Arizona weekly enterprise., 1889-03-30
THE APACHES PRISONER.
Trials of Young Girl of Now Mexico.
TBy a Florence School Girl.

y falling on small cottage by the noun tain. All was peace inside; its happy | occupants little dreaming that the foe was fast advancing. As the fire bright ened it fell upon a happy group. A girl with sweet face, sweeping lashes and long ringlets of golden hair, was speaking. All the others seemed to listen attentively as she recalled the long, perilous journey they had under taken, many times escaping by almost miracle from the murderous Apaches. This young girl, though only sixteen summers had passed over her, had ex
 perienced many adventures, some of which brave men would have been
 proud to have been the heroes. At present no other thoughts occupied | her mind but those of safety for herI aged father and young brother, her mother having died when she was an infant. On this night she could not | abandon the thought of danger, al
 though her father and brother assured her again of their safety, remarking that no Indians had been seen lurking
 around the place for more than three
 months. "But father, resumed the young girl, remember that in this wilderness we are never free from harm." The father we'll understood those words, for ever since they had started for the "Far West" the war whoop of the fendish Indians had
 been familiar sound to their ears.
 Yet the thought of building com r.. | l. II.
 his Maker would bid him cross the shore from whence no one returneth,"
 strengthened him and made him
 think that, once having home estab-
 lished, it would be happy home
 forever. At the present he could be-
 hold the sweet reality for, although a
 humble home, it was happy one too.
 But alas, how many of our hopes are
 blasted!
 Out on the plains the sudden sound
 of hoofs are heard; then the war whoop, long and clear, rends the air
 They are heading towards the little
 cottage; the once happy home is soon
 to be in their possession, for what can
 three poor souls do against fully ten
 Apache braves. A war-whoop, pro-
 longed and loud, and then they halt
 in front of the small cottage Father
 Father! they are on us! they are on
 us" shrieked girlish voice. The
 father and son awoke only to see a
 fearful death staring them ill the face.
 But still they were brave men, ready
 to risk their lives to save their home
 not only their home but the fair one
 to whom all love seemed to be linked.
 To defend her was their only hope.
 How quickly those words which but a
 few hours before she had uttered came
 to their minds; was 1t possible that
 they were to be slain and she was 90
 ing to be lett to the mercy of the
 cruel fends? All these thoughts
 flashed in their minds. "Now my son
 faltered the old man, five must fight
 bravely to the last, even if it should
 cost us our lives, for it is better that
 we should die than to see our May
 carried off by these murdereus fiends. siss3Y es father, yes," answered the young
 man as he lowered his trusty frelock
 at an Apache brave that was trying to
 gain admittance through the cottage
 gate. With yell the Indian fell to
 the ground From that moment all struggle seemed hopeless, for the In dians, maddened by the fall of theil :; brave, made the night hideous with , their iendish yells. Forming circle
 they threatened the once happy home
 where the robbins piped their sweetest } melody, with desolation. Still con stant report from the brave men in side was kept up, the father and sor , cheering each other again and agair a with words of comfort. Meanwhile l the fair form of the young girl wa: seen amid the hissing of bullets anC , flying of arrows ever ready to assis ' with bravery and self-command hel father and brother throughout the dreadful scene. Suffice 1t to say tha three braver hearts than these could 8 never be found for, although appalled, l, by the terrors of the struggle, they l still kept constant fire and by tho
 aid of the glaring torches, with whicl i, the Indians were trying to set the cot e tage atire, they could see that fiv, t Apache braves had already fallen be e fore their arms. But their time wa: e drawing near; their ammunition wa ! giving out, one more attack and thel
 they would surely be left to the mere. y of the savages.
 @ As the sun rose on the following t morning its brilliant rays fell on pitt @ ful scene. A heap of ashes only re ,, mained to mark the spot where tn :, happy home once stood, while in tn n debris laid two mutilated and charret L- forms. They were the remains of tn
 father and son who, like many bray
 pioneer, had lost their lives in de fense of their home and those dear t Il them. Resistance to them had seem 9 ed hopeless; they had fought bravel ;. as we have seen, but the dreadful e tomahawll had at lastsput an end t ', their career. But Oh, if they had or : ly been assured of the safety of thei IS dear one, they would have died . peaceful, although horrible deatl ! But to have seen her carried off fror
 their sight by their murderous enemie
 just as their last hours were drawin l. near, and to have heard her pronounc
 these brave words, "Remember, fatl . CT and brother, that I will aveng v your death" made theirs more pair 0 ful one. Surely our heroine woul
 carry out her intentions for, althoug l. conscious of her perilous situation ; knowing well the hatred of her ent T | l.