A Trip to Spirit Lake. 



them out doors and killed them. Then they took what they 

 wanted from the house and destroyed everything else. 



"When the Indians entered the house and during these 

 awful scenes, I, then a child of 13 years of age, was seated in 

 a chair, holding my sister's baby in my arms, with her little 

 boy standing on one side of my chair and my youngest brother 

 on the other, clinging to me and crying in terror for the pro- 

 tection it was impossible for me to give. Heedless of their 

 cries the brutes tore them from me, dragged them out in front 

 of the door, and killed them before my eyes. 



"All of this time I was so horrified that I was paralyzed 

 with fear ; no tears moistened my eyes nor a cry escaped my 

 lips, but now, left alone I begged them to kill me. It seems I 

 could not wait for them to put me out of my misery. One of 

 them approached and seizing me roughly by the arm said some- 

 thing I could not understand, but I knew from their actions 

 that I was to be made a captive. 



"This was no relief, and all the tortures and indignities 

 inflicted on Indian captives arose in horrid vividness as my 

 benumbed brain began to act. 



"After the bloody scalping knife had done its work, I was 

 dragged from the never-to-be-forgotten scene. Behind me I left 

 my heroic father and dear mother murdered in a cowardly man- 

 ner in the very act of hospitality. In the yard lay the three chil- 

 dren and my dear sister and brother dying, and amid these 

 scenes of unutterable horror I took my farewell look upon 

 them all. 



"Filled with loathing for these wretches whose hands were 

 wet with the blood of my dear ones, we plunged into the gloom 

 of the forest and the coming night. However, neither the gloom 

 of the forest, nor the blackness of night, nor both combined 

 could begin to symbolize the darkness of my terror-stricken 

 heart." 



Mrs. Sharp was taken to South Dakota, where she was 

 kept prisoner for several months, finally being rescued through 

 the efforts of friendly Indians, assisted by Colonel Flandreau 

 of St. Paul. t 131 } 



