The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-04-27
SAVED FROM sAvACEs.
THRn.LiSG ADVENTURES AMONG TIE
APACHEs.


During the brief but memorable
war waged by the late Apache chief
Victoria, against the white and Mex
lean inhabitants OF Arizona and
New Mexico, many incidents occur
red which, for intensity of dramatic
interest, have few parallels in the
pages of history or romance. Last
summer, q few days after Victorio
and his pitiless band had made one
Of their ruthless incursions upon 4
settlement near the Maricopa Wells,
on the ella road, word reached Tue
[ son that two white women were
captives in an Apache camp in the
/ Santa Cruz mountains, some seventy
! five or eighty miles distant How
the report was brought / cannot
Say. There was certainly no regu-
/ lar communication between the city
and the camp, by telephone or tele-
graph, or mail or express. | sup
pose, as is usually the case, the
squaws circulated the runor, and
gave it such impetus thatit was car
/ ried TO Tucson, where it was fairly
credited, and II proved true enough.
1t made a good deal Of excitement
lin the city, and the general senti-
meat was that something ought to
be done to effect the rescue of the
captiyes. But what steps should be
taken no one first seemed capable
of suggesting. The force at Camp
| Crittenden was small, and even if it
had been numerous it would have
availed nothing, because at the ap-
proach Of troops the Indians would
have fled to inaccessible Businesses
in the mountains, and perhaps muir
deged their unhappy captiyes. The
subject was discussed in ali its phras-
es, and every plan proposed Tor the
relief OF the unfortunate women
had been rejected IS impracticable,
when suddenly some one asked:
Where's Charlie Dupont? He's
the man we want for an occasion
like this. If anything possibly can
be done Charlie viii do it, and
make no fuss about it, either"
The suggestion was eagerly caught
up and assented to, and search was
ut once made for Charlie Dupont.
He was of French extraction, his
mother being woman Of the Ari-
carree tribe, among whom his sire
had trapped, traded and hunted for
many years. Charles was iemi-
nine looking young. man, whose
dark, slender mustache barely re-
lieved him Of the appearance OF e.
feminacy and whose soft, musical
voice and quiet movements betrayed
nothing heroic in his composition,
yet lie was regarded by those who /
knew him as every inch q hero-a
terrible fellow in a fight or at a fam
dango, and one Of the most daring
and successful scouts our troops I
had ever employed in their warfare |
against the scourges OF our Ierrit9- I
ry, the bloodthirsty Apaches. For /
months he had been in almost con-
slant service as scout, but was /
now, for some reason, spending 4 |
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 the all absorbing interest.
He was quickly made acquainted
with the situation, and was then
asked:
What do You say, Charlie? Can
you do anything for these poor wo-
men?"
YES, 1 think 1 can" he replied
deliberately and contemplatively.
Give me a good man TO go with
me, and l will see what can do.
1t was not q very difficult matter
to find men willing to accompany
him ON his proposed pcrilous expe-
dition, SO much reliance was placed /.
on his courage, GOODNESS, skill and
Judgment. lie selected as his com
panion Billy Taiiman, q reckless
sort OF q fellow when in white set
tlement. but whom q long and dan
gerOus experience as driver On
the Tucson and Mesilla stage route
had rendered cool ard wary when
among the haunts of the savages.
He was q man Totally different from
Dupont in manners and personal
but, like him, would
do to tie to" undeFany circumstanc-
es and amid any surroundings pc
cu!iar 10 an unsettled communi-
ty.
In very short time the adven-
turers were equipped and mounted
for their enterprise. Good horses
were placed at their disposal. Arm
ed with trusty Spencer carbines aud
Colts revolvers, and provided with
Il small quantity Of provisions, and
having ascertailed rs nearly as
might be the lccation OF the camp /
they proposed q visit, they sprang
70 their saddles and were soon rid
ing across the mesa. threading their
way among the cacti, and pursuing |
as straight = course toward their
destination as the nature Of the
ground permitted. Their horses
were fresh and they kept steadily to
their work, enlivesing their way
with song and Jest, or with serious
concerning the impor-
tant mission they had undertaken.
1t was scarcely noon when they
started, and by nishtGall they had
covered more than half thc distance
they had to traverse. Then, as their
steeds showed signs Of weariness,
they halted, picketed the animals,
ate frugal meal, wrapped their
about them, lay down upon
the ground, and were howled to
sleep by the shrill voices Of hungry
cayotes.
After refreshing slglnber, in
spite of the cowaFdiy beasts which
dared not approach within effective
distance by the starlight,
the two adventures We're awake and !
alert at early dawn, and having
breakiasted, saddled their horses
and proceeded on their way. To-
ward noon they began to ascend the
4 l. .