A Trip to Spirit Lake. 



going to Fort Dodge and wishing to send some letters to be 

 mailed. Father told them that he could not go and leave his 

 family, as he feared the Indians were going on the warpath. 

 He also suggested that the other settlers along the lake be noti- 

 fied of the danger and immediate arrangement made for the 

 defense of the little colony. Our house being the largest and 

 strongest, his idea was to have the settlers gather in it. Dr. 

 Harriott and Mr. Snyder thought that this was only a little 

 pet of the Indians and that it would soon pass over, so they 

 did some trading with them and returned to their cabins. 



"The Indians prowled around until noon and then went 

 over to the house of James Mattox, a short distance up the 

 lake, and stole his cattle, which they drove away and killed. 

 In the meantime a consultation had been held at our house and 

 it was decided that Messrs. Luce and Clark should go out and 

 notify the settlers of the impending danger. They started 

 about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, never to return. About 3 

 o'clock the report of guns was heard coming from the direc- 

 tion of the Mattox house and then we were no longer in doubt 

 of the awful danger that was hanging over us. 



"Just as the sun was setting, father, whose anxiety would 

 no longer permit him to remain within doors, went out to 

 reconnoiter. He, however, hastily returned saying: 



" 'Nine Indians are coming, now only a short distance 

 from the house, and we are all doomed to die.' His first 

 thought was to barricade the door and fight till the last, saying : 



" 'While they are killing us, I will kill a few of them with 

 the two loaded guns still left in the house.' 



"Mother protested, having not lost faith in the Indians 

 who took breakfast with us. They entered the house and de- 

 manded flour, and as father turned to get them what remained 

 of our scanty store, they shot him through the heart, killing 

 him instantly. When first the Indian drew his gun on father, 

 mother or Mrs. Luce seized it by the barrel and pushed the 

 muzzle down, but the other Indians turned on them, caught 

 their hands and beat them down with their guns, then dragged 



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