Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-13

lodge him, and sent the disciplined
troops, crippled and decimated, flying
back to the forts along the Missouri and
the Platte. He laughed in diabolical
eXultation at the frantic retreats of his
~blue-coated enemies. All such under
takings only resulted in rich harvests
of blood, plumber and scalps for the
wild myrmidons Of the fierce Apache
king.
But so much for Cochise. In July,
1874, q band Of maraudlng Apaches
stampeded Il lot Of government stock at
Fort Larned, on the Zuni river. Cen
eral Schoield was in command OF the
department then and ordered lmmedi-
ate pursuit, and a troop of cavalry under
Captain Ralston-I will call him by
that name-started after the bold red
skins. guided by a Mojave scout, known
to the soldiers as HassabOtch.
For two days they rode hard, unre-
mittingly almost, and yet 1T was a long
distance to the Chiricahuas, but from
the numerous indications, Captain Raj
ston knew that the ponies of the Indians
we're sorely jaded and he was confident
of overhauling them somewhere upon
the broad desert of the ella. If such
were not the case the only alternative
for them was to leave the dangerous
territory in all haste, ere Cochise could
marshal his faithful braves. To be
hemmed in amidst the grim Chirica-
huis by the Apaches meant nothing
short of total annihilation to the valiant
troop.
At last the ella desert was reached,
and expecting to shortly overhaul the
cnomy, the cavalry, with Captain Raj
ston and Hassobotch at their head,
struck boldly out upon the arid waste.
About MONDAY they reached a
stunted chaparral of scraggy cactus,
acacia and crcosote, an d drawing rein,
were slowly jogging around it. when
suddenly they were brought to II halt.
Away to the southwark IL body Of
mounted men were seen approaching.
They we're lndiaus-there was no dis
putting that poiut, but whether
Apaches, or n val party of some other
nomadic tribe, hostile to the Apaches,
and not the government, H~ossobOtch
as yet could not determine. He could
see their stellated lance-headS glisten-
ing IN the sunshine, their feathered
crests rising and falling like the waves
of the ocean, and their long hair and
gaudy ralncnt haunting in the summer
breeze.
They rode promiscuously, following
the lead Of a single warrior, who, when
he reached a point several hundred
yards from the m%otionless and statues
que figures of the cayalrymen, uttered
the w~ell-knowp C~hiricahua shout of
Il
With the ringing alarm cry of his
nation Hassabotch unslung his carbine,
and standing almost erect in his stir
rups, and without waiting for a COM
mand to fire, sent a ball among the ad-
vancing throng. a prolonged SHREK
came from the Apache. party, and a
riderless mustang, kicking up his heels
and snorting wildly, dashed from out
the line as his master writhed in his
death-throes on the desert sands.
OF course the result was a pitched
battle, and to a~bbreviate, it is not nee
essary to state that the cavalry were
routed with heavy losses. The Apaches
seemed to spring out of the ground, and
had the soldiers dared contend with
them longer their fate would have been
total annihllatlon.
As 1t was, some ten or twelve were
killed, and Captain Ralston, q private
soldier, named Vorys, and H~assabotch,
the Mojave, we're taken prisoners.
Captain Etalston was knocked
from his horse by a rifle ball
that struck him In the side, producing,
however, but a slight wound. He made
no resistance when the Chiricahuas ran
upon HIM.
Hassabotch and vorys were taken