Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-04-08
From c. N. Holford's New Mexican
Sketches.
THE INTERPRETER.

III Las cruces anu MeSlild, lot au eA-
petition against the famous Apache
chief, Victorio.
An interpreter had seemed to be a
desirable addition to the expedition, for
Victoria or some of his band might
want to negotiate for surrender. An
Apache was not to be obtained for this
service. for Captain Parker had taken
every friendly buck as scout and
they were now eating government ra-
tons and drawing government pay in
some unknown locality. But fortune
seemed to favor the expedition, in the
person of an American who had few
months before come into the Valley from
the Tombstone district. He offered his
services to the expedition as Apache
interpreter. Being an American. he
spoke English, and, like every man
who had been some time on the south
western border, he spoke more or less
Spanish. Besides these, it is noticeable
that the only languages on earth he
didn't know were those spoken to some
extent in the Mesilla Valley-French
and German. His experiences in va
rious lines of business and in various
parts of the world, as related by him.
self to the inhabitants of the Valley,
aggregated from 112 to 1874 years (dif-
ferent tally-keepers reached different
results). AS he was rather below mid
dle-age. this aggregate was open to
doubt, and this doubt might extend to
his knowledge of languages. especially
Apache; but 1t didn't seem to. The
company trusted fully in his Apache
language.
On the third day out, the company
was pretty well up in the foothills of
the Mimbres Mountains, when their adj
vanced skirmishers discovered an APP
ache on projecting rock far above
them. From his gestures he evidently
wished to parley, but they could not
understand the words he shouted to
them. The Captain, seeing how mat
tiers stood, sent forward the Interpreter
to parleY. That individual, with very
evident unw;llingness, advanced to the
side of one of the skirmishers.
''Ask him what he wants." shouted
the Captain to the Interpreter.
"Root-ti-toot, tat-ti-tat, moot, moot,
noot!" shouted the Interpreter, in a
deep theatrical voice. gesturing to the
Apache, who shouted something in re-
turn.
What does he say nowp" asked the
Captain.
"He says he's cold and wants a
blanket answered the Interpreter.
The sun was beating down fiercely
upon the rocks and the temperature
was about eighty in the shade; besides,
the Apache is not delicate creature
anyway. But the Captain thought he
would humor the Indian, so he called
out:
"Tell him to come down and we'll
give him one"
Root ti-tat-tat, rat-ti-tat, moot,
nootr' shouted the Interpreter.
The Apache made some diabolically
sounding noises, but whether in reply
or NOT yyas dOuhtful
What does he say now?" asked the
Captain.
"He says he's afraid we'll kill him if
he comes down." replied the Interpret
er.
''Tell him we'll kill him if he don'tr
said the Captain.
"Root-ti-toot. latitat, moot, noot"
shouted the Interpreter.
The Apache seemed to have enough
of the nonsense, for he quickly raised
his rifle and fired, and darted like a
lizard behind rock.
The bullet whispered it's brief mes
sage in the Interpreters ear, so to
speak, and passed on. The Interpreter
fell backward, rolled down the hill a
few yards, then regained his feet and
hurried back to the company.
II reckon you can 90 back to the set
Elements and start now. Rations are
getting scarce and we can make use of
yours, but | don't see as we have any
more use for you?" said the Captain.
"Why?" asked the man of many
languages.
sob! I've learned the Apache N.Y.
self" replied the Captain.
"What! already?"
ooh! yes; it's the simplest thing I
ever heard root-ti-toot, rat-ti-tat, moot
moot"
That it exactly" said private Col.
Jones. 81 would never have thought
so simple language was equal to all
the emergencies of love and war. to say
nothing of draw poker Oh! no; we
don't want an interpreter now"
"Vamos." said the Captain, with a
significant gesture.
The Interpreter, with the whisper of
the Apache's bullet still in his ear. de-
parted willingly if not proudly in the
direction of Meslla.
After the return of the volunteers. in
the bar-rooms of the Valley. when
someone was telling tough and rather
egotistical story. it was considered a
neat and delicate way of questioning its
veracity to shout, "Root-ti- foot, tat-tat!
What does he say now?"
SPANISH IN FICTION.
One of the most remarkable curiosi-
ties of literature is the alleged Spanish
which runs in broad veins and lies in
rich pockets through all the strata of
the fiction relating to Mexico and our
Southwestern border, whether that fic-
ton is in the form of novels or newspa-
per correspondence, magazine sketches