San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-15


at the reservation none of the horsemen
in Arizona had as yet come in actual
conflict with the renegades, and oddly
enough it was the Eleventh that first
met and struck them. Old Riggs him
self had not taken the field, but the bat
TALON from headquarters had been
whirled westward along the railway and
actually reached the pass through the
Chiricahua range before the Indians.
Expecting just such a possibility, these
wary campaigners had their scouts far
in advance of the main body and prompt
warning was given, so that only the
rear guard of the Indians was reached by
the eager cavalrymen; the bulk of the
Apaches turned eastward and swept
down like ravening wolves upon the de-
fenseless settlers in the San Simon val
ley, burning, numbering, pillaging as
they went, full fifty miles day, while
their pursuers trailed helplessly behind.
When they had succeeded in crossing
the railway most of their number were
mounted on fresh horses, and the section
hands, who saw them from afar off, tele-
graphed from the nearest station that
they had with them six or eight women
and children whose husbands and fathers
doubtless lay weltering in their blood
along the route. Full seven days now
had they been lodging through the
mountains and swooping down upon the
ranchmen, and so slxillfully had they
eluded their pursuers and defeated their
combinations that now they had a COM
handing lead and actually nothing be-
tween them and the Mexican frontier
nothing in Arizona, that is to say. But
look Just across the border. There, spur
ring steadily southwestward until halted
for the night in San Simon Pass. comes
a little troop of cavalry, not more than
thirty-fve in number. All day long
since earliest dawn had they ridden
across the burning sands of desert re-
gion; lips, nostrils, eyelids smarting with
alkG2i dust, threats parched with thirst
temples throbbing with the intense heat;
several men and horses used up and left
behind were now slowly plodding back
toward the railway. Look at the letter
one of those leaders wears upon his worn
old scouting hat-D. Yes, it is the
Devils own DIS" and Lane is at their
head.
At the moment of the outbreak both
companies from Graham, K and d, or
strong detachments from both, were
scouting through the country - one
through the northern Peloncillo range,
the other far up among the head waters
of the ella Not word did they hear
of the trouble until it was several days
old; then D troop was amazed by the
sudden appearance of their captain in
their midst-Lane, whom they supposed
to be on sick leave far in the distant
east 1t was then for the first time they
learned how their comrades of K troop
had lost their popular old commander
and that the great outbreak had occurred
at San Carlos. Stopping only long
enough to cram their pouches with am
munition and to draw more. ratiOns, the
troop FASTENED away toward the rail
road by way Of Graham, and at the sta
ton, just at dawn, Lane sent brief dis
patch to the commanding general saying
that he was pushing with all speed to
head the Indians off via San Simon pass.
He had then forty-five men and horses,
in fair condition. X troop would reach
Graham that evening, and he urged that
they be sent at once to re-enfOrce him.
This dispatch 1.-The chief" received with
an emphatic slap of his thigh and an ex-
preston of delight: "Bless that fellow
Lanel he is always in the nick of time.
had not hoped for an instant that either
D or K would be available, and now
look" he said to his aid-de-camp, che
has started for San Simon pass, and will
probably throw himself across their
front. Only wish he had more men,"
Shall | wire to Graham to have K
rush after him, SIR
Yes. Order them to start the instant
they can refit, and not to take more than
an hour in doing that. They have been
having easy work on their scout-prob-
ably taking it leisurely all the time;
they ought to be in first rate trim. d,
on the contrary, has been making long
and rapid marches to get down from the
Upper ella. Where was K at last ac-
counts"
"Couriers had gone to the Upper Pei
oncillo for them several days ago, and,
as Lane says, they are expected at Ora
ham this evening. Lane himself rode
after his own men two hours after he
got to the post from the east, and Noel,
who is Ks new captain, is due at Ora
hmm Stntinn tor init ="