Hicks turned as

won't work on me. You can't plug me in the

valley of the Wabash, in Indiana, he had met a man he had never forgotten. The man was under arrest for murder and the sheriff stopped over night with him in Barke

e trapper exclaimed. "I

he was a good talker. He had made many friends among both Whites and Indians. He seemed to have some money and was a liberal spender. Nevertheless, after turning over in his mind

imes went for a mess of wild ducks and the trapper decided to see what he coul

im, so they could squat on some good land, and because Tim was often sick at Vicksburg. As soon as their parents could sell their store, they would also come north, because they had heard and read about the boom in Minnesota lands a

between their two grandfathers in Tennesse

lt more sure than ever that Hicks was playing some crooked game an

rder to have something to live on during the winter, they went to a larg

r wrote that the war was getting worse and that on account of it he could no

West, Grant had captured the important points of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson and had fought the terrible two days' battle of Shi

dmiral Farragut, and the upper under Commodore Henry Davis, had obtained control of the Mississippi Ri

y. The cities of St. Louis, Cairo, Memphis, and New Orleans were all held by the Union forces. It was of great importance for the Union forces to capture Vicksburg, because the capture of this city would give them complete control of the g

The city was also defended by a garrison of several thousand men, and on July 15th, the iron-clad Confederate ram, Arkansas, coming out of the Yazoo River, just above Vicksburg, ran through and practically defeate

rless Captain I. N. Brown, is one of th

y miles of their own upper fleet, has thus far remained a mystery. On the fifteenth of August, Bill and Tim

dear

ing used to the screeching and bursting of shells, which the Federal gunboats throw into the city. But now our one little iron-clad A

aptain Brown, her commander, built her at Yazoo City; Brown had thousands of railroad rails bent into shape and with these he completely covered her sides and wh

ious attempt will be made by Grant and the Northern

and transports. It may be that the Gibraltar of the Great River can not be taken, but I feel sure that Grant and Sherman and Admiral Port

but as that is impossible, she hopes that you may really e

om this fearful and sad war and we wish yo

Minnesota River, within a few hours' ride of his boys, and were ready at almost any moment to rush into a