The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1877-10-18
An Old-faShiOned Indian Story.


called War Eagle, who had a band of two
or three hundred warriors, about the
worst set of cruel, thieving redskins that
ever raided on a settler, or stole pony.
They had been doing so much mischief
in burning houses and stealing cattle
from the farmers of the far west, that the
General of the army sent a company of
hundred soldiers, commanded by an old
Tndan-tighter Captain, and told them to
hunt War Eagles band down till every
one was killed or taken prisoner.
So the captain and his soldiers set off
for the Indian country on horses. Every
man carried rifle and bayoneJ, and two
revolvers, and they used to practice
shooting every day, so as 10 De good
marksmen.
The Indians hunted and fought mostly
with bows and arrows, knives and toma-
hawks. in those days; only few of them
had old muskets that they had taken
from the soldiers who had been killed in
other wars.
When the captain got near 10 their
country, he left his horses in a fort, and
went on afoot, because the way was so
rough, rocky, and woody. But he took
along dozen mules to carry the tents,
provisions, powder, and other things.
liz about ten days the soldiers came to
the top If mountain, where they could
see the Indians bark wigwams, or tents
away down in deep valley. With spy
glass the captain counted sixty huts, and,
allowing four Indians 70 each, he made
out that his hundred soldiers had got to
fight two hundred and forty Indians.
That very night he sent down two of his
sgnides 10 peak around and see what they
.scsnJd find out about Mr.. War Eagle. But
they got little too near, and some In
dians saw and chased them. and shot one
poor fellow dead, about half way up the
hill. but daren't come any further. The
other guide came running into camp and
told about it, and the captain knew there
was fight close ahead for him and bis
soldiers.
We'll teach the varmints one lesson
TO begin WITH he said.
He knew the Indians would send back
party to get the dead soldiers scalp
lock, and so he sent squad of soldiers
TO bury him and gave them a large can of
powder to put in over the body. They
fixed fuse and percussion cap on little
spring, so that when anybody should pull
on the string hitched to the powder it
would 90 off like cannon. On the top
OF the can they put some brush and
leaves and then threw on dirt lightly to
cover it up.
Then they went TO the top of the hill
and watched. Sure enough, in an hour
or two, as many as fifty ugly reds skins
.csme running to the spot, with black war
paint on their faces, and feathers in their
hair-all dancing and yelling like mad
20, dig away!" said the captain, land
gou'll learn to let brave soldiers graves
alone"
They all gathered around and began
paving out the dirt and brush in hurry,
when. all at once, blaze and a puff of
smoke came out of the grave, and then a
roar like cannon was heard. They had
exploded the powder can, and five or six
of the savages were thrown into the air
and killed, and the rest ran bowling away,
saying. ugh dead pale face make big
thunder under groundw
This tickled the captain. but he know
they would be after the camp next, and
so be got ready. As night came on he
let the fires go almost out in front Of the
tents. And he told each soldier TO bring
a log, wrap his overcoat around il, and
out It down in the blankets inside so
1hst it would look as much like sleeping
man as could be, in the dusk. The sol
diers knew some trick was up, and so
they fixed a lot of wooden soldiers that
would have fooled'the captain himself, il
he had not known.
Then be gave each Of the soldiers a