The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-04-28

dWdy, COullHS ONcE d IOW 11llI WHICH had hitherto shut them out from view. The Indians were not long in sighting him, and began spreading out to encircle him. Billy diVined their intentions, and, knowing that an open fight against such odds would be cer- tain death, mounted his horse and started on a dead run towards the mouth ot a big canon, 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 Apaches rapidly gaining. His horses were too badly tired to hold out long. He knew the animals, if left to themselves, would make their way to the camp, and dis mounting at the mouth of the canon, pulled the bridles off the horses, and giving each one sharp blow with the reins, headed them for camp.
 The Indians, who had been watch ing closely all that was taking place, saw Billy was going to make fight and dismounted. Under cover of rocks and bushes, they began to close in on the pile of rocks where he had taken refuge. This was by no means Billy's first fight with Apaches, and he. knew just what to expect. He knew they would keep themselves carefully con- cealed, and wait 10 catch him off his guard, and he determined to fight them according to their own tactics. He succeeded in making his way un- observed to high pile of rocks farther up the canon, and from this point he got better view of what was going on below. Soon he dis covered an Indian creeping along un- der cover of little knoll.
 The chance could not be missed, and with the sharp crack of the little scouts Winchester a good Apache died. A volley from all sides answered the shot, but the bullets only flattened on the rocks close around, and without harming him sang unpleasantly close to his ears. For three hours this trying fight was kept up, when the chatter of hoofs up the canon told that aid was coming, and the Indians, who were not to be taken by surprise, iootAlJ DAuOC O1S Cd1l luS du of dead bucks with them.
 Billy's timely arrival saved many miners who were scattered around through the mountains from being surprised and murdered. The Indians continued to hover around the place, and it was unsafe for any one to ven- ture outside of the adobe walls. Soon after the first Indian raid Benham was murdered in Hermosillo by one of his drivers, and this event, coupled with the uncertainty of life in the noun tains, caused the Canonea mines to be abandoned. Billy, being out of em- ployment, asked for and received a position as scout and guide for the forces which had been in suit of Ger onimo. While serving as courier for Lawton's famous B Troop of the Fourth Cavalry he soon attracted the attention of army officers by the dar- ing rides he made alone through mountain ranges which were known to be full of hostile Indians. He was sent on many dangerous missions, and, i, although he had some very narrow es- capes, he was fortunate enough to pass through the campaign unharmed.
 On one occasion Billy, with two other scouts and four soldiers, was sent from Fort Huachuca, in Pima county, Ariz., to join Lawton's con- mand, which was supposed to be somewhere in the Azul mountains, in Sonora. One of the soldiers was a half breed Sioux, who had enlisted in the northwest and was sent down to join the Fourth Cavalry. At the post the fellow was SO unruly that every one was glad to get rid of him, and it was hoped that some hard experience in actual service would quiet him down. He had hardly got out of sight of the fort before he became very bOis- terous, refused to recognize any ones authority and made himself generally disagreeable. He brought along with him two bottles of whisky, which he frequently sampled, and at the end of the first days journey he was in a beastly state of intoxication. He did not change his conduct the next day or the day following, and every body began to feel that matters were ap- preaching 8 crisis. The heart of the Indian country had been reached, and there were fresh signs on every side. The utmost caution was necessary, but Billy's best laid plans were continu- ally frustrated by the half breed. He was jeopardizing the lives of the whole party.
 To quiet matters down Billy or- dered him to fall back in the rear of the party, and to keep in that posi- tion during the balance of the way. He obeyed with evident reluctance, and it was evident that he was bent on mischief of some kind. Presently he gave loud Sioux warhoop which | could be heard mile aWay. and nut