The Sunday morning news., 1891-11-08
"nALr. HnYSl uALrl'

< ~. -<e"| ss----<sS- "
"HALT, BoYsl uALTl'
well, yes; gentlemen said our old
California friend, Bert Ashton; ''Tve
seen some little Indian fighting away
back in the early days, when only by
voyage around Cape Horn, a short cut
across the deadly isthmus or five
months journey overland could the gold
fields, about which every one was then
crazy, be reached.
'When it came my turn to join the
procession, as l didn't like salt water
much and Panama fever still less, con-
cluded to risk all chances on the plains;
and so it happened that, as we were plod-
ding along one forenoon, Gus Taylor sud-
denly called out, What do you make of
that, Cap?' pointing to ridge two miles
away, on the crest of which the naked
eye could barely discern two black
specks.
s'Our guide and captain, Jim Bur
rows, unslung his field glass, and turn
ing his horse gazed steadily for few
moments in the direction indicated
Then uttering the single word, 'Apaches!
he galloped to the head of the train and
cried: sHalt, boys! Halt! an form corral
quickern lightning! Thars a swarm NV
Apaches hoverin round back Nv the rise,
waitin till we git inter the pass. Them
little dots is two NV ther scouts, an l
seen them signalin plain ez daylight. Eff
thar's goin ter be fight, right here on
the opens the place fur it. Long prac-
tice had rendered us expert at such
work, and in an incredibly short time
the corral was complete and the horses
and mules safely inside.
"There were ten wagons in all. and
our mode of corralling was as follows:
First one wagon was placed in position
and the team unhitched: then another
was backed up to its front, over the pole,
and SO on until the desired circle or
square was finished. In this case we
chose rectangular formation, with
three wagons on each side and two
across each end, as this arrangement
seemed to afford greater inclosed
space and better lines of defense than
any other, while the high canvas tops
of the prairie schooners completely
screened all within the square from OUT
side observation.
eve had left st. Louis, Missouri, more
than three months before, at which time
our party consisted of twenty-four men
with six wagons, but we had lately over
taken and given convoy tosa little cara
van Of four wagons and eight men, three
of whom had brought their wives along,
and two of these last had each a babe
less than a year old, SO that our total
number now included thirty-seven souls.
'sUp to this time our journey had been
singularly prosperous, as we had not lost
man nor an animal, though we had
been engaged in several skirmishes with
wandering bands of Piutes while pass
ing through Colorado. But we had now
reached the country dominated by those
incarnate scourges of Arizona and New
Mexco-the Apache Indians; and, as
Captain Jim said, would hev ter keep
our eyes peeled eff we 'spected ter save
our hair
However, we had come within short
distance of the great pass which cuts
through the Chirihuica mountains, and
was then the only road between the Rio
Grande and Fort Yuma, without seeing
single one of these fierce warriors, and
but for the sharp eyes of Gus Taylor we
might have entered the defile itself quite
unaware of their proximity; in which
case, as we afterward knew, not man
would have lived to tell the story, and
as for the women-well, I'd rather not
think of that
''Jim Burrows, an old friend and pupil
of the renowned Kit Carson, and him.
self famous Indian fighter, had already
made two or three overland journeys,
and was pretty well up to all the lodges
of the redskins, and when we had got
things into shape, he said: Now. boys,
these varmints hez showed ther hand a
leetle previous. Their game was ter
wait till we got inter the pass, then pitch
into our rear and drive US, like ez not,
right onto 'nuther lot NV 'em a-waitin
fur us 'mong the rocks Ef thar's 'nuff
nv 'em ter resk it they'll likely tackle us
here sum time fore night an try ther
purtiest ter git inter the corral, or coax
us out; but whatsomever happens, don't
let 'em get in, or not mothers son nv
usll ever see Californy.'
''The surface of the great plain on
which wewere camped, although appear
ing at first sight level, was really quite
rolling, and we had lately skirted several
deep, dry coulees, in which numbers of
enemies might even now be lurking.
Meantime, the two videttes had vanished
from the ridge, and one of our party ven
tured to remark that he guessed it was .
false alarm after all. The captain opined
differently and quietly replied; Don't
fool yerself with no sich notion. / kin
read Injun signs like book, an | seen
them scouts tell ther band our 'xact
number, how many critturs we hsv an
all bout us, plain ez preachin. Thars a
big slew NV 'en somewhar not far off, an
we best git dinner fore ther onto us.
Well hev ter teetotally whip an demor-
Rlize 'ern right here, an purity quick, too,
fur we haint got but two days dry feed
fur the stock, an all the water'll run out
bout the same time. These Injuns is
Apaches, yer want ter NOTES.-The all
6redesr fighters. cunninest hoss thieves
an crueless reds ginerally in the hull
kentry. Thar amt no sized band nv
nary 'nuther tribe on the plains 'ud dar
ter tackle a corralled party SIGH ez this
but these feIlers'll try it on ef they kin