The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1876-03-30
A DAY ON THE APACHE's TRAIL.

Juan and his herder murered: "his wife
and daughters taken prisoners, and fifteen
head of horses and mules driven awayl"
and the courier called upon the people to
rally to the rescue of his wife and daugh-
ters.
In an instant stalwart Mexican steps
to the big drum, and seizing the sticks
commenced beating the long roll. Be
fore the echo of the first tap had died
away, the people came pouring into the
plaza from all directions. They listened
to the sad story, and hurriedly left, but
soon returned armed and equipped and
mounted upon horses, ready to start in
in the pursuit.
In half an hour thirty men had volun-
teercd. They are all anxious to be on the
road, and are all Mexicans save myself
and two others-Americans
An aged Mexican, mounted upon a
large, gray horse, now appears. Both
horse and rider would attract the atten-
of an observer, wherever he might be.
The Mexicans shout q hearty welcome,
for in Francisco Lopes they recognize the
most skilful scout upon the whole from
tier-a man whose instincts are as acute
as those of blood hound; who can track
man or animal over miles Of bare rocks /;
who can detect footprints on the prairie
when other eyes can detect nothing but
green grass and mother earth in other
words man who was never known to lose
a trail
BY acclamation he is placed in COM
mand. AS he settles himself well in his
saddle, he gives the order to forward. At
once the party start on the road for the
spot where the terrible doom has overta-
ken our friends; for Don Juan and his
family were genial Kentuckians, the very
soul of hospitality, whose house was the
home of every American in the territory.
They were among the first Americans
to move into the valley. The girls had
grown up there and hardly remembered
any other home than that found within
the abode walls of their fathers Arizonia
rancho
We galloped along over the smooth
hard road. The thought that the mother
and her two daughters are captives in the
power of the cruel and blood-thirsty Apa,
ches, is a sufficient incentive to cause us to
urge our horses to their utmost speed
that we may not lose moment in rescu-
ing them from fate worse than death.
On, on we 90. The sun is hardly two
hours high. In forty minutes we have
ridden eight miles Now the rancho is in
sight. The roof Of the house is plainly
discovered over the high walls that sur
round it, A moment more and we are
before the huge oaken gates of the corral,
that are shut aud securely locked
An examination shows that the savages
did not obtain an entrance by the gate
They sawed with their larriettes an aper
ture through the adobe walls, large
enough to enable them to bring the AMI
mails out from the corral When over, in
side an entrance to the house was easil.
effected
= The men stood back and leave those oi
us who are Americans to enter first.
passed in at the open door, and found my
in large, square room. II was finished
as Americans always finish their home
rooms.
There was the large rocking chair il
which Mrs. Davis always sat, and there
upon the edge Of the little shelf was her
spectacles In the corner by the door
was the old mans boots, that the Indians
had overlooked in their haste On the
table was little basket containing the
girls work, with a half burned candle
standing by its side.
/ stepped to the door Of the bed room
There, in his shirt sleeves, with broken
rife by his side, lay the old man, dead up
On the floor. His white hair was tinged
with blood and dozen ghastly wounds
testified against the murderers.
Standing erect in one corner Of the cor.
raj was the naked, dead body Of the Mexi
can herder. He has been pinned TO the
wall by Apache spears. His distorted
features told plainly as words could speak
Of the diabolical cruelty Of his murderer:
and his lingering misery.
The sight was quite enough to cause
the blood to boil in the veins Of more stoi
cal witnesses than were gathered within
the walls Of that corral
Francisco stepped to my side and whis
pered that he had discovered the trail
1T leads" said he, sin the direction Of
the Florida mountains, and the party j:
made up Of thirteen braves They are
Meccalero Apaches, and have at least SIX
hours the start Of u.s..
Il asked him if we could overtakt
them, and he confidently answered:
"Yes, if we can be permitted to follow
them across the liDe into the Mexican
soil. VIII the senor be responsible?" h
asked
The crowd gathered around to lister
for my answer. / saw the eager faces
and read their wishes in their eyes / re
piled, after moments hesitation, Eyes
we will follow them into the city OF Chi
huaha if necessary"
The excited men uttered unitedly a sin
gle "goodl'
| Francisco gave the order to mount, ant
y we we're again in the saddle, and on tn
trail Of the nIurderers. We could spar
no time to bury the dead, for the fvin
: required from Us every exertion to rescu
e them from their awful peril
: All day we rode over marsh or througl
dense chapparell, here fording rive
now laundering over an alkali plain o
picking our way through gloomy canon, o
up steep bluffs.
The sun set, but Francisco did no
{ pause in the pursuit. With his eyes o.
J, the ground, aud with the same eager, anz
. ious expression on his face, he rode as b
had ridden all day. Every nerve wa
strung to its utmost tension, every sens
on the alert. Hardly had he spoke. No
once had he hesitated moment as to tn
course, nor for moment lost the bin
D track we had been following.
J. At last We came to little valley, shu
! in by the dark gray rocks and tall noun
! tains. Al signal from Francisco, W
dismounted and unsaddled our animal
$ partook Of hasty supper, and agail
e took the trail
Francisco reined his horse beside min
for an instant to whisper that we were o
j Mexican soil, and might expect to see tn
9 savages soon. Still we rode on followin
our guide, who seemed as fresh and vii
orous as when we left the plaza in th
. morning.
y We penetrated deeper and deeper int
g the mountains, over rocks, and throug
underbrush, until finally, as we reache
the top Of the little eminence our ey;
= caught the glimmer Of camp FIRE in Il
; distance.
) In moment every voice was hushe
=