Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-01-27
INDIAN STRATEGY
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hs'u PIT uedf tuel called meas. I'm
cas-. was as tractable MS a Newfound-
land dog, moving freely about tie post.
usually spending his time either beg
ging the Coz for something 10 eat or
sleeping in the sunshine in winter and
the shade in summer. One day Uncas
strayed away from the post and did
not return.
Then came news that the neighbor-
ing indiana had left their reservations,
aud Uncas was forgotten In the pre-
yailing excitement. In those days many
OF the forts in the wild west were little
better than blockhouses, and Fort -
was one OF this kind. AS soon as the
Indians were known to have broken
loose, the gates were kept closed and
the usual precautions in time of hos
tilities were observed.
One day an order came for the com
mand TO march against the Indians.
The garrison, including the families of
the officers. was left in charge of a SER
geant and eight men. Sergeant Winter
was one of those better born and edu-
Gated young men who in those days
rarely entered the ranks of the army
As soon as the command left he shut
the gates of the fort and directed them
to be kept shut.
The second night after their depar-
ture a sentinel was shot No one heard
n report, but this was not considered
remarkable, for but one sentry was on
post and he could not see for great
distance, first, because all the trees
near by had been felled and, second.
because the moon was approaching the
full in a cfear sky.
Sergeant Winter kept the soldiers
death from the women. for 1t indicated
that Indians We're planning an attack,
and he did not wish to create an alarm.
The next night he watched with the
sentry, who was relieved every two
hours. Winter toward morning went
into quarters for few minutes to get
a cup Of coffee, and when he returned
the sentry was lying on his back with
a bullet In his brain.
Winter resolved to sit up and watch
the next nS;ht himself. He slept sew
eral hours during the day. directing
the men to make a sentry Of straw and
clothe It in uniform. At 10 o'clock,
while the moon was obscured by
cloud. the dummy sentinel was set up.
Then the sergeant posted a real SEN
tinel in eonceaiment, and after arrang
ing signal for his admission he crawl
ediout some distance from the fort and
took position behind stump He
chose a point before the gate because
there was evidence that the sentries
had been shot from that direction
Winter waited till after midnight
without experiencing anything unusu-
al. Then he saw something approach
ing. When 1t came near enough for
him 10 see 1t plainly, he discovered that
II was bear. 1t was waddling along,
occasionally pausing to nibble, but
gradually working nearer. The beast
passed within hundred feet Of the
sergeant. who then recognized the gar
rison's pet, Uncas. He watched il ST.
lently, not daring to make sound for
fear OF a hidden enemy, and saw 1t
draw closer to the fort than he was
himself
Winter made up his mind that the
willy Indians had sent Uncas in, expect
ing the garrison to open the gates for
him and they would be ready to make
a rush at the same time. Doubtless at
that very moment they were lying in
concealment near by. Worst of all, be
feared that those in the fort, seeing
their old friend Uncas coming. would
not deny him entrance What should
he do?
While he was celebrating Uncas sat
up on his hind legs, bear fashion, and
the sergeant caught sight of black
line about a yard long extending from
the bears nose toward the fort. Sud
denly4a bit of flame shot out from the
farther end of the black line, and a
moment later came a crack. The dunn
my sentinel ON the fort toppled over.
Winter changed his surmises. The
Indians had doubtless killed Uncas and
were using his skin for a cover under
one till all were killed. Cautiously the
sergeant stole forward toward the dis
guised savage, the latter meanwhile
waddling on toward the fort. Then
Winter espied off to his left, but near
err the fort than he, an Indian crawl
up from behind the bank of a creek.
Then came another and another till
Winter counted twenty sayages.
1t now flashed through the sergeants
brain that the Indians had killed the
sentinel this time with view to sur
prising the garrison before they were
aware that the only man on guard was
dead. Winters blood ran cold. The
garrison would be murdered while he,
their commander, was outside and I'M
able to help them. There was but one
hope. BY firing on the Indians they
might think there was force without
on which they had not counted, but In
doing so he would give away his pres
ence and would probably be taken and
tortured to death.
Winter resolved to IN Ike his chances