American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-02-17

1
ly inestimable wealth, boarded an,
piled up in the mountains of Arazo
ma, is the first and greatest caus
of the implacable hostility of tn
Apaches, even greater than the sc
cond cause-revenge. This chic
Eshowed them this wealth, guarded
by the whole Apache nation, O
which Captain -- is prepared tt
take possession with mills and min
ing apparatus, as soon as the Apa
clles are subdued. The chief gave
them his legend, and they, as mer
of honor, even to captive savage
set him free.
'.And the legend,n says the cap
I tain, F." it being too late, I'll give you
in the morning"
In the morning the captain and
walked apart to the outskirts of the
town, to a grassy knoll, and sitting
there, he related to me the following
strange, weird story:
A party of Apaches, while lying
in ambush one day in the latter part
of December, 1927, in Chihuahua,
Mexico, on the Rio Grande, across
the river from what is now the town
of Ell Paso, Texas, watching trav-
cling cavalcade, as it passed a clump
of small trees, saw one of the num-
Der spring from his horse into the
dense chapparel and disappear from
the view of the horsemen. The cav.
alcade fred q few shots at or toward
him, and half dozen of them dis
I mounted and pursued in the direc-
tion he took, but of no avail. The
escaping man ran directly towards
where the Apaches lay in the bush
es, and ran into their midst. They
seized and bound him, mounted and
lashed him to horse, and at once
took fight. They travelled toward
the Apache chief town by a circuit
GUS and concealed route, and reach
ed it after six days travel.
The prisoner was much alarmed at
first but, finding that his death was
not to be immediate, he seemed to
put his mind to studying out some
plan of escape; but they kept him
securely bound till they arrived in
camp. Then they decided to keep
him until grand fete day, some
months ahead, and then put him
through the gauntlet and end his
life in a grand carnival. He for
some time was as restless as cap
tive bear, walked up and down his
small enclosure, and talked to him
self necessarily. But before the
day arrived for his taking off-this
is the captains term, not the Indi-
an's--he had become somewhat re-
signed to his captivity, had learn
ed something Of the Apache Ian
gpage, and gave them something |
of his history. They got interest
ed in him, and promised him his
life in return for his solemn prom
Use that he would never attempt to
escape. He married the chiefs
daughter, and on the death of the
chief became chief himself. He had
four sons and daughter. The old
est son became chief in his turn, and
is the chief who is the subject of our
story.
/. The white chief taught them, while
among them, the secrets of the Great
Spirit, and these secrets have enar
bled them to make the Apaches the
strongest tribe in the West; to pass
through the country of the white
man in safety everywhere ; to obtain
of their enemies and
their movements always, and from
their very enemies themselves, and
by passwords and signs to know an ;
enemy or friend as far as seen. They
always have kept, and still keep one
)f their educated half breeds in the
camp of the whites, and by the Sc
,rets of this great society he is al
ways able to keep them informed |t
If every movement of any kind
md of every plan of attack on them, {
Is soon as the plan is known to {
he enemy themselves. And,
when captured, they are almost al 9
ways sure to effect an escape, re-
eased by some member Of the soci- I
'ty among the enemy. The great
White chief told them that the socie-
Y Fextended all over the world ,
aught them all the ceremonies con-
lected with it /; taught this maiden y
o make the badges and insignia
vorn by the iniated, and on certain Z
lays, the oath of June, and some v
theirs, they walked in procession, 9
nd held a grand dance at night. .
hey believed him to be the son of q
he GreatSpirit.. He is buried at the y
iolden mountain, and his grave is
Talled and covered with gold, and L
] their sacred place Of worship. 9
hey gather now every year on the q
4th day of June. Y
The great white chief told them he !
as " moons (monthsr on his jour
ey from his starting point; that he |,
as taken at BATAVIA, N. Y, and n
ON there taken to and confined in =
ort Niagara, in the latter part Of = :,
eptember of the same year in which r
9 came to the Apache country. The \,
JASON Of his Imprisonment was on -
ecount Of his going to publish a =,
ook divulging the secrets of the 4,
reat society. He was kept prisoner a
Fort Niagara till September19th, n,
hen he was taken in a close car ~ -
age and driven via Buffalo, N. Y, y
Hennipen, Ills, on the Illinois
yer, and thence taken in a fiatboat 3.
the Mississippi river, down which II
! floafed to New Orleans There "a
} was placed on a vessel and sailed .,
the mouth Of the Rio Grande river ~
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