Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-09-30
ATTACKED BY APACHES.

In the northwestern corner of New
Mexico, nesting in one of the fertile
valleys that dot those great deserts, is
found the Indian village of Zuni.
Around it are high table lands and
those duties" so peculiar to the west,
and not far away the horizon is bounded
by the Zuni mountains, a part of the
great continental backbone. Emil
grants have gradually.settled wherever
a fertile valley has invited plough
share or grassy hillside ranch, but
this reservation has for the most part
remained intact.
The village where the Zuni formerly
dwelt was built upon the top of a
butte which stands near by in the re-
seryation. 1t was an impregnable
stronghold, and for untold centuries
these people held it against the hostile
tribes around them. The meadows
along the river at the foot of the butte
supplied their wants with little labor,
and Us fast as the harvests ripened,
| they were slowed away in the grana-
res upon the top of the mountain.
But in their security they lost their war
! like qualities. and just in proportion
a. agriculture and the ruder arts pro-
crossed among them. they have grown
less savage and more timid.
Their houses are built of stone and
sun-baked brick, with the entrance
through the roof just as they were a
thousand years ago. The householder
climbs up upon ladder, and then
draws it after him. The dwellings
were SO constructed at first as pre-
caution against enemies. and even now.
with all the protection the federal
government can give, the custom is
often useful, a. the following incident
| will show.
In August, 1881, party of men con-
nected with the territorial surveys was
stationed for several weeks at this
place. The day before their arrival a
band of marauding Mexicans had
crossed the border, and made a raid
upon the adjacent ranches, and driven
away some ponies and cattle. The
Zuni, having recovered from their
fright rs soon as the Mexicans disap-
peared with the booty, had hastily sum-
moned their white neighbors, and
were organizing for pursuit
But there were only few good
weapons in the whole party, and when
the young men arrived with their rifles
and heavy revolvers, they were re-
quested to lend them to the Zuni In
dians during the few days necessary
for pursuit. Owing to the bad feeling
which universally prevails against the
thicving border Mexicans. and the hos
pitable reception which had been ac-
corded the young men. they were
easily persuaded to lend their arms.
One of them however, refused to part
with his rifle, and several of them re-
tanned their revolvers, while allowing
the indians to take their other arms TO
aid in recapturing their property.
The following day, while the young
men were scattered about the town.
some reading, some sketching the
quaint objects around them, they were
startled suddenly by woman bowling
and screaming from one of the house
tops. lmme lately the cry was caught
up and repeated. as other women hur-
ried out upon their houses, until ii
seemed that the whole town had gone
mad. From one end of the village to
the other arose the cr'cS: eight hum
dred women AMI children bowling,
screaming, beating their breasts and
tearing their hair.
The young men gathered at their
camp in alarm. and inquired the cause
of the uproar. A band of Apaches was
coming! The woman had espied them
some distance down the river, creeping
stealthily upon the town. Evidently
they had learned that the men were
away, and, tired of being good, they had
put on their war paint, left their reser-
walton in Lincoln county, and were out
on raid. They were coming now to
butcher the defenseless women and
children, and carry off whatever plum
der they could find.
There was a hurried consultation.
Some of the young men advised that
they should mount their horses and
escape as quickly as possible, leaving
the women and children to look out for
themselves; for if they remained, what
: defense could half dozen boys, armed
with revolvers, make against seven
times that number of men?
But one young fellow, whom we will
call Stonewall W, demonstrated so
vehemently against deserving the
women and children that the rest of the
party yielded. and they resolved to re-
main and make what defense they
could. Hastily collecting their weap-
ons and ammunition, they climed up on
one of the highest houses in the village.
and drew the ladder after them. There,
sheltered behind the high dcfenses OF
the roof, they would be almost secure,
and able to do some damage to the as.
sailants.
The party of Apaches could be seer
plainly in the clear atmosphere of this
region yet some distance down the
river, but approaching still. one behind
the other, in true Indian file.
IL is not disparagement to those
young men TO say that they were thor.
oughly frightened. 1t Is one thing e
read of brave deeds and dangers faced
while seated safely at home, but quite
another to find yourself in the heart Of
a wild country, with two score of paint
ed savages creeping upon you. It wa.
not death alone that Apaches might
inflict but torture and mutilation toe
Horrible to mention.
1t is doubtful IL there exists peopl,
more devoid of human feeling, NOR,
cruel and fiendish, than these Apache
Indians Formerly, in their lon,
marches across the country, they woul,
kill the old and inirm when they begaI
to impede their progress; and on on
] occasion, when a squaw could carry NJ
more of her husbands trappings on &C