Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-06-06


tions with The savage Apache. She bad
been taken 10y the Indians when baby
4 of 3 and all her family had been killed.
I Her life was saved by a squaw OF the chief,
vino took fancy 10 her and kept her rs
/ her own child.
4 "She was given the name OF Cochita,
the diminutiye Of Chochise, the most
famous of the Apache chiettains. She was
tutored in the ways of the savage people,
and when taken by US, combined the Wild
| ness OF the antelope with the ferocity OF a
tiger cat After she was taken TO Yuma
/ the wife of our post surgeon took charge
/ of her and did everything to induce her to
return to civilization but with indltfer
| ent success.
The girl was quiet enough, but seemed
/ to be a victim of settled melancholy SIZE
soon remembered enough Spanish, in
which language her mistress was very
proficient, 10 tell all she could recOllect Of
/ her early Life, but as she was not more than
8 years old when taken from home, hel
mind refused to recall the details OF the
massacre and her abduction.
Enough was learned TO indicate the
truth of the story as have given It, and
the additional fact that she was in los.
with the chief, over whose body she made
such a desperate fight. She never gave us
any trouble yet never appeared ut ease
She was given the freedom OF the post,
and would wander restlessly about, cycling
the men and with startled and often
time wonderfully intent glance. She
would go to the nank Of the Colorado and
sit for hours gazing toward the north rs
if pining for her lost freedom, but making
no effort TO regain 1t
TO the north of Fort Yuma the hill
grows more imposing until the grand
canyon OF tie Colorado is reached, and the
regions of eternal snow are encountered
The fort is situated on the banks of the
Colorado, almost at the mouth Of the ella
The banko 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 a
short distance above the fort these banks
are some fifty feet above the water
which boils IN constant eddies below
flowing with a rapidity unknown in the
rivers of the east Navigation is almost
impossible. as the fall is some eight tLous-
and feet in four hundred miles The
regular, and frequent crags Iut out over
the water Of the river.
Zone day about FIVE months after the
advent OF the strange combination Of
wildness and beauty, Cochita was missed
from the fort, and with others, | was de-
tailed to find and bring her back. As
had seen her frequently near the river, |
( became possessed of the idea that we
would find her epsconced in some Of the
small cayerns in the rocks at its edge
at once set out up the river bank, keeping
a sharp lookout for the girl, but at first
| failed TO discover any trace Of her
when almost ready to give 1t up and
report my lack of success, thought
heard voice singing a weird monotonous
/ air. Glancing ia the direction whence
the sound came was Mortified to see the
| object of my search standing on the outer
surface of "a crag which oyerhung the
river Her long hair was streaming in
! the wind, her face turned toward the north
and with her arms extended at full length
she was grooming wild song which oc-
| casiOnaIly broke into an awful cry OF
agony and regret Fearing to alarm her
! ! sat motonless ON nay horse waiting for
| the end to come. Suddenly she threw her
arms in the air and with the most appall-
ing shrek ] ever heard, sprang from the
rock and was dashed TO pieces in the
rapids below, her body disappearing in
the angry waters as they swept remorse-
lessly to the ocean. No trace of the
singular creature was ever found and but
| little was known of her people. who were
supposed to be living in Mexico.