, 1889-06-27
B0YER'S STRATAGEM.

Prior TO 1857 n large tract of lake ter
rtory lying between tho Upper Des
Moines and the Big Sioux rivers was in
tested by n of tho most villninous
bands Of Indian outlaws which tho In
dian policy Of the government has ever
called into being. 1t was the band of
eleven, led by Inkpaduta-Scarlet Point
who in tho winter of '57 massacred q
half hundred settlers in their scattered
cabins about Okoboji, Spirit and Pelican
lakes, and carried n number of women
into n captivity far worse thar death.
These Indians, disafTected Wapekuta
Sioux, had been outlawed from their
own tribe for tho murder of their chief,
Tosagi They were the pest and terror
Of settlers in middle and western Iowa
from tho time that scattering colonies
first came in until their depredations
and atrocities eliminated in the Spirit
Lake massacre. On that occasion whole
settlements were nnnihilated, their in
habitants being generally taken by sur
prise and killed inside their ~snoVvbound
cabins.
Previous to this massacre, which re-
sulted in the capture and punishment of
n part Of them and the disbanding of
the rest, these Indians subsisted by beg
ging-and plundering among the frontier
settlements, by hunting and fishing about
tho northern lakes, and by n sort of black
mail upon the W~apekutas, whose village
was in the pipe stone region.
The village of lnkpaduta was on the
upper Des Moincs, near the Minnesota
line. 1t was more than n hundred miles
from any settlement, until the i'll fated
squatters Of the Spirit lake tragedy set
tied about tho lakes. There were no
troops stationed within n weeks march,
md tho frontier settlements were too
weak and scattered to offer organized
resistance
Occasionally bold trappers, in spite of
numerous warnings of the danger, es-
tablished and maintained their trapping
grounds within the hunting circuit Of
l~nkpaduta's band. Among them was
Jake Boyer, n fearless frontiersman,
who went among Indians regardless of
danger-one of the sort Of adventures
whom, strangely enough. the savages
seldom molested
Jake knew Inkpaduta and his follow
ers. He visited their village every fall
and spring TO trade ammunition or
trinkets for furs.
On ono of these excursions he carried
n double barreled rifle which he had
bought in Dubuque. 1t was n fine wea-
pom of German pattern, silver mounted,
and had cost him n hundred dollars.
The Indians were much taken with this
gun, and II Of them, Feto Atanka (Big
Face wanted to swap q pony for it.
Boyer told him that nothing less than
twenty-five prime mink skins would get
the gun. that when he could produce SO
many whole skins, smooth and white in
side, he would swap. These terms of
trade were made known by signs and by
the use of such simple English words as
the Indians understood
a few months later, in autumn, Boyer
was visited ut his cabin on the Ocheyedan
by several Of Inkpaduta's band, among
them Husan Zone Leg, Mnkpi Opetu
Qire Cloud, n son of the chief and Big
Face Boyer found them squatted in
front of his dugout upon tho side of n
bluif rs he came in from n morning
round Of his traps. They rose ms he APP
preached with his rifle across his shout
der After arfriendly round of How
Howsr' Big Face drew from his blanket
a bundle of black looking skins. "HuhI"
said he, Me bling um mink, you give
nm up gun"
Jake saw at nee that tho mink were
warm weather skins, and worthless. No
doubt they were the pelts of all the minks
taken or shot by the members of the
band during the susimer and carly fall
months. and had been intrusted to Big
Face in order that so fine q rifle might
belong To one of the band.
The trnpper drew back and shook his
head in refusal to receive the skins He
was about to explain what they perfectly
knew TO be true, hat the pelts were Of
M account. when, with u sudden spring,
Big face was upon him. The others in
SANITY sprang forward also. and Boyer's
rifle WAS wrenched from him. When he
was forced to let go his gun he lodged
quickly into n thicket of bushes which
grew up to the door of his habitation.
The Indians fired several shots after
l'm lint he was not harmed He reached