the moods of nature fear the breaking

Minnesota on Monday morning, August 18, 1862, swept over a large s

arrel with some farmers in Meeker county killed some cattle and murdered several whites. Under ordinary conditions this would have ended in the surrender and punishment of the criminals,

lack Buffalo knocked on th

, "the war has begun. You must

d, and the warriors have started in large and small parties in all directions. Some people at the Lower

ar?" asked Barker, as he hurri

k this war is foolish and will only bring tears and mourning to our women and children, and ruin

said Barker as he was ready to m

ht an extra horse. The white boys sho

!" exclaimed Barker, "w

suggested. "He wishes to keep the boys here. I do not know why.

I shall point my rifle at his head, if he refuses to

breakfast of wild rice and maple syrup wh

Tatanka! Hurrah! We'll go and hunt ducks on the slou

in before the lads could cry, "Come in," to his knock, they knew

" Barker greeted them.

red Bill. "We haven't

per continued. "The Sioux have gone to war and are killing the people all arou

im asked, "What about Cousin Hi

Tatanka at the mention of Cousin Hicks, and the Indian

per laughed

were a Christ

uffalo in Sioux, "but n

gait, they saw no sign of war or Sioux warriors. The dew still lay heavy on the tall grass in the swales, while many kinds of butterflies, white, yellow, b

k, while the little striped gophers chased each other or sat like horse-p

aying?" Tim aske

," Barker replied, with a smile. "You let Meetcha c

few feet of a chattering, scolding gopher, the little st

pper after a few minutes; "we ha

t a run for the two nearest set

ou'll be ambushed there in the timber. Keep a sharp lookout and hide in the grass or

four horsemen started at a brisk gallop for

atanka cautioned them. "Indian

in carefully over the prairie

two men stopped their horses, examined the caps on their guns, and t

nka afraid of

hat some Indians have seen us and ar

turned over and the broken dishes were scattered and tumbled about on the floor. Every pane in the one small window was smashed an

r. "Boys," he continued, "you stand watch while Tatanka and I cover poor

the boys, had now become a ghastly reality. They w

hree on horseback and three on a farm-wagon, were coming toward

d at once. "We must make a run for

lump of poplars and thick br

near the edge of the brush, but so that they cannot see us, and d

ed off the road and were

They are only a quarter of a mile away.

ed Bill's fire, but their

ader guns. In that case, we may be ab

Then, three of them on horseback, and

on foot waved his b

n, and fight. You are s

came evident that the other three were trying to crawl

ished. "Don't waste powder; hit your

ked Tim, who had tied his coo

rses and guns and four extra-fine scalps, and t

this tedious waiting and watching the hardest kind of work they had ever done. Barker and Tatanka did not seem to mind it. They kept their eye

hey are a bit af

g as the Indians don't come into our bu

ill. "I'm awfully thirsty, too. Yo

the big poplar near the horses. I've dug a well there with my hands

about Bill's well, and bot

grin, "Bill has found good wate

sh where he quietly rose on his knees and fired. The bragging Indian j

but Tatanka fired again and the white horse fell dead, but the dismounted rider he

em. The trapper's mark reared and plunged for the open prairie, and the other rider also threw his pony around, for Tim's bullet had gone singing close over his he

brave stand. When the Sioux saw that they were getting the worse

d his blanket and shouted, "You are squ

r, he said, "Come, br

t, the two men were racing after the I

whipped their horses into a gallop and

ir routed enemies over the rise, but

, they all sat down in the shade on the edge of the thicket w

e of cornbread left over from my breakfast. It isn't much, but we all get a bite

kopee or Fort Snelling. Indians do not fight during the night. The sky is going to b

e men to drive us out, or larger bodies of Indians may accidentally find us. Our horses have no water and we cannot leave