The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-08-25
An Adventure at Zuni.

LII tuc uOTtuNceIcTH COTucl VI ANC"
MeM c.; and nesting in one of the fertile
valleys that dot those great deserts, i
found the Indian village of Zuni. Around
it are oh table-lands and those
"buttes' so peculiar to the West, ano
not far away the horizon is bounded by
the Zuni Mountains part Of the great
continental backbone. Emigrants have
gradually settled wherever fertile val
ley has invited plowshsre, o: a grassy
hillside ranch, bat this reservation ha:
for the most part remained intact.
The village where the Zuni formerly
dwelt was built upon the top of butte
which stands near by in the reservation.
It was an impregnablc stronghold, and
for untold centuries these people held it
against the hostile tribes aro nd them.
The meadows along the :i:er at the foot
of the butte supple their wants with
little labor, and as fast as the harvests
ripened, they were slowed away in tn:
grsuaries upon the top of the mountain.
But in their security they lost their war
like qualities, and just in proportion as
agriculture and the ruder arts progressed
among them, they have grown less saw
age 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 on ladder, and then draws
it up after him. The dwellings were so
constructed at first as precaution
against enemies, and even now, with all
the protection the Federal Government
can give, the custom is often useful, as
the following incident will show.
In August, 1881, party of young men
connected with the Territorial surveys
was stationed for several weeks at this
place. The day before their arrival a
band of maraudiug Mexiclns had crossed
the border, and made a raid upon the
adjacent ranches, and driven away some
ponies and cattle. TIE Zuni, having re-
co7ered from their fright as soon as the
Mexicans disappeared with the booty,
had hastily summoned their white neigh
Dor and were organizing fo: pursuit.
But there were only a few g cd weapons
In the whole parry, and when the young
men arrived with their rifles and heavy
revolvers, they were requested to lend
them to the Zuni Indians during the few
days necessary for pursuit. Owing to
the bad feeling which universally pre-
walls against the thieving border Mex
leans, and the hospitable reception which
had been accorded 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 revolvcrs, 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 skctching the quaint OBJ
jects around them, they were startled
suddenly by woman bowling and
screaming from one of the housetops.
Immediately the cry was caught up and
repeated, as other women hurried out
upon their houses, until it seemed that
the whole town had gone mad. From
one end of the village to the other arose
the cries; eight hundred women and
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 women had cspied them some dis
tance 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
war paint, left their reservation in Lin
coin county, and were out on raid.
They were coming now to butcher the
defenceless women and children, and
carry off whatever plunder 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 defence could
halls dozen boys, armed with revolvers,
make against seven times that number Of
men2
But one young fellow, whom we will
call Stonewall W, demonstrated so We
hemently against desc. ting the women
and children that the rest of the party
yielded, and they resolved to remain and
make wrat defence they could. Hastily
collecting their weapons and ammunition
they climbed upon one of the highest
houses in the village, and drew the lad
der after them. There, sheltered behind
the raised drfcnces of the roof, they
would be most secure, and able to do
some damage to the asailants.
The party of Araches could be seen
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.
1t is no disparagement to those young
men to say that they were thoroughly
frightened. 1t is one thing to read of
brave deeds and danger faced while
seated safely at homo, bat quite another
to find yourself in the heart of wild
country, with two sore of painted saw
ages creeping upon you. 1t was not
death alone that Apaches might infict,
but torture and mutilation too horrible
to mention.
1t is doubtful if there exists people
more devoid of human feeling, more
cruel and fendish, than these Apache
Indians. Formerly, in their long marches
across the country, they would kill the
old and inirm when they began to i'm
pede their progress; and on one occasion,
when a squaw could carry no more OF
her husbands trappiugs on account OF
the pappoose in her arms, tic father took
the child from her, and swinging it
about him by the heels, dashed its head
spainst the ground: then pointing to his