Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-17

up, tWlstlng, turning, painting and towing
our unlucky steeds by the bridal rein and
at last, about 10 o'clock, found ourselves on
the crest of the westermost spur of the
silently clambered to the point; the pack
mules followed the tinkling bell of their
lead horse and finally the whole command
was grouped along little mesa under the
cloudless and starry heavens-all but the
scouts. Long before they had begun to muir
mur and protest "Soldiers go too fast!
preposterouS statement as we could hardly
make two miles an hour.
HEAP SICK.
One after another they had slipped back
to the rear of the column, and when, pres
sentlv, they came wearily dragging up the
cliff and silently grouped themselves at the
brink. If was noticed that their sergeant"
was not there to answer questions He had
"gone home" one of them explained. Two
others were "heap sick" and could go no
/ farther. More than ever was it evident that
! for some reason they were mortally afraid
to 60 with this detachment. Never before
had 1 encountered any shirks or towards
among our scouts when we knew the hostile
| Apaches we're all around us. What then
could account for the utter weakening" of
| these fellows?
An hour later partial reason was mani
fest. Turning high, rocky spur we came
upon point from which we could see the
sky line to the northern horizon; and there
perhaps 20 miles away at the eastern edge
of the Indian reservation, glowed against
rocky wall, that hid it from all eyes in the
valley, huge signal fire throwing its glare
far across the Red Rock country and the
pine covered crests of the Black Mesa be-
yond.
I %l,oA ,ol,4 II e1S
ing down the Jagged sides OF dark CANYON,
Indians again hopelessly behind, we reached
sheltered spot where there was water and
grass for our stock, and here we rolled our
selves in our blankets and slept till dawn
and then had good look about us. Nine
of our ''scouts" had managed to crawl in,
the rest are gone.
Here we breakfasted, inspected our horses
feet and found that, although every horse
and mule had been carefully attended to by
the blacksmiths and paniers before we start
ed, four had cast shoes in the scramble up
and down the rocks and 20 more had
loosened theirs.
A SCRAMBLE.
The next night. crossing in its course
three deep and rock-ribbed canyons we
struggled along. Three times the Indians
were ordered up to the front, but each time
they managed to slip back In the darkness.
''1onto" signs had been discovered soon
before sunset. Fresh signal fires blazed
against the northern sky and these poor
devils were evidently convinced that we
were tramping straight into the jaws of de-
struction. 1 say ''tramping" advisedly be-
cause not until late at night did we mount
at all. 1t was all climb or scramble. but
about 10 o'clock Sergeant Taylor and
81
feeling the way" halted, and when, 1
Joined them, pointed to what appeared to
be broad dark patch against the low east
ern sky and said, There are the woods,
sir, we must be nearing the road" At mid
night we found the trail of the cattle; had
locked upon the star-decked surface of
Stoneman's lake; had lost our scouts en-
tirely and half the shoes in thecommand.
When we left Verde our comrades were
wearing light summer clothing all day long
and no fires were in except for cooking pur-
poses. Here we had climbed so high that
the water froze solid in our canteens. At
$50 IN the morning seven of our hapless
scouts came limping into the bivouac All
cheap sick yet able to eat like hounds.
We pointed out the cattle tracks, told them
they could sleep and rest until in the af-
ternoon, then we would push ahead through
Z IL
verge and wait there until dark before rid
ing out across the open mesa.
The next day, October 81, we were close at
the heels of our quarry and still keeping
under cover. We waited not only to get the
cattle but to include the Apaches.
Late that afternoon, just as the sun be-
gan to throw long shadows across the hol-
lows in the Mesa we peered over the crest
of low range, and there, two miles in
front and just entering "a defle known as
the Jarvis Pass, we caught sight of our
missing steers. Two or three men and the
Indian scouts were left with Harry Hawes
to look after the pack train; the rest of us
reset our saddles took an extra loup on the
cinchas, looked to the breech blocks of our
carbines and the chambers of the revolyers
(oficers and men went armed, dressed and
equipped alike in Arizona. We had no
more use for swords than we had for
shoulder knobs.) Then mount" was the
word and, moving slowly and cautiously at
first, we rode to the crest, formed line, and
then-there was no help for it since the
country was an open, undulating surface,
destitute of shelter fog over two miles, struck
into rapid troP next, as we reached the
level below, without word of command,
bugle call or any OF the stirring accompani-
ments of other warfare, the riders simply
conforming to the gait of their leader, away
we went at gallop.
FIGHTING HoSTIES. a
Ours were the short coupled, stocky Cali
fornia horses, not very fast. but very useful
for mountain climbing; it seemed to me an
unconsionable time before we were half
across the plain and then the men began to
open out little so as to surround the cattle
as we neared them and at the same time be
less "bunched" in case the Apaches we're
lurking in ambuscade IN the rocks beyond,
Eagerly as I looked, not hostile Indian
could 1 see, nor, indeed, did 1 expect to
see until we hustled them out OF their holes.
Alarmed by the thunder of advancing
hoofs and the irrepressible cheering of some
of the men, the cattle were beginning to
trot wildly about with tails and heads alike
in air, but all sight of their captors was de-
MED us, As we rode around the herd, some
north, some south of and some in theSr
eagerness, through them we closed in a trife
confidently expecting to be greeted by shots
from the rocky entrance to the pass. Even
at the gallop quick eyes could detect the
print of Tonton moccasins in the soft earth
of the roadway, but not a shot nor sound
was there. Warned bv the signal fires they
had kept sharp lookout to the crest and so
soon as our coming was detected, they had
scattered for the nearest height, shrewdly
arguing that SO long as we had got the
cattle we could afford to let the captors 60.
But that wasn't General Crooks idea of
dealing with these renegades at all. As
soon as it was dusk, leaving four men and
the used up Indian to drive the herd back
by slow and easy stages to the valley we
pushed ahead that night through Iarris'