The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1890-09-05

speedily join the troop. he was on his
way within six hours.
That very night, although no mention
was made of this in The Chronicle ac-
count, Capt. Noel received a dispatch
from the adjutant generals Office a.
Washington briefly to this effect: you
become captain of K company, vice Raw
Inns, murdered by Apaches. Hold your
self in readiness to turn over the rendez-
vous and join your regiment without de-
lay" No news could have been more
unwelcome Despite his many faults
there was no question that Gordon Noel
was very much in love with his wife,
but he never had been in love with the
active part of his. profession. That
night he telegraphed to relatives who
had stood by him in the past, and wrote
urgent and pleading letters informing
them that his wife's health was in so
delicate state that il hewere compelled
at this moment to leave her and go upon
perilous duty in the Apache country
there was no telling what might be the
effect upon her. If possible thing, he
urged that there should be delay of a
|
| time the Indians would be either safe
across the Mexican border or whipped
back to the reservation; then he could
go out and join with a flourish of trum-
pets and no possible danger. But new
king reigned in the war department, who
knew Joseph rather than knew him not.
In some way the honorable secretary
had become acquainted with the previ-
| Gus history of Capt. Noel's campaign
services, and, though the influential gen.
tleman referred to made prompt and elo-
quent appeals, they We're met by courteous
but positive denial. Every man who
was worth his SALT" said the secretary,
''should be with his regiment now" An
officer was designated to proceed at once
to the Queen City and take over Noel's
rendezvous and property, and peremp-
tory orders were sent to him to start
without delay and to notify the depart
ment by telegraph of the date of his de-
parture-a most unusual and stringent
proceeding. This correspondence Noel
never mentioned to anybody at the time,
and it was known only to the Official
| records for some time afterward. AS
soon as he found that so he must, he die
tated to his clerk letter in which, gal
liant soldier that he was, he informed the
adjutant general that the news from Ari-
IONA had now convinced him that an
outbreak of alarming dimensions had
taken place, and he begged that he might
be relieved as at his own request and
permitted to join his comrades in the
field. To this no reply was sent, as the
order directing him to proceed had al
ready been issued. Perhaps grim smile
played about the mustached lips of that
functionary when he read this spirited
epistle.
Noel left the Queen City hero in the
eyes of the populace. He was just six
days behind Lane, of whose movements
the Queen City had no information
whatever.
And now came an odd piece of luck
a slip in the fortunes of war. Tho cav
airy stationed in Arizona were so far
from the reservation at the time that
they had long and difficult marches to
make Only two or three troops that
happened to be along the line of the
railway reached the mountains neigh
boring San Carlos in time to quickly
take the trail of the hostiles Except
the one little troop of cavalry on duty
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 q 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 a 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 skillfully 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
q little troop Of cavalry, not more than
thirty-five IN number. All day long
since earliest dawn had they ridden
across the burning sands of desert re-
gion; lips, nostrils, eyelids smarting with
alkali dust, threats parched with thirst,
temples throbbing with the intense heat;
several men and horses used up and left