Nelson Family Juvenilia
Box 1 Folder 16
The Fight of the Boys - n.d.

[cover page]
The Fight of the Boys
Written by the author of The Mountain Fight

[inside text]
[Chap. 1]
The Fight of the Boys
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Now [hove? Howe?] and I get those boys out in that steam boat said Jim Allen this war betwen one side of the lake and the inside

oh come hear boys said Jimmy I will take the little skiff and at knight when the steamer is lying at anc[h]or I will row up at knight [Jimmy?] pondoard [pondered?] go behind the barracs crall [crawl] in at the open window just as soon as I have captured the others and got our boys I will take my call whistle and blow it then you come in our steam boat [note: Walter Ne... signed over text in black ink]

so saying this he jumped in his sciff [on?] twas at night and paddled toard the steamer he rowed a mile and came under the bow of the steamer. Becaws [because] the guard was asleep so climbing up the barrels climbe[d] in and woke up his party then binding the east siders then Jimmy blew his call whistle that woke up the east sideers and what was their horror to find themselves bound then the steamer came up and they we[re] taken to the other shore where our brave west siders was. Jimmy had some money he wanted to spend one boy sad another sad a canon so Will said Jimmy they have got one but we have got their other canon Jimmy got his canon and so we had two canons. Then we sent the east siders off in their steam boat with their hands tied.

The next day Jimmy and a hundred other boys armed with clubs, wooden spears and wooden sords and bow guns and and [sic] bows made their appearence at one of their enemys strongholds. Jimmy saw they had a great fort made in [long?] were in their [wherein there] was they tried to get past it. But there was such a shower of arrows that they were drove back with one boy wounded they went back and [cut? got?] Jimmy's canon and getting in their big long boat that Jimmy's farther gave them Mr. Allen was a good and strong man he was quite rich so he gave Jimmy this big nice row boat it was the bigges[t] row boat on the lake. They for one was stilted they got there where the [feat?] was with their canon.
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Chap. 2
Bombarding the East Siders [Fort?]
Jimmy took the canon out of the boat then told the east siders to run or they would get killed so they runs way in the woods and Jimmy's men fired the canon. How the logs did [hop?] and split to pieces in a little while it was all knocked down so going back they stored away their canon in the steamboat with the other canon that they captured from the east siders. It was growing dark so choseing a gard they went to sleep about midnight they heard the sharp shrill whistle of the guard.

What is that said Jimmy. That is the guards whistle

every boy sprang to his feet grabbed sticks clubs and anything then opening the door and sprang out what the matter look see those row boats comeing toards us they came nearer and before the boys could get the canons up the east siders was on it so with a [pount?] Jimmy stood at the head of the [chanes? (as in chains?)] Jimmy gave a powerfull strike that sent the boy headlongs in to the water. Now take care what you do all at once there was a noise and looking around there was these east siders coming f[r]om the back end fighting one of the boys with a rush Jimmy went at them. One fell over at the blow. They Jimmy gave in to the others with a shreak jumped over board whare they were rescued by some of their party this one that the three had bin fighting was Jimmy's first mate Jack [Jim?] hollared Tom the second [mat?] [th--le?] are [two? (as in too?)] trying to get on hear knock them of[f] shouted Jimmy. All wright shouted Tom and the tall [fighter?] grabbed one of the east siders and slung him in the water. The other disapeared out of sight just to avoid a kick then the boats moved of[f] to land and twas near enough morning so that Jimmy did not go to sleep [?] in.
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Chap. 3
The West Siders Have [deat?]
In the forenoon Jimmy and his party started for the Great East Siders Fort there was as menny as one hundred and fifty and Jimmy had on[l]y a hundred so [blidding?] up through the bushes they come to the fort just as [noon?] was coming out [they rushed?] in a battle began. The west siders fought so well that the east siders gave up Jimmy in fighting dropped his sord and grabbing a long stake went at them, Jack like a flash jumped at a fellow seizing him by the neck flung him to the ground they gave out and it was glory to the west siders they took of[f] their prisoners in tryompth [triumph].

Now for the rest said Jimmy. There ain't more than a hundred more [you?] Jack take twenty five so Jack went to the fort so let's leave

Jimmy Jack and his party went to the fort. They were sleeping peasfully when a shreak from the guard noted danger the party had time just to get on their feet when the east siders grabbed them a hundred off them against a party of twenty five. I don't know which would beat if it hadn't bin for [a number?] of other east sidere come in Jack made an escape and after working made a left and sailed back to where Jimmy was, told him, then that day Jimmy's men armed got in their row boats and put [to the?] other side they went up to the east siders prison, broke in the prison and after driveing a way the guard got the boys who were captured by the east siders they got the boys out by cutting open a large hole. Then making a rush for the boat. They captured the ones in the fort and made them give up and now they are almost as good friends as before but the west siders always have the name of beating and Jimmy and his party go by the name of never to be [guarded?] Jimmy and Jack and Tom are good friends and the west siders beat.
The End