The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1891-02-26
DICK HUYI.


his biography. seeks To discharge, Dick
Huyls history viii never DO written by
me. nor by any one else who knew him,
to adorn n Sunday school library; he
was not that kind of boy, Dick was
an Apache Indian, with all the character
istics of total deprayity that the word
Apache conveys or suggests. We We're
children together, Dick and |. We lived,
fought and played together for two years
in the same army post On one memoir
able occasion, Dick, instigated by the
deyil-for firmly believe in the devil,
i ons- for Archaeological 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 a
young Apache could be.
In 1872, if | remember rightly, Gen.
Crook had succeeded, after years of
bloody war and the loss of hundreds of
good men, in subduing most of the bands
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 emigrants that they could ambush,
leaving nothing for the human mind to
conceive of in the way of cruelty when
ever a white man fell into their power.
AT the reservation, although they were
well 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 favorite
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 say that the
absolute hatred entertained by these In
dians for the whites was fully recipro-
Gated. especially by the soldiers. 1t was
no easy matter to track and successfully
follow the runaways through the cactus
and mesquit thickets, over the barren
fls,eaa.4.a ..,,,7 dlsea'a+e4- ,anuntains 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
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, 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-
IONA.
Two nights afterward squad of the
Twenty third infantry, Crooks own reg
iment, under Lieut.. Huyl, a splendid
young fellow, who has since left the
service. was sent out on scout with the
usual orders. No trace of the renegades
was found but burned ranch and stage
station and a cremated cowboy gave suf-
fcient evidence of Indians at large. The
next night, or rather just at dawn, aftel
long and fatiguing march, the scouts
reached a natural rock basin at the foo
| of one of the steepest and most inacces
| sible knobs to be found in desolate Ari
IONA. This basin had often collected /
supply of acrid water, which, however
was drinkable enough in that country
A thin vapor of smoke from a nearl,
spent fire convinced the troopers tina
their nights march had not been in vain
| and on creeping up as close as possible
the hostiles were outlined against tn
rocks, fast asleep,
The little squadron silently deployeC
| ont 20 Us TO avoid missing single shot
and atiIthe word of command fired, kill
ing nearly every one of the Indians
The others jumped up only to be Gu
down by the reserve fire. The only tw
unhurt We're Wahnemo and his 4-year
old papaoose. Grasping the child, h
sprang ior the mountain side, scaling tn
rocks like channels, amid a shower o
bullets, soon distancing his pursuers an
getting out of range of their rifles. Halt
ing on shelf OF rock, he set the chill
down and proceeded TO indulge in ever
exhibition of contempt and derision tina
his imagination could invent to aggrs
vate t,a discounted troopers, VIII
CRASHED their several sets of teeth j
rage at the insults of the old heather
They were relieved at last by the arrivs
! of Lieut. Huyl, who bore in his hand
new target rife, received only the da
before the scouts started.
This wonderful gun was guarantee
to carry-T forget 100 yards with az
crlracy, and the lieutenant, who was or
of the best fellows in the world in Carr
son, but quite cold hearted and bloot
thirsty where Apaches were concerned
. announced that while he was doubtf'
of his gun carrying near the Indian
yet he was going to try. The Apach
feeling secure against their carbine
continued his taunts until Huyl, taklr
, deliberate aim, with sights raised II
800 yards, fired. His aim was tru
and the gun all that it was boaste
E The old savage plunged face forwal
L. =