Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-10-24

tunate American, and said he was "muy
valente."
At his urgent demand, Lieut.. Wilder
withdrew his force to point ten miles
distant from Fronteras, but Captain Law
ton rested quietly where he was camped,
awaiting results. On the evening of the
22d of August two squaws came into
Fronteras, saying that Geronimo wanted
to talk with the Prefecto, and that he
would come in two days to meet him.
They wanted to make some purchases,
and the Prefecto, elated with his imagin-
ary success, allowed them to do so. He
had his plans made to promise Geronimo
any terms he asked for and to kill him
as soon as be was secured. He saw moth.
ing ahead but successful termination
of his treacherous plans. The squaws
were bountifully supplied with money,
and were allowed to buy whatever they
wished, but the American officers pres.
ent would not allow ammunition to be
sold them and kept close watch upon
their movements. Lieut.. Wilder bad a
talk with the squaws, and after telling
them how Geronimo was hemmed in on
all sides by troops, showed them the adj.
vantage which would be gained by the
band if they surrendered without further
resistance. These talks, which were re-
ported to Geronimo by the squaws, did
much toward showing him the hopeless
ness of his cause. After making their
purchases, the squaws left Fronteras
with the promise that Geronimo was to
meet tine Prefecto in two days. The
Americans suspected the demands of the
Prefecto and remained quietly in camp.
Two days elapsed and the Prefecto was
anxiously watching at the appointed
time and place to meet the willy Geroni-
mo, but, as was fully expected by the
Americans, Geronimo did not put in an
appearance, and short scout in the
mountains showed the disappointed
Mexican that his game had flown.
He promptly laid all the blame for his
failure on the American troops, claiming
that they had aided the hostiles in elud.
ing them, and without making any at.
tempt to follow the Indians headed his
force southwark and returned to Arispe
The prompt movement of American
troops toward Fronteras was not the
only means Of preventing the indians
from securing fresh supply of ammu,
milton, but it undoubtedly prevented an
other bloody raid into Arizona. The
march of General Forsythe to Fronteras
was one of the fastest cavalry marches
on record, and Lieutenant Wilder's
command made equally as good a one
The active efforts of the troops and then
rapid movements effectually prevented
Geronimo's band from moving north
ward.
While all this was going on Captain
Lawton was not idle. He kept posted,
through his scouts, as to what the hos
tiles were doing, and as soon as they
broke camp he did likewise, and was
once mere on their trail with thai
dogged perseverance which has char
acterized him during this whole cam
paign. Lieutenant Gatewood, with two
Chiricahua Indians and small escort,
first took the trail. Tom Horn, with
his Indian scouts, next followed, anc
Captain Lawton, with the cavalry, camt
in close upon their heels. The trail led
through the toughest portion of th,
Torres Mountains, and the route hat
evidently been selected with the view tt
render pursuit next to impossible. Gate
wood and Horn, with his Indian scouts
pressed forward as rapidly as possible
upon the trail.
Capt. Lawton, with the cavalry and
pack train, crossed the mountains to
Join them on the Bavispe river. but,
finding the trail he was on in an almost
impassable country, turned back the
pack train TO follow slowly by an easier
route while he, with a small escort,
went on to overtake the scouts. On the
second day Gatewood aud the scouts