Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-02-29
A Singular Story.

prOuClltN lHtlr nOlbtb Wtlt JtticIl uub
gaunt as from long and difficult jour
ney. The riders were dressed in buck
skin overshirts, cavalry pants, heavy
boots and large Mexican spurs. Dis
mounting at the hotel, the horses and
men we've cared for. tall, slim hickory
iron sort of man, who seemed to be
leader, made arrangements aside with
the landlord. After supper, falling into
conversation with the leader of the party,
I learned, in the course Of the evening,
that they were party OF prospecters
sent ont in the mountains in henorthem
part of New Mexico and Arizona, in the
interests of company of ST. Louis CAPT
talists. The Captain, as he proved to be
and a member of the company, went
on this perilous and toilsome expedition
to satisfy rowing and restless DISPOSE
ton. They had gone beyond their in
tended limit at starting, and had pene-
trated into the edge of the APP che coun-
try. They had numerous fights with
the Indians, but being all old Indian
fighters, had brought all their number
back, though not without some ugly
scars At one time their whole number
were taken prisoners by midnight
surprise and double their number of
Apaches. They were held prisoners two
days, and marched toward the Apache
chief town, where they were to form the
subject of grand roast. But, the second
night, they escaped by strat0gem,
taking with them the leader of the Apache
band, whom they afterward released on
certain conditions. This leader is the
blood thirsty Apache Chief, the chief
who murders men, women and children,
The whole party, before their escape,
understanding something of their cap
tors language, unknown to them, learn
ed, from a word let fall here and there,
that the Indians had knowledge of some
very rich mines, which the specimens
they had with them amply showed but
from the desultory character Of the re-
marks, could not learn the location Of the
treasure and it was to this fact that the
chief owed his life, This chief they
spared when making their escape, at
which time they sent the rest of the band
to their long homes. They promised the
chief his life and liberty if he would
show them the "golden mountain and
tell them the sacred legend of his faith
ers," which seemed to be associated in
some way with thh golden mountain. To
this he finally assented, as the price OF
his life and liberty. The riches of the
golden mountain are even greater than
the cxtravagant stories of the savages had
led them to believe but it was located
in the heart of the Apache country, and
utterly inaccessible till the savagcs are
subdued. The guarding of this golden
mountain, the keeping OF the whites ont
of gold fields of absolutely inestimable
wealth, boarded and piled up in the
mountains of Arizona, is the first and
greatest cause of the implacable hostility
of the Apaches, even greater than the
second cause-revenge This chlel
showed them this wealth, guarded 10y the
whole Apache nation, of which Captain
--- is prepared to take possession
with mills and mining apparatus, as Sool
as the AEaches are Subdued, The chic
gave them his legend, and they, as mel
Of honor even to a captive savage, sci HIN
| free.
"And the legend" says the Captain
cit being late, I'll give you in the morn
ing"
$50 here's to bed. Good night"
In the morning the Captain and
walked apart to the outskirts of the town
to grassy knoll, and, sitting there, h'
related to me the following strange
weird story
A party of Apaches, while lying il
ambush one day in the latter part o
December, 1896, in chihuahua, Mexico
on the Rio Grande, across the river from
what is now the town of Ell Paso, Texas
watching IL travelling cavalcade, as
passed clulnp of small trees saw on
of the number spring from his horse in
to the dense chapparel and disappea
from the view of the horsemon. Tn
cavalcade fired few shots at or towar
him, and half dozen of them dlsmount
ed and pursued in the direction he tool;
but of no avail. The escaping man IA
directly toward where the Apaches lay j
the bushes, and ran into their midst
They seized and bound him, mounte
and dashed him to horse, and at one
took fight. They travelled toward til
Apache chieftown by circuitous route
and reached it after six days travel.
The prisoner was much alarmed &
! first, but, finding that his death was Nc
! to be immediate, he seemed to put hi
{ mind to studying out some plan of e'
cape but they kept him securely bonn
, till they arrived in camp. Then the
> decided to keep him till crank fttc da,
, some months ahead, and then put hi
. through the gauntlet and end his life
grand carnival He for some time WI
as restless as a captive bear, walked II
t and down his small enclosure, and talkC
to himself necessarily. But before Il
I day arrived for his taking of-this is IL
c Captains term, not the Indian's-he hG
II become somewhat resigned to his cal
y tivity, had learned something of Il
Z Apache language, and gave them som
. thing of his history. They got interes
L ed in him, and promised him his life
9 return for his solemn promise that
Il would never attempt to escape. t
!. married the chiefs daughter, and on Il
1t death of the chief became chief himse
i He had four sons and daughter. II
Z oldest son became chief in his turn, Al
Il is the chief who is the subject of o.
= story =,
IS The white chief taught them, viii
= among them, the secrets of the Gre
T. Spirit, and these secrets have enable
le them to make the Apaches the stronge
II tribe in the West to pas through t
lG country of the white man in safety ever
III where to obtain information of the
u enemies and their movements Away
u and from their very enemies themselvt
VI, and by passwords and signs to know
w enemy or n friend MS far MS seen. Tn