The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-07-23
An Indian
Stratagem
By DONALD CHAMBERLlN

10 older persons 1t seems but Il short
time since Indian fighting was a on.
slant part If the duties Of our regular
army. The last events which attracted
unusual attention throughout the coun-
try were the Custer massacre and the
Modoc war, during which General
Candy was subjected to the traditional
treachery Of the Indians and murdered
while in council with them. Today all
| that has passed; the white man has
swept over the continent from the Mis-
souri, to the Pacific as he had swept
from the Atlantic to the Missouri.
In one of those Indian wars of later
days a little Indian boy was captured.
and since there was nc practicable way
to return him to his people. he was
taken to the headquarters of the com
mand In Fort X. There he was treated
90 kindly that he grew to love the
white people.
Tommy. as the hoy was called, how
ever. inherited the nature Of his red
fo%refathers. He loved to hunt, to ride.
to live out In the open air. and a time
came when he employed that talent for
strategem. for which the Indian has al
ways been distinguished.
This came about when the force at
the fort. including the women and chill
dren. were In PERT Of their lives. The
Indians. who had been showing signs
Of ~restiveness, suddenly broke away
from all restraint, and settlers came
running into the fort. saying that they
were burning and m~assacring the
whites. 1t was sOon learned that they
were advancing to attack the fort
Everything was got in readiness to re-
ceive them. but when they came 1t was
In such numbers that it was evident
they could not long be resisted.
Fort r. vas a Two company post. and
al this time the enlisted men num-
bered little more than a hundred men.
The post was besieged by some 1000
Indians, and IL overpowered 1t was Ger
tain that every one In 1t would be mas
sacred. The commander. Major Mac
Rae, was chiefly concerned for the wo-
men and children. 1t was terrible to
they were soldiers, whose business it
was to die. while the women and chill
| dren were nOncOmbatants and must be
cut down without defense.
Major MacRae knew that some thirty
miles to the south Of him were four
companies of cavalry, with light can
non suitable for Indian warfare. The
commander Of this force, il news could
be carried to him, would ONE at once
to the relief Of Fort r.. and the saw
ages would not likely be able to
stand against the combined cavalry
and infantry and especially the artil-
lery. But the Indians had formed a
circle about the fort. and nc messenger
could get through their lines. There
was q despuiring sternness on the face
Of Major MacRae when Tommy ap-
preached him and. salutlng, as he had
learned to do from the soldiers, said to
him: ~-.S-"f
I'LL take a message through to the
cavalry"
The major turned, looked at the boy
and said: You can't get through. No
one could get through" Then, think
ing Tommy meant that he would 60 US
an Indian, he added, They would tor
ture you for a renegade"
II won't go as an Indian. Give me
the swiftest horse in the command"
There's not a horse swift enough to
escape their bullets"
They won't shoot the horse. I'll
show you what l will do"
The major produced the horse, and
Tommy directed that he be bound to the
horses belly with his head protruding
between the forelegs. A revolver was
thrust in the boys belt, and the bride
reins he held in his hands. The major
wrote a few lines on a paper. and
Tommy put 1t inside his shirt.
The major added to TOmmy's de-
vice by sending out the garrison to
make a brief assault on the Indians.
Tommy and his horse being placed In
the center. During a fusillade the boy
was let 60, and q riderless horse was
seen by the red men to gallop away.
Those Indians who were bearing the
brunt Of the attack had enough to do
to defend themselves. but others. see
ing a horse gallOping away. gave chase.
Some Of them could easily have shot
the animal. but no one thought Of do
ing so. desiring to get possession of him
for use.
The horse was SO swift that but few
Of the Indians succeeded In getting
nea him. One redskin stood directly
in his way and threw up his arms to
stop him. but Tommy, who wore spurs,
dug them into the brute's belly and
came near running the man down.
When Tommy had nearly cleared the
circle an Indian suddenly appeared from
a thicket and succeeded in selling the
bride. Tommy shot him dead with his
revolver.
This was the last Of Tommy's adven-
lures. After clearing the Indian circle
he unstrapped himself. mounted the
horses back and did not stop till the
animal FOIL with him in tho onc0n nm