The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-08-03
The Boy Braves.

Inc BOY braves.
why" said Uncle Jack, chewing the
last bit of his toothpick into a wad
of fibres, preparatory to shooting it into
the fire.
This was always the signal to the boys
that he was ready to begin to shoot
buffaloca and Indians. Uncle Jack was
a grizzlcd veteran officer of the regular
army. and had seen much hard fighting
on the frontier.
"Why, yes" said he, 81 do know
something about what Indians are good
for as fighters, and for downright hui
man courage, without any of the sneak
ing, strike-you-in-th work in it, l
think the Cheyennes stand ahead Of
them ALL"
"But what Cheyennes? Where did it
happen?" clamored the boys, who knew
we'll enough that there was some special
instance back of the general statement
of Cheyenne bravery
GLOW did you little rascals know
what ! was thinking OFF, he growled.
"Well, in 1878 my command was sta
toned at the Wild Rose agency. Things
udl Dctn lAONluS SlllOOuulJ lOI lOHS
time, but the Indians were getting fat
and saucy on government rations, and
that state of things couldn't last. Every
brave had a good breech loader and
pony or more. Even the boys-wiry,
saucy little rats-had cir own guns
and ponies, and the way they did run
was caution.
"There were two little chaps in par
ticular who used to loaf around the post
who had the most impudent black eyes
and the most stoical faces when they
thought you were watching them. They
were handsome little rascals, if they
were dirty and lazy, and often they used
to run races across the parade ground
to amuse the officers for stake of army
cartridges. They were the most fear
less, nimble little monkeys!
"Half the time you couldn't tell which
part was horse or which part was rider.
The way they stuck to these little ponies
in every position imaginable, now ON
this side and now on thatl They were
along the neck, under the belly, heads
almost dragging the ground! They
dropped their hats and picked them up
uS5thi CIV "a DlCdhhCSh SdllOI. lHty ITtu
their rifles with one hand until it made
you think of Fourth of July in Bangor.
They were sons of Lone Wing, a chief.
81 got to watching for the little imps
to come and show off their tricks, and
missed them when they didn't put in an
appearance; for a fellow becomes so lone
ly out there that he bankers after any
kind of face he's used to, even if it is a
dirty red f. e.
"You knU Y haven't much use for
live Indian. Somehow, living out on the
frontier, one picks up prejudice against
them. Many of the young Indians who
hang about the agencies doing nothing
become thieves and vagabonds, but /
couldn't help admiring these two boys.
"They stood by one another like
Damon and Pythias. One day some of
the men coaxed one of them into the
barracks and got him stupid drunk.
That's an example of the way Indians
are sometimes improved at the agen-
cies.
"Well, the other boy wouldn't bulge
an inch away until he took his comrade
with him. He hung around him until
after dark, and then managed to creep
in while the men were at mess, and
actually lugged the sleeping fellow out,
whistled up the ponies, loaded him on
like log of wood strapped him on with
a lariat and galloped off.
"They had the blood of the old
sachems in them, and lido believe would
have died for each other. | got to like
them as much as possibly could like an
Indian, and that would be about as hard
for me as to like rattlesnake
MAYBE you have heard that the gov
ernment is not the best provider in the
world, and the Indian department is a
great deal more uncertain than the pay
master or commissary of the army
Well one time the beef cattle We're
etampeded and run off by rascally Sioux
and the other rations were about a
month behind time and things got to
ooking pretty blue over at the agency.
eve let them have all the army goods
we could spare, and Agent Pierson sent
his scouts here and there to pick up
what beef they could lawfully, but be-
fore they could get a supply the redskins
began to grow lean.
"Some of the squaws and papooses
that staggered over to the agency would
hardly have made a shadow, and it is
no wonder that petty depredations were
committed
"First the agents poultry went. Then
some one got into the storehouse and
carried off lot of eastern canned goods
he agent had for his own table. He de-
plared that he would make the guilty
bne smart if he found him. That night,
10 cap the climax, floor board was
oosened from underneath and piece of
neat the cook had ready for breakfast
vas taken from the agents kitchen.
"The guard saw the thieves and fired