The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-10-01


Dear violet. Did the Autumn bring
Thee vernal dreams, till thou, like me,
Didst climb to thy imagining!
Or was it that the thoughtful Spring
Did come again, in search OF thee!
The Century.
ATTACKED BY APACHES.
In the northwestern corner of New
Mexico, nesting in one of the fertile
valleys that dot those great deserts, is
found the Indian village of Zuni.
Around it are high table lands and
those "buttes' so peculiar to the west,
and not far away the horizon is bounded
by the Zuni mountains, part of the
great continental backbone. Emil
grants have gradually settled wherever
q fertile valley has invited plough
share or grassy hillside ranch, but
this reservation has for the most part
remained intact.
The village where the Zuni formerly
dwelt was built upon the top of a
butte which stands near by in the re-
servation. 1t was an impregnable
stronghold, and for untold centuries
these people held it against the hostile
tribes around them. The meadows
along the river at the foot of the butte
supplied their wants with little labor,
and as fast as the harvests ripened,
they were slowed away in the grana-
ries upon the top of the mountain.
But in their security they lost their war;
IKE qualities, and just in proportion
- agriculture and the ruder arts pro-
Eessed among them, they have grown
less savage 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 upon a ladder, and then
draws it after him. The dwellings
we're SO constructed at first as pre-.
caution 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 men con-
nected with the territorial surveys was
stationed for several weeks at this
place. The day before their arrival a
band of marauding Mexicans had
crossed the border, and made raid
upon the adjacent ranches, and driven
away some ponies and cattle. The
zuni, having recovered from their
fright as soon as the Mexicans disap-
peared with the booty, had hastily sum-
moned their white neighbors, and
we're organizing for pursuit.
But there were only few good
weapons in the whole party, and when
the young men arrived with their rifles
and heavy revolvers, they were re-
quested to lend them to the Zuni In
dians during the few days necessary
for pursuit. Owing to the bad feeling
which universally prevails against the
thieving border Mcxicans. and the hos
pitable reception which had been ac-
corded 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 revolvers, 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 sketching the
quaintobjects around them, they were
startled suddenly by a woman bowling
and screaming from one of the house
tops. Immediately the cry was caught
up and repeated, as other women hur-
ried out upon their houses, until it
| cd hot ba hr1o I,l
mad. From one end of the village to
the other arose the cries; eight hun
dred women and children bowling,
screaming, beating their breasts and
tearing their hair.
The young men gathered at thci1
camp in alarm, and inquired the cause
of the uproar. A band of Apaches was
coming! The woman had espied then
some distance 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 their war paint, left their reser.
vation in Lincoln county, and were out
on a raid. They were coming now tc
butcher the defenseless women and
children, and carry off whatever plum
der they could find.
There was hurried consultation
some OF the young men aaVlseu ina
they should mount their horses ant
escape as quickly as possible, leaving
the women and children to look out fol
themselves; for if they remained, wha
defense could half a dozen boys, armed
with revolyers, make against sever
times that number of men?