Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1886-11-19
AMONG THE APACHES.
The Most Pittless 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
Detroit Free Press representative:
"Why is it hard to capture an Apachep
Because" the officer replied, 'they
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 saw a young Apache run
up mountain some 500 feet and back
again just as quickly as he could. The
trip was a climb, seemingly quite perpen-
dicular which you couldn't have accom-
plished at all, and to go up in zlg-zag
course you would require half a day.
Before this young Apache started one
regimental hanger 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 precipice, they will hang
on the under side of ledge like bat,
they swim like fish and burrow like go
pliers, in short they are absolute children
of nature except in one particular.
''What is that"
"They are towards and won't fight
fairly. They take no chances in a fight.
They will get upon high point In the
mountains where they can see over the
plains for twenty-five or thirty miles.
Presently they will see perhaps solitary
mail carrier coming with his buck board.
They know at once the road he must
take. There may be a score Of Apaches
In the band, enough to cope with five or
six mail carriers, but they take no
chances. They 60 down to the road the
solitary mail carrier must pass over and
they not only secrete themselves, but
they tram their muskets - fastening
them by means of crossed sticks-aIl to
a certain point which that mail carriers
body must pass. Then they lie silently,
Tor hours perhaps, until their prey comes
al ng. The instant the mans body
reaches that point and when he sees.
hears or suspects nothing, they fire to-
gether and he falls dead, riddled witl,
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 well chase the wind as at
tempt to overtake and capture them.
, 'Did you ever see.any such instancer
Exactly such a case as have just de-
! scrbed took place within a mile and a
! half of Fort Bowie. While l was
stationed at Fort Bowie the squaws
began coming into the reservation. That
, was conclusive evidence that peace was
e to be observed, and that season was the
a first time in years that it had been safe
for a white man to 90 out alone. OlC
! day Mai. Summer and myself went out
e with squads Of men to get some timbcn
and century plant for roofs to our quar-
II ters. There were fifteen men--includ
ing a nephew OF Cochise-in our party
4 and we went six miles up canyon
i After getting what We went af
. ter we separated in pairs and hunted il
4 different localities for game. Present.!
we noticed on the mountain above ou
q heads, here and there, an Indian dodgins
along-I just relate this incident to shov
~ how eowardly the Apaches arr in thei
/ methods of fighting. We'll, every nov
: and then we would see an Indian anC
accordingly we called our party-onl,
fifteen of us, emember-togethor again
r, Then Cochise's nephew said the Indian
!. belonged to Geronimos band, and h
10 gave the tribes call which was answered
II Finally, after considerable coaxing, we go
| three of the Indians to come down t
% us. They told us there we're 9O6 Indian
Q following US down the canyon. W
kept together and made our way dow
o the canyon until we reached the ope
plain and then we felt safe. We kne'
n they. wouldn't dare attack US there
n Then, too, we found the report as
If numbers was true for all over the mout
t of the canyon we could see the sneakin
le rascals as they made contemptuous sig
4 nails to US"