Connecticut western news., 1886-11-17
AMONG THE APACHES.
The Nest Pitiless and Most Cowardly of All Indians.
Hardy and Swi t.Footed, But Fighting
 Only When the Odds Favor Them.

Hardy and Swi t.Footed, But Fighting
 Only When the Odds Favor Them.
 A regular army officer was asked by a Detroit Free Press representative: ''Why is it hard to capture an Apache2'
 Because" the officer replied, "they can live on cacti or anything, and they can get along for days on little or no food. They arev swift of foot and have remarkable lung power. One time l saw a young Apache run up mountain some 800 feet and back again just as quickly as he could. The trip was climb, seesssugay quite perpen- dicular, which you couldn't have accom- plished at all, and to go up in q zlg-zag course you would require half a day. Before this young Apache started one regimental 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. It 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 precipice, they will hang on the under side of ledge like bat, they swim like fish and burrow like go- phers, in short they are absolute children of nature except in one particular.
 "What is that3"
 "They are towards and won't fight fairly. They take no chances in fight. They will get upon high point Tn the mountains where they can see over the plaos for twenty-five or thirty miles. Presently they will see perhaps solitary mail carrier coming withtlis blackboard. They know at once the road he must take. There may be score of Apaches in tho band, enough tk cope with five or six mail carriers, but they take no chances. They go down tostds road the solitary mail carrier must pass ever and they not only secrcte themselves, but they train their muskets = fastening them by means of crossed sticks-all to certain point which that mail carriers body must pass. Then they lie silently, for hours perhaps, until their prey comes 1 alcng. The instant the mans body reaches that point and when he sees, hears or suspects nothing, they fire to- gethcr and he falls dead, riddled with bullets. They 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 as we'll chase the wind as at- tempt to overtake and capture them." "Did you ever sec any such instance?" Exactly such case as have just de- scribed took place within a mile and a half of Fort Bowie. While I was stationed at Fort Bowie the squaws began coming into the reservation. That was conclusive evidence that peace was to be observed, and that season was tho first time in years that it had been safe for white man to go out alone. Oat day Maj. Summer and myself went out with squads of men to get some timber. and century plant fer roofs to our quar- ters. There were fifteen men--includ ing a nephew ot Cochise-;n our party and we went six miles up a canyon After getting what we went af ter we separated in pairs and hunted i, different localities for game. Present., we noticed on the mountain above ou heads here and there, an Indian dodg gins along-1 just relate this incident to shov how cowardly the Apaches arc in thei methods of fighting. Well, every nov and then we would see an Indian an, accordingly VIC called our party-onl
 fifteen of us, remember-togethera again Then Cochise's nephew said the Indian belonged to Geronimo's band, and h gave the tribes call which was answered Finally, after considerable coaxing, we go three of the Indians to come down t us. They told us there were 2O6 Indian
 following us down the canyon. w
 kept together and made our way dow
 the canyon until we reached the ope
 plain and then We felt safe. We kne,
 they wouldn't dare attack us the1,
 Then, too, we found the report as numbers was true, for all over the mout
 of tine canyon we could sec the sneakin , rascals as they made contemptuous sig | nals to uSo