Annals of our ancestors; one hundred and fifty years of history in the ...

LIFE IN THE 'SIXTIES 257
over our grounds and found that the Indians had stabled their
horses in father's barn and had eaten plums from our trees.
The Indian was not found whom the Melrose people were
supposed to have mortally wounded, if not instantly killed,
in the brush near Pearl Lake Place; it was a habit of the
Indians to conceal their losses by carrying away the dead and
wounded from battlefields wherever possible.
While all these terrible things were going on about our
new homes, which we had founded in such expectation and
joy, we of the Watkins refugees were approaching nearer Fort
Snelling. We stopped at Anoka, then a new lumber town on
the shore of the Rum River near its confluence with the
Mississippi. Here Alvah's teacher and friend still lived, kind
Mrs. Waterhouse. She was a young widow of the War of the
Rebellion, her husband being among those who fell in the
battle of Bull Run. She lived in a good home with her widowed
mother and little daughter, and she kindly opened her rooms
to us. It wa? thought best for us to remain here and not go
on to Fort Snelling. We had been out about six weeks, and
as the Indians were less active father and Joe decided to take
the risk and return. Mother stayed with Alvah and me at
the home of Mrs. Waterhouse. Father took the Vandervorts
and Sister Ida with him, while Brother Joe drove the one-horse
express wagon. Father's load being heavy, after they crossed
at Clearwater, Joseph drove on ahead. Night came on and
it grew so dark that the horses could not see to follow the road.
The girls wanted to get out and find the road, but father would
not let them, but got out and held to the harness until he
found the horses' heads, and then by getting down on his hands
and knees he found the road.
Sister Ida writes of that awful night, of twelve miles' drive
through heavy timber with dark night coming on, a black
road in front, and danger of savages in ambush. No wonder
that they made the journey with palpitating hearts. We in
Anoka shuddered for them, but it seemed best for them to go
as Sister Julia was needing help to cook for the harvesting
crew, and our little sister was no coward, though she admits she
was not "over pleased with the idea" of returning; but that