Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1884-03-13
KICKAPOO JIM's STORY
BY APACHE GEORGE.

eo"phDlea party OF Arizona Rangers
on scout after bunch of Chiricahua
Indians, under command of Bonito. who
had been raidtng through the lower
portion Of that territory.
We followed the trail across the Rio
san domingo and into the foothills of
the Plnaleno Mountains, where the red
marauders camped several days.
We travelled through the country
thlckly overgrown with lechejier. and
our horses were SO badly lamed by the
sharp thorns that when we struck the
deserted Indian camp the commanding
officer ordered halt to allow the stock
to recuperate.
The camp was in beautiful caryon.
through which ran one of the narrow
creek tributaries of the San Domingo.
The water was good, there was plenty
OF grass and an abundance of game.
We felt no apprehension of the near
presence Of the Indians. for the SIGN
was at least ten days old, and when the
order was given to make a permanent
camp, many of the men strayed away in
search Of game.
was one of the hunters, and climb
ing the right wall of the CANYON in
which we were camped to the MESA
above, wandered about for several honrs
without seeing any sign.
My walk had carried me some dis
stance from camp and as the sun was
fast nearing the western horizon. 1 de.
termined to 60 back.
The canyon wall was two or three hun
dred feet high at this point and nearly
perpendicular; but, after considerable
search, L found place where I could
make the descent.
II was down a rough arroyo, worn in
to the solid rock by the action of the
water. There was SO much scrambl1np
and climbing to do that strapped my
rifle across my shoulders to have the full
use of my hands.
| was half way down the arroyo; and
meditating o leap from the narro " ledge
on which l was standing to large boul-
der about ten feet below, when Iheard q
loud Kissing on my right.
L looked up quickly, and saw, about
twenty yards distant, huge Gila mon
ster with appraised head, advancing
slowly toward me.
His little eyes cleaned wickedly, and
when he bissed saw his red tongue and
sharp teeth.
1 unslung my rifle and hurriedly
pumped q cartridge into the barrel.
By the time was ready to shoot the
huge dry-land saurian was not more
than twenty feet away, and the sicken.
ing vapor which he emitted from his
large nostrils at every hiss nearly over
powered me.
Taking aim at one of his eyes, Ipulled
the trigger, and before the smoke eff the
discharge had cleared away, fred three
more shots in the direction of the
monster.
The kissing stopped, and there were
loud growls and q savage swapping of
teeth.
When the smoke cleared sufficiently
to enable me to see him he was
writhing in the agonies of death, anI
the blood was streaming from his
head.
waited until he was dead before I
ventured to approach him, and then the
odor was SO strong that it made me
deathly sick.
I had often met these land crocodiles
before, further up in the territory, but
had never seen one so large as this, al.
Z though when was on the reservation
with the Mescaleros they told me that
further south, in the Sierra Madre, the
monster often attained the length of
nine feet,
This one was at least seven feet in
length, and his sharp teeth were from
an inch to an inch and half long.
! contented myself with knocking out
Two OF the latter as trophy, and con-
sinuSa my Journey back to camp.
AL tne men were in when reached
.nele' ana all had been successful in the
nhn.. Ihey chaffed me good. d.naturedly
poul my non-success, as we gathered
mouna the camp fire after supper, and
GHs Sas ooiiged to produce the teeth of the
tha a monster in selfdefense, and tell
sue story OF my adventure.
-. never never saw but one Gila monster in
.;;t;n, ;e, SAD kickapoo Jim, who was
h;n Deside me, "and I'll never forget
taa, 70 you see this SCARF" he con
;nn ;, s. oat,ne his left arm, and show
i The ahnni5a, scar extending nearly from
wbers o sIoulder ba ni to the elbow. "fhere's
lucky to ~ oat uaeWed ms me, and felt mighty
Tell us about It'll" We cr;aa >.
6 rus, and drew closer around the g. firo ono-
"a ltss not much of a storu - ie. e.
& shall have i. 90 ~ is you
ut was eight years ago, if rema.n
Der rightly, when it all happened ems wns
at 81 Paso, and was engaged by a nor.s WAS
OF prospectors to guide them into pa thS ~
Sierra Madre, where they had eae an
a; aaea that there was plenty OF gold and nd
We were well outfitted, and crossino o
me Ilver, took a course due west. aim.
II lug TO ostrike the head of Lake Guziman
M From the lake we shaped our course
southwest, and after two days. travel
n struck the mountaine. e'
: we established camp at place
wnere the boss prospector though. there
were mineral Indications, and while the
rest OF the outfit wan5araJ aHs