The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-04-24
DICK HUYI

The writer owes to Dick Huyl debt,
not exactly of gratitude, as the story
will demonstrate, which she, by writing
his biography, seeks to discharge Dick
Huyls history will never be written by
me, nor by any one else who knew him,
to adorn a Sunday school library; he
was not that kind of a boy. Dick was
an Apache Indian, with all the character
istics of total depravity that the word
Apache conveys or suggests. We were
children together. Dick and |, We lived,
fought and played together for two years
in the same arrny post. On one memor-
able occasion, Dick, instigated by the
devil--for firmly believe in the devil,
if only for Apaches dropped down the
neck of my frock live toad 1t was
the cause Of my first fit of mysteries, and
determined, if ! ever grew old enough,
would tell the whole world how bad
young Apache could be.
In 1879. if | remember rightly, Gen.
Crook had succeeded, after years OF
bloody war and the loss of hundreds of
composing the Apache nation of New
Mexico and Arizona. They had dwelt
in the strongholds of mountain and
desert, from which they frequently
emerged to rob and murder all miners
or e1nigrants that they could ambush,
leaving nothing for the human mind to
conceive of in the way of cruelty when
L.. ell +o ~
At the reservation, although they were
we'll fed and quite decently treated, it
was necessary to watch them constant
ly, and large bodies of troops were de-
tailed for that purpose Nevertheless,
scarcely week passed but small squad
of Apaches, usually led by some attract
i've squaw, would slip quietly past the
guards and escape through the darkness
into their beloved cactus plains and
mountain barrens. Roll call nearly every
morning developed these absentees, and
next day would come news of murder,
rapine and horrors generally. A favorlte
Apache mode of disposing of the unsus-
pecting freighter, miner or emigrant
whose camp they had succeeded in raid
ing, was to tie the victim by the four
limbs to stakes, and then to build fire
on that portion of his body designated
in the old fashioned almanacs as virgo"
There seemed to be something par
ticularly fascinating to the Apache tenn
permanent in this form of torture. Death
being long in coming, it gave the squaws
and pappooses plenty of chance to invent
small torments, on the side, as it were.
The women and children emigrants-
but enough Suffice it to cay that the
absolute hatred entertained by these In
dians for the whites was fully recipro-
Gated, especially by the soldiers. It was
no easy matter to track and successfully
follow the runaways through he cactus
and mesquit thickats, over che barren
deserts and desoAte mountains that
make up the topography Of Arizona.
But in that parched country water is
only to be found at certain springs and
water holes" between which days of
travel often intervene, but which are
equally well known to soldiers and to
Indians.
So when the morning report showed
to Gen. Crook that so many warriors,
squaws and pappooses were missing, the
grim old warrior would make no sign of
pursuit, but on the night following, or
perhaps the next one, q squadron of
mounted men would file silently out of
the reservation bearing orders to move
as rapidly as possible to the water hole
of Palo Pinto, or to Agna Grande
Spring, or to some other place where
the presence of the precious fluid favored
camping place for the renegades The
troops were always positively instructed
to bring back no prisoners, all matters
of detail being left to the officers in com
mand One June morning there was re-
ported missing eight Indians, eleven
squaws and pappooses, including Wah-
memo, than whom more depraved and
cruel Indian never existed, even in Ari-
zona
Two nights afterward squad of the
Twenty third infantry, Crooks own reg
iment, under Lieut. Huyl, splendid
young fellow, who has since left the
service, was sent ont on scout with the
usual orders. No trace of the renegades
was found, but burned ranch and stage
station and a creinated cowboy gave suf-
fcient evidence of Indians at large. The
next night, or rather just at dawn, after
long and fatiguing march, the scouts
reached a natural rock basin at the foot
of one Of the steepcst and most inacces-
sible knobs 10 be found in desolate All
zona. This basin had often collected a
supply Of aerid water which, however,
was drnkahle enough IN that country.
A thin yapor of smoke from nearly
spent fire convinced the troopers that
their nights march had not been IN vain,
and on creeping up as close as possible
the hostiles were outlined against the
rocks, fast asleep
The little squadron silently deploYed
ont 10 aa 10 avoid missing a single shot
and at the word of command hfet, XIII
ing nearly every one II III MdigRs.
Tho plAera !s.4..el 81" e,,i~ - -'.'
auwn by lAe raserEe fire fae only two
mhur wele Mahnfino and his year
ol1 mpnose hmsping DE ciiid, he
tpiaH8 tlf thv mountain tlH. Hi.uR Gag
fnebs lsle HtHsm9e afH s4pwaF ef
mllae HeNs Hef ul
I KItnA NHt ~ NH % fHf tif p, t