Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-10-30
A CUP OF WATER. !
Youths Companion.

Time and again they have outwitted
the veteran compaigners sent against
them; and the skilful scouts, who have
won their spurs elsewhere, have been
completely endorsed by those peerless
knights OF the plains.
Some years ago, when q lieutenant
OF cavalry, I commanded the escort o.
a little train on it's way through the
eastern portion Of Arizona from New
Mexico. We were in the Apache coun
try, and consequently were without
any excusefor being taken of our guard
When | add that we rode over a
perfectly dry and level prairie
with only the blue line oil
the Zuni Mountains visible
against the distant horizon, it will be
supposed that the last danger we had
to fear was from the red men. All
our company were Indoldian fighters;
but while We were passing across the
parched plain, with the cattle train
half mile to the rear, and with our
selves on the alert, we are utterly out
wltted, and our friends disastrously
ambuscaded.
We rode within q hundred yards OF
large force of dismounted Indians
without once suspecting the astonish-
ing TACT. Some time later, when We
were startled by sudden firing behind
as, welooked back and saw our friends
engaged in fierce fight with a party
OF Apaches. Where the swarthy as
sailants came from passed conjecture.
The country, for miles in every direc-
ton, as have said, was clustered
plain. a jack rabbit would have been
detected, as he whisked like ray of
light across the yellow surface, and
yet more than q score OF warriors had
hidden themselves from our sight when
scarcely q stones throw away. -
We dashed back to the help of the
endangered horsemen, but before we
could reach them several were badly
wounded, and the cattle were skurry-
ing southwark in u cloud of dust. We
kept up a running fight for several
miles, but the raiders, a number of
whom had secured horses, got away
without losing o stolen animal, or
leaving a wounded warrior behind.
The ApaChes, as We afterWard learn.
ed, knowing the route we wereto take
stretched themselves on the ground
along the trail. Their scant clothing,
and their bodies were the color Of the
earth upon which they lay fat and
motionless. The dry, stunted grass
Was gathered about their heads and
shoulders with such dizziness that, as
have shown, we rode by the party
without the slightest suspicion OF dan
ger.
In the autumn OF 1882, Captain
Arthur Burnham and fourteen
cavalrymen, accompanied by the
young son Of the officer, were
riding at a leisurely pace along the foot
hills to the west of the San Francisco
mountains, which for many miles ex-
tend between New Mexico and Arizona.
The ella range lay far to the west, and
the destination of the little company
was Fort Apache, half hundred miles
to the northwest.
The squad was fired upon from the
rocks, and one of the soldiers was
wounded. Suspecting, from the sound
OF the guns, that their assailants We're
weak in numbers, Captain Burnham
and his men wheeled their animals,
charged as far as they could be forced,
and then, leapins to the ground, dash
ed among the boulders.
The warriors numbered only six who,
finding they could not hold their
ground, turned and fed. Several were
struck, but all escaped, excepting one,
who was made captive. a. -
The taking Of Indian prisoners is not
q popular occupation on the border,
and it may be doubted whether Cap.
tain Burnham would have followed
the course which he did, but for pecu-
liar reasons. The Apache upon whom
he fixed his attention was an Indian
lad no more than Is or is years o.
age. He was crouching behind a rock,
which partly sheltered him, and re,
manned there until the captain was
within twenty PAGES. He then rose to
his feet, took deliberats aim, and pull
ed the trigger of his gun. n.
An extraordinary occurrences sayed
the life Of the officer. During the brief
but lively skirmish tho hammer Of the
young Apache's rifie vas broken BY 3
stray bullet, wit npt the owner dir
covering the fact. His companions
had fled, When he cody levelled his
piece and ATTEMPTED TO fire. The soft
click OF the hammer followed butthere
was no report. yith the same won
derful self-p osse ron, 1e lowered the
weapon, glanced down, and observing
The cause of thu failure, Hung il aside
and turned to ran. 7;5
Don 4 shootil &, routed thecapt ain.
Hes mine" Al
The officer Va unusu NY fleet of
foot, andhaYing lesped from the sid
gle, he ran alter the Yo,ing IndianI
with the in1pettiosity q panthar:
Yet with al his cleveraes onld'
have failed, but ior aslot hsr ctlri Ions
Mishap The InOcc1 IN The apache
slipped on asstones III 0lled under
hin, and liz fell a i silla aes
mp again kke u 81. fhe septsin|
struck him bet ~ 1, ell1
n q him suras liia6 III l d 4 -
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