The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-01-06
Private Brainard's
Ruse
BY DOROTHY r. MURRAY
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.

more year the president informed him
he needn't come back the next term.
Toms father put him into business
concern, but the boy soon proved that
he was as unfit for business as for
study. Sitting on high stool all day
adding columns of figures was not to
Toms taste. He soon got discharged
for inattention to his work, and then
his father was at his wits end to know
what to do with him. Tom said he'd
like to be q soldier, so his father went
to Washington to try to get him COM
mission, but was told there that if his
son wanted commission he had bet
ter enlist and work his way up from
the ranks.
Tom enlisted and, though he took to
soldering better than anything else,
was constantly transgressing the army
regulations and consequently getting
himself into trouble. He enlisted in
the cavalry and was sent out with his
regiment to a two company post in the
west The only people to fight were
Indians, and at the time of Toms ar
rival they were peaceful.
Fort B.. where Toms company was
stationed, was near a hamlet that
has since become a large town. The
fort was intended as q point of obser-
vation for a tribe Of Indians whose
reservation was but few miles away.
Tom served a year at the fort, one
third of which was spent in the guard
house He was known by the officers
to be a gentleman and his ofenses
were not serious; indeed, he was
rather an annoyance than otherwise.
So finally his captain told him that If
he would leave the army he would
guarantee his discharge. But Tom de-
| clined. He said he had come into the
service for a commission and intended
to stay there till he got one.
Soon after this the Indians broke
loose from their reservation and went
about numbering settlers wherever
they could find them. The savages
numbered several thousand warriors,
and the troops in the fort numbered
sixty-two. The great father" had
put q force down near the Indians just
big enough for them to eat up when
they got ready
One day there was CONSERVATION in
the fort. The Indians were coming to
attack it, and if they did they would
doubtless take it and kill everybody in
it. including women and children. Be-
sides, many of the people from the
little town or settlement near by had
come in, the merchants bringing their
! stocks of goods and all bringing their
| household belongings.
As the Indians approached the sol
| diers went out to meet them, the major
in command hoping to pacify rather
| than to fight them. Six hundred In
| dians attacked him, and after a scrim-
mage several redskins, including their
chief, were killed. When the chief
fell the Indians drew off, though it
was known that they would renew the
fight with redoubled fierceness. After
dark the troops withdrew to the fort
and shut themselves in.
| That night was a fearful one in the
| inclosure death staring every one In
the face. 1t was known that re-en-
forcements had been sent from Leav-
| enworth, but it would require several
days for them to make the march.
Tom Brainard told his captain that he
had plan. He was conducted to the
major commanding and proposed it.
| The major had no confidence in 1t, but
permitted Tom to try 1t.
A stock of cigars and tobacco had
' been brought into the fort, including
a wooden Indian that an enterprislng
tobacconist had brought from st. Louis,
The Indian was sitting with a calumet
in his mouth. Tom bored hole
through the back of the neck and put
a real pipe in the Indians mouth. Then
he introduced a tube into the hole he
had bored, so that by sucking on the
tube the Indian would appear to smoke
Tom told his commander what his
plan was and asked him as soon as II
was light the next morning to convene
all the officers at the fort on the par
apet, put the wooden Indian in the
circle and have some one concealed
pull on the tube at the back of his
head, the pipe having been lighted. He
wished them all to appear to be IN
council.
This being understood, Tom rode out
with an escort and a white flag. The
Indians met him, and he told them
that the spirit of their chief had come
into the fort and made peace. The
Indians were incredulous. They had
the chiefs body. Tom offered to show
him to them at the fort smoking with
the officers. They rode with him tC
the fort, arriving early in the morn
ing. Tom would not permit them tC
come within a quarter of a mile OF
the post, but this was near enough fol
them to see the wooden Indian sitting
on the rampant in a circle of officers
blowing clouds of smoke. The In
alans, astonished, rode away an6
spread the news to all the tribe.
That was the end of the uprising
Soon after 'Ams ruse the new chiei
came to the fort and ratified the peace
made by his predecessor.