Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1886-11-10
AMONG THE APACHES.

AMONG THE APACHES. |
The Most Pitiless and Most |
Cowardly OF All Indians.
Hardy and Swi't.Footed, But Fighting
Only When tho Odds Favor Them.
A regular army officer was asked by
Detroit Free Press representative
"Why is it hard to capture an Apache1"
Because" tho officer replied, "thcy
can live on cacti or anything, and they
can get along for days on little or
no food. They are swift of foot and
have remarkable lung power. One
time l saw young Apache run
up mountain some 500 feet and back
again just as quickly as ho could. The
trip was climb, seemingly quite pcrpcn-
dicular, which you couldn't have accom-
plishcd at all, and to go up in a zlg-zag
course you would require half day.
Before this young Apache started one
rcgimcntal ranger noted his pulse and
respiration, and after he had made the
climb and returned he again noted the
pulse without discovering the slightest
change. 1t is simply wonderful the lung
power and physical endurance they have.
They can. climb, they can run very
swiftly, they carry heavy loads, they
make enormous jumps, they will cling
to the side Of precpicc, they will hang
on the under side of ledge like bat,
they swim like fish and burrow like go
phers,in in short they are absolute children
OF nature except in one particular.
"What is thatW
"They are towards and won't fight
fairly. They take no chances in fight.
They will get upon a high point IN the
mountains where they can see over the
plains for twenty-five Or thirty miles.
Presently they will sec pcrhapsa solitary
mail carrier coming with his buck board.
They know at once the road he must
take. There may be score of Apachcs
in the band, enough to cope with five or
six mail carriers, but they take no
chances. They go down to the road the
solitary mail carrier must pass ever and
they not only sccrctc themselves, but
they train their muskets -, fastening
them by means OF crossed sticks-all to
n certain point which that mail carriers
body must pass. Then they lie silently,
for hours perhaps, until their prey comes
along. The instant the mans body
reaches that point and when he sees,
hears or suspects nothing, they fire to.
gether and he falls dead, riddlcd with
bullets. Thoy always fight with the
odds thousand to one in their favor
Whenever the tide turns in the least
against them, they scatter and run, and
one might rs well chase the wind rs at
tempt to overtake and capture them"
"Did you ever sec any such instanccl"
Exactly such a case as l have just de-
scribed took place within mile and a
half of Fort Bowie While l was
stationed at Fort Bowie tho sQuaws
began coming into the reservation. That
was conclusive evidence that peace was
to be observed, and that season was the
first time in years that it had been safe
for white man to 90 out alone. Oac
day Maj. Summer and myself went out
with squads of men to get some timbcrs
and century plant for roofs TO our quar-
tcrs. There were fifteen men--includ-
ing nephew OF Cochise--in our party,
and we went six miles up canyon.
After getting what We went af-
ter we separated in pairs and hunted in
different localities for game. Presently
we noticed on the mountain above our
heads, here and there, an Indian dodging
along-I just relate this incident to show
how cowardly the Apachcs are in their
methods of fighting. We'll, every now
and then we would see an Indian and
accordingly we called our party-only
fifteen of us, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS again.
Then Cochsc's nephew said the Indians
belonged to Gcronimo's band, and he
gave the tribes call which was answered.
Finally, after considerable coaxing, we got
three of the Indians to come down to
us. They told us there we're 20G Indians
following us down the canyon. We
kept together and made our way down
the canyon until we reached the open
plain and then we felt safe. We knew
they wouldn't dare attack us there.
Then, too, We found the report as to
numbers was true, for all over the mouth
of the canyon we could see the sneaking
rascals as they made contcmptuous sig
nails to us"