The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-12-25
CUP OF WATER.
Youths Companion.

Youths Companion.
The Apaches are the most subtle
Indians on the American Continent.
Time and again they have outwltted
the veteran compaigners sent against
them; and the skilful scouts, who have
won their spurs elsewhere, have been
completely unhorsed by those peerless
knights Of the plains.
Some years ago, when a lieutenant
of cavalry, commanded the escort OF
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 I add that we rode over a
perfectly dry and level prairie,
with only the blue line of
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
a half mile to the rear, and with our
selves on the alert, we are utterly out
witted, and our friends disastrously
;ambuscaded. '-
We rode within q hundred yards of
a large force of dismounted Indians
without once suspecting the astonish-
ing fact. Some time later, when we
were startled by sudden firing behind
us, welooked back and saw our friends
engaged in fierce fight with party
of Apaches. Where the swarthy as
sailants came from passed conjecture.
The country, for miles in every direc
tion, as I have said, was bl1stered
plain. A jack rabbit would have been
detected, as he whisked like a ray of
light across the yellow surface, and
yet more than a score ofwarriors had
hidden themselves from our sight when
scarcely 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 Il cloud ofdust. We
kept up running fight for several
miles, but the raiders, a number of
whom had secured horses, got away
without losing a stolen animal, OF
leaving wounded warrior behind.
The Apaches, as we afterward learn
ed, knowing the route we were to 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 fiat and
motionless. The dry, stunted grass
was gathered about their heads and
shoulders with such deftness that, as
I have shown, we rode by the party
without the slightest suspicion of dan
ger.
In the autum of 1882, Captain
Arthur Burnham and fourteen
.cavalrymen, accompanied. by the
young son OF the officer, were
riding at a leisurely pace along thefoot-
hills to the vest Of the San Francisco
mountains, which for many miles ex-
The Gila range lay far to the west, and
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
weak in numbers, Captain Burnham
hic rxyl,ao1a1 fhoi,, 1e,
charged as far as they could be forced,
ed among the boulders.
The warriors numbered only six who,
finding they could not hold their
ground, turned and fled. Several were
struck, but all escaped, excepting one
who was made captive.
The taking of Indian prisoners isno1
a popular occupation onthe border
and it may be doubted whether Cap
kain Burnham would have followed
the course which he did, but for pecu
he fixed his attention was an Indian
lad no more than Is or 16 years O
age. He was crouching behind a rock
which partly sheltered him, and re
manned there until the captain wa
WlUnH twenty pstCeS. LIS oheu AOoo "
ibis feet, took deliberate aim, and pull
ed the trigger of his gun.
An extraordinary occurrence save'
the life of the officer. During the brie
but lively skirmish, the hammer of tn
young Apache's rifle was broken by
STRAY bullet, without the owner dis
covering the fact. His companion
had fed, when he cody levelled hi
piece and attempted to fire. The sof
Click of the hammer followed, but ther
was no re~~ It. With the e - wor