The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1891-05-08

and dld everything to induce her
to return to civilization, but with
success. The girl was
quiet enough, but seemed to be a
victim of settled melancholy. She
soon remembered enough Spanish,
in which language her mistress was
very proficient, to tell all she could
recollect of her early life, but as
she was not more than three years
old when taken from home, her
mind refused to recall the details
of the massacre and her abduction.
Enough wasgleaned to indicate
the truth of the story as / have CIV
en- it, and the additional fact that
she was in love with the chief over
whose body she made such des-
perate fight. She never gave us
any trouble, yet never appeared at
lease. She was given the freedom
of the post, and would wander rest
lessly about, cycling the men with
a startled and oftentimes wonder
fully intent glance. She would go
to the bank of the Colorado and sit
for hours gazing toward the north
as if pining for her lost freedom,
but making no effort to regain it.
"To the north of Fort Yuma the
hill grows more imposing until the
grand canon of the Colorado is
reached and the regions of eternal
snow are encountered. The fort is
situated on the banks of the Colo
RADIO, almost at the mouth of the
ella. The banks are sufficiently
high on the west to prevent any
overflow, while away to the south
they sink into the valley that opens
into the Gulf of California. At
short distance above the fort these
banks are some fifty feet above the
water, which boils in constant ed
dies below, flowing with rapidity
unknown in the rivers of the East.
Navigation is almost impossible as
the fall is some 5000 feet in 400
miles. The mountains to the north
are broken and irregular, and fire.
quent crags jut out over the water
of the river.
Gone day about five months af-
ter the advent Of the strange COM
bination of wildness and beauty,
Cochita was missed from the fort,
and with others | was detailed to
find and bring her back. AS / had
seen her frequently near the river,
| became possessed of the idea that
, wewould find her ensconsed in some
I of the small caverns in the rocks at
} its edge. [ at once set out up the
, river bank, keeping a sharp look
? out for the girl, but at first failed
4 to discover any trace of her.
"When almost ready to give it
: up and report my lack of success /
thought | heard a voice singing
wierd monotonous air. CHANGING
/, in the direction whence the sound
: came, was Mortified to see the OBJ
a ject of my search standing on the
: outer surface of a crag which over
y hung the river. Her long hair was
Q streaming in the wind, her face
S turned toward the north, and with
: her arms extended at full length
she wascrooning wild song, which
S occasionally broke out into an aw-
I full cry of agony and regret Fear
d ing to alarm her, [ sat motionless
: on my horse waiting for the end to
Q come. Suddenly she threw her
d arms in the air and, with the most
7 appalling shrek ever heard, she
e sprang from the rock and was
d dashed to pieces in the rapids be-
low, her body disappearing in the
II angry waters as they swept re-
3 morselessly to the ocean. No trace
q of the Sino11lar craatura Voc o,,o,