The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-10-25
A NEW MEXICO DAVID

doubt very much II Lucario Mon
toya had eyer heard OF that wonderful
fight long ago between the shepherd
STRIPPING David and Goliah OF Gath.
Certainly he had never read OF those
things. for book would have been the
most incomprehensible of mysteries to
Lucario. But in the great and Won
derful volume Of Out-of-Doors he
was an apt scholar, for in that he had
had the most learned of school-masters
his Mexican father and his Indian ac-
quaintances.
He could 20 out into the travelled
road and read from the struggling
hieroglyphics Of the dust how long II
had been since the last party passed;
whether they were Mexicans or Indi-
ans, men or women. travelling fast or
slowly. by night or by day. lie could
not read IL so well rs an Indian, but
he was famous trailer none the
less. In all outdoor sports, too, that
were known then and there, he was an
expert.
With bow and arrows. Lucario won
many a pony and gay blanket In
matches with the Navajos and Utes.
With the RATA he was equally skillful
and more than once had lassoed ante
lope In the prairics along the Aqua
Axul.
Above all, he could throw the knife.
1t was the favorite weapon of his race.
and one In the deadly use OF which
they have never been excelled. Ever
since his boyhood Lucario had prac-
ticed throwing his knife, and now
from forty feet away he could drive IL
quivering two inches deep into foot
circle of wood. With the arm hanging
At full length, he placed the knife point
forward in the open palm. Then he
showed his arm suddenly forward, with
n sort OF scooping motion. and of flew
the glittering missile.
All this Lucario was Mt home In, but
II you had shown him book, with
those funny little black things chasing
each other across the white paper,
am sorry to say he would have been
quite lost
Lucario was a shepherd. and tended
one OF the flocks Of Don Refugio when
the Indians were sufficiently quiet to
admit Of any ssllying forth from the
little walled town. Though known
for his athletic accomplishments. he
was neither tall nor very muscular.
but an ordinary lad of seventeen. who
might weigh one hundred and twenty
pounds. but making up In witness.
skill and agility he lacked in
brute strength. traight, jet hair
fell below his shouiuurs; his face-just
showing faint, dark furzo-was thin.
but with vivid red shining through
the olive skin. and his black eyes were
large and wonderfully bright,
II was In lsi0-eight years before
New Mexico became part OF the United
States. or our race. who arrogate 10
themselves distinctively the name
"Americans." there were hardly any
In the province--perhaps dozen in
all. But of the descendants Of the
hardy Spanish pioneers who became
Americans long before any English
speaking did. there were many thou
sands. But they were heavily out
numbered by the Indians, of whom
there were many powerful. hostile
tribes.
The Pueblos, a race of quiet farmers
who dwelt In rs good houses as the
Mexicans themselves. had made their
last protest, more than n century be-
fore. against the occupancy of the
Spanish. aud were now excellent neigh
bors. But the Apaches, the Navajos.
the Utcs. tho Piutes. the Uncompahgres
and the Conianches had never been
conquered. and were necessarily war
ring upon tho settlers. Lucario's faith
err mother. grandfather. great-grand-
father. FIVE uncles. two older brothers.
and i know not how many more dis
taut relatives. had all been killed by
the Indians. and his was by no means
an unparalleled case OF bereavement.
This year the Utes had been doing
their cruelest work In Western New
Mexico. They had surprised several
hamlcts and massacred all In them.
had cut of many shepherds. stolen
nanS thousand sheep, and made I'M
successful but disastrous assaults upon
Cebolleta aud other small fortified
towns. Ii had become unbearable aud
the chief men throughout New Mexico
had met and subscribed money TO send
out against the Indians thousand
volunteers under the command of tho
brave Manuel Chayes. Lncario's only
surviving uncle--his fathers eldest
brother-was second IN command; aud