Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-04-22
A BRAVE SCOUT.
Bully Longs Thrilling Adventures Among
the Indians.

Bully Longs Thrilling Adventures Among
the Indians.
One Of the best known characters In
southern Arizona, writes Tucson cores
pondent of tbs New York World, is Billy
Long, one of tie pluckisst little scouts that
ever pumped lead" into band OF blood
thirsty, thrOatcutting Indians. He was
with Capt. Lswton, who rounded up that
willy red-skinned diplomat, Geronimo,
and did such splendid service during the
almost endless chase after the Apache chief
that he was specially mentioned in the
official report Of the campaign.
The Little Scout" as he is sometimes
called, Is q Texan by birth, and IS far
back as be can remember be has been on
the frontier driving cattle, fighting Indi-
ans and playing hide-and-seek with nature
in search of precious metals. He Is still
young, being only % years old, yet he has
the reputation of being quick on the trig-
ger, and il is said he never misses what he
draws on.
Several years sgo, when that well-known
great effort to develop the silver mines Of
northern Mexico, he employed Billy to
drive stage running between the city OF
Hermosillo and one OF his mining camps
in the Canonea mountains, and also to act
as wagon-master for bullion trains coming
in from the mines. Billy was employed
in this capacity in the spring of 1885, at
which time Geronimo and his band
of renegade Apaches started on their
bloody raid through Sonora The news
of the fresh Indian outbreak was tele-
xraphed from Arizona TO Charlie Benham
at Hermoslllo, aud he knew at once that
his camp in the Cauonea mountains would
be one Of the first places raided, rs it was
situated in the very heart Of an old Apache
stronghold. An Indian outbreak had not
been expected, and the men at the mines
had only few guns, and were 10 utter
ignorance of the impending dargsr. No
time was to be lost, as the Indians were
known to be heading South and travelling
day and night.
Selecting two of the best horses in his
corral, Benham had one Of them loaded
with Winchester rifles, Colt revolvers and
ammunition, and begged Bill to make all
haste in reaching the unsuspecting miners
in the mountains. It was 8 long, lone
some ride, through rugged county, bat
Billy was eager to make the trip. He had
passed over the trail 80 often that every
landmark was familiar to him, and be
aridsd himself that he could find his way
on the darkegt night. He set out from
Hermosillo late IN the afternoon.
Ali that nig BIT he rode and the next day
and the next night, never stopping to sleep
or give his animals a moments rest. On
the morning nf the second day be reached
the foothills OF the Canones mountains,
twelve miles from the camp. His horses
were badly jsded and he was beginning to
feel the effechs of his long ride himself A
small water. hole was reached, where there
was an Abundance Of grass, and he stopped
aud let his horses Craze an hour or two
Leisurely he s4ddied up and was just pre-
pairing to mount, when be noticed his horse
was watching something in the distance.
Billy turned in the direction the horse
was looking and discovered q band Of Indi-
ans scarcely llf mile away, coming over
A low hill which had hitherto shut them
ont from view. The Indians were net
long in sighting him, and began spreading
ont to encircla him. Billy OWNED their
intention, and, knowing that an open fight
against such odds would be certain death,
mounted his horse and started on dead
run toward the meath of big canyon,
through which passed the trail leading up
TO the mining camp. For some minutes
there was an exciting chase, with Billy In
the lead and The Apaehes rapidly gaining.
His horses we're too badly tired to hold out
long. He knew the animals if left to them
selves would make their way to camp, and,
dismOunting at the mouth Of the canyon,
pulled the brides of the horses, and, Civ
ing each one q sharp blow with the reins,
headed them for camp.
The Indians, who had been watching
closely all tn & was taking place, saw Billy
was going TO make the fight, and dis
mounted. U nder cover of rocks and bush
es they began to close in on the pile oil
rocks where ne had taken refuge. This
was by no means Billy's first fight with the
Apaches, and he knew just what to ex-
pect- He knew they would keep them
selves carefully concealed and wait to catch
him of his. guard, and he determined to
fight them according to their own tactics
He succeeded in making his way unobsery.
ed to high pile of rocks further up the
canyon, and rom this point he got bet
tar view of what was going on below.
Soon he discovered an Indian creeping
along under cover of little knoll.
The chance could not be missed and,
with the sharp crack of the little scouts
Winchester, u good Apache died. A vol
lev from all sides answered the shot, but
the bullets only fattened on the rocks
close around and, without harming him,
suug unpleasantly close to his ears. Fer
three hours this trying fight kept up,
when the elaiter of hoofs up the canyon
told that aid was coming, and the Indians,
who were not to be taken by surprise,
hastily made ca, carrying o number OF
dead bucks with them.
Billy's timely arrival saved many miners
who were scattered around through the
mountains from being surprised and muir
dered. The Indians continued to hover
around the place, and it was unsafe for
anyone 10 venture outside OF abode walls.
Soon after the first Indian raid Benham
yas murdered in Hermosillo by one OF
his drivers, and this event, coupled with
the uncertainty of life in the noun
taips, causei the Csnones mines to be
abandoned. Billy, being out Of employ
ment. asked Cor and received q position as
scout and guide for the forces which had
beeu sent in pursuit of Geronimo. While
serving as courier for Lawton's famous b
troop, of the 4th cavalry, be attracted the
attention of army officers by the daring
rides which I've made alone through noun
tain ranges which were known TO be full Of
hostile Indians. He was sent on many
dangerous m ssions, and, although he had
some very narrow escapes, he was fortu'
nate enough to pass through the campaign
unharmed.
On one occasion Billy, with two Other
scouts and four soldiers, was sent from
Fort Huaehuca, in Pima county, Arizona,
TO ioin Lswton's command, which was
supposed to be somewhere In the Azul
mountains in Sonora. One OF the soldiers
was n half-hreed Sioux, who had just en-
listed in the southwest and been sent down
10 ioin the fourth cavalry. Al the post the
fellow was 80 unruly that everybody was
II r n "A a.