The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-03-24
SAVED FROM sAvAGEs.

Rescning White Women from the Indians
in Arizona.
During the brief but memorable war
waged by the late Apache chief, Vic
torio, against the white and Mexican
inhabitants of Arizona and New Mexico,
many incidents occurred, which for in
tensity of dramatic interest, have few
parellels in the pages of history or ro
nance. Last summer, few days after
Victorio and his pitiless band had
made one of their ruthless incursions
upon settlement near the Malicopa
Wells, on the Gila road, word reached
Tucson that two white women were
captives in an Apache camp in the Santa
Cruz mountains, some seventy-five OF
eighty miles distant. How the report
was brought L cannot say. There was
certainly no regular communication be-
tween the city and the camp, by tele-
phone or telegraph, mail or express. L
suppose, as is usually the case, the
squaws circulated the rumor, and gave
it such impetus that it was carried to
Tucson, where it was fairly credited,
and it proved to be true enough. It
made q good deal of excitement in the
city, and the general sentiment was that
something ought to be done to effect
the rescue of the captives. But what
steps should be taken no one at first
seemed capable of suggesting. The
force at Camp Crittenden was small,
and even had it been numerous it
would have availed nothing, because
upon the approach of troops the Indians
would have fled to some of the inacces-
sible Businesses of the mountains, and
perhaps murdered their unhappy pris-
oners. The subject was discussed in
all its phases, and every plan proposed
for the relief of the unfortunate women
had been rejected as impracticable,
when suddenly some one asked:
Where's Charlie Dupont b? He's the
man we want for an occasion like this.
If sany thing possibly can be done
Charlie will do it, and make no fuss
about it, either"
The suggestion was eagerly caught up
! and assented to, and search was at
once commenced for Charlie Dupont.
He was of French extraction, his mother
! being a woman of the Aricaree tribe.
among whom his sire had trapped, ira
ded and hunted for many years. Charles
was a feminine-looking young fellow,
whose dark, slender mustache barely re-
lieved him of the appearance of efemi-
macy, and whose soft, musical voice and
| quiet movements betrayed nothing he
roic in his composition, yet he was re-
| garded by those who knew him as every
inch hero-a terrible fellow i'll fight
OF at Il fandango, and one of the most
daring and successful scouts our troops
had ever employed in their warfare
against the scourges of our Territory,
the bloodthirsty Apaches. For months
he had been in almost constant service
as scout, but was now, for some reason,
! spending few weeks in Tucson. He
was at length found and conducted to
the fonda, where the principal citizens
were still engaged in discussing the
topic Of all-absorbing interest. He was
quickly made acquainted with the situa-
tion, and was then asked:
"What do you say, Charlie? Can you
do anything for these women ?"
" Yes, L think I can," he replied, de-
liberately and contemplatively. "Give
me good man to go with me, and ]
will see what L can do"
1t was not very difficult matter tc
find men willing to accompany him on
his proposed perilous expedition, sc
much reliance was placed on his cour,
age, GOODNESS, skill and judgment. He
selected as his companion Billy Tall
man, a reckless sort of fellow when il
the white settlements, but whom a lone
and dangerous eXperienc as driver Oh
the Tucson and Mesilla stage route had
rendered cool and wary when among
the haunts of the savages. He was {
man totally different from Dupont ii
manners and personal appearance, but
like him, would ado to tie to" under
any circumstances and amid any sur
roundings peculiar to an unsettled com
munity.
In very short time the two adven.
turers were equipped and mounted fol
their enterprise. Good horses were
placed at their disposal. Armed Will
their trusty Spencer carbines and Colt's
revolvers, and provided with q small
quantity of provisions, and having as
certained as nearly rs might be the 10
cation of the camp they proposed tC
visit, they sprang to their saddles au(
We're soon riding rapidly across the
mesa, threading their way among the
cacti, and pursuing as straight a course
toward their destination as the nature o
the ground permitted. Their horse
We're fresh and they kept steadily t.
their work, ,enlivening theil way with sonl
and jest, or with serious conversation
concerning the delicate and importan
mission they had undertaken. 1t wa
scarcely noon when they started, and by
nightfall they had covered more THAI
half the distance they had to traverse
) Then, as their steeds showed signs O
wearness, they halted, picketed til
animals, ate frugal meal, wrappe,
. their serapas about them, lay down upol
the ground, and We're howled to slee,
by the shrill voices of scores of hungr
cayotes.
After refreshing slumber, in spite O
the cowardly beasts which dared not az
proach within effective shooting dis
tance by the starlight, the two adveu
turers were awake and alert with tn
! early dawn, and, having breakfasted
saddled their horses and proceeded o
their way. Toward noon they began t
ascend the mountain slopes, when thei
progress became slower and more toll
some They were now approaching til
camp Of which they were in quest, bu
= of its location they knew nothing accu
rately, and must trust to luck and acci
= dent to reveal to them its whereabouts
r They now proceeded more carefully
| l 1 =