The Mineral argus., 1884-02-14
Captive Apaches.

The scalp-bearers had hardly passed
at Chihuahua, Mex. before there came
the squaws who had been taken. The
minute these bare-headed, dirty, home
ly, hard faced women were seen, the
cheering and the excitement increased,
while the boys in the street pressed
hard against the guards and tried to
strike at the wives Of those who had
killed and tortured their parents. broth
ers and sisters. Some of the prisoners
held their nursing babes in their arms
and needed only them. The biggest
nurselings, held as lovingly by their wild
mothers as ever the women of civil
ization hold their young in times of dan
ger, cried with fear, and even the food
their mothers offered them so piteously
did not serve to comfort them. 1t was
enough to make the heart ache to see
these ignorant mothers, hated and struck
at because born in a wilderness, and
wives of sayages, press their children to
their breasts and hold them awav from
the cruel hands outstretched to strike.
And yet so hated is an Apache that
every wall was hailed with Joy by the
friends of the victors. / saw not one
face among all the mothers there that
had pity written on it. Women held
their children up to see the ragged
squaws and laughed at thea unhappy
wives and cursed them. Chihuahua for
got It's Sunday and the people forgot
their religion. The spectacle was as bar
barous as that which must have been the
accompaniment OF Caesars entry int
| Rome, with the bleeding captives from
/ Cell fo1tnuUSpu hiu Uiafnrinrd nhQ EInf
Did any of those who looked upon these
poor women, who were doomed to live
hereafter in dreary prisons far away and
who marched now within hearing of the
bells which only a few hours ago hac
called the people to mass, stop to thinl
what their religion taught, or did thu
| clamor of the Spanish brass up there il
| the graceful towers only serve to drown
their reason and inflame their hate
The cathedral stood near by, the air wa
soft and beautiful, and still not on'
mother's heart apparently pitied o.
prayed for the unfortunate who marched
to a living death with the scalps OF thei
husbands swinging before them.
The spectacle was barbarous and in
human, and taught once more that vic
tory knows no pity and unchecked
hatred rules the day in times of wal
1 IhbCI Ons WICh bnO pAOOO6GAOA bNN
reached the plaza, the Mayor meets tn
ranchmen and welcomes them to thu
city and co~ngratulates them on thei
victory. At the end of this speech tn
band plays a march again; the bells ar
rung louder than ever, the dust is raise
in perfect clouds, and after circling ono
around the square the pageant passe
out of sight up the street. An hou
later, when the city was enjoying II
Sunday evening quiet, l met the ConsI
of the United States and asked him whs
became of the captured women.
"Fhey are confined in the fort at Yer
Cruz for life," he said.
"And the children2"
'sThey are given to whoever want
them, and are brought up as servants"
"Slaves, then, you mean?" l said.
"Hardly that. They will be paid wage
when they earn them, and such live
will be better for them, far better, tina
il they had eve been captured"
"The scalps-whatis done v 1th them!
I asked.
"The scaIps2 Why, the governmeI
Inv 3 them Every one brings 500
The Apache have long been the sccurg
of Northern Mexico"
Later still and | heard the bells calm
for prayers Entering the dimly-lighte
church, where patches ofyellow ligl
fell upon the bare floor of the place,
saw the Bonded forms ofthose who wer
lisping their prayers, and l wondered
they, so quiet now and SO devout, coul
be the same whom 1 had see so sho
a time ago shouting with delight at tn
!, sight of q few bloody scalps and a doze
footsore women, who had never seen
church nor had been allowed to worsh'
anything but q crying baby.--Corre'
+ pondence San Francisco Chronicle.