Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-10-29
INDIAN STRATACENM.

Apaches do something IL Arizona IN
1851 which / never would have believed
possible had not witnessed 1t with my
own eyes
The Apaehes are unquestionably the
most dreaded tribe or Indians on the
continent. They are tougher. more en-
during and more uncomfortable than
any other Of their race. An Apache can
lope up the side Of a mountain with the
thermometer marking l20 dogs, and
when he reaches the top ne won't show
a drop of extra perspiration, nor Will he
breathe a whit faster than when no
started.
tie will go for days without morsel
Of food or d drop of water; he Will live
on snakes, mice and refuse. or, If the
worst comes TO the worst. Will shoot his
horse and eat what he wants of him raw.
Set out 10 pursue band of Apache raid
els, and if they are hard pressed they
Will separate, each for himself. SO that
the only way TO keep mp the pursuit Is
10 follow them individually, in which
ease the Apache is sure 10 have the best
end of the contract. When the hunt Is
over the dusl,y miscreants viii come to-
gether ar some point twenty or thirty or
more miles away.
There were twenty-five of us cavalry
men returning from one of our frultless
pursuits { the terrible Geronimo. Our
horses were worn out, and so were We.
IL was one Of the hotties. days | have
ever known in that throbbing furnace
L a 8
baked alkah plain still 10 traverse before
reaching the fort, where we could secure
shade and water, and what we needed
most of all-rest.
Whew. but it was hot. Had not the
air been perfectly dry neither man nor
beast could have stood it. The metal
work on our guns was so heated that no
one could bear to touch it with the
naked hand. The air shimmered and
throbbed as it does over newly plowed
field at noOntide of "a summer day.
North, east, south and west was one
level stretch of plain, on which not a
tree, shrub or even a blade of grass grew.
Far 70 the westward could be seen the
outlines of the fort, oddly distorted
through the quivering atmosphere. but
in every other direction was the naked,
burning desert.
We were strung along for distance of
several hundred yards. In fact there was
a squad OF five horsemen much farther
than that in the rear. All the animals
were plodding slowly through the sand.
which 1t seemed 10 me was hot enough
To roast eggs, their heads dropping.
while We were simply enduring 1t, grim
" closing our teeth, holding out to reach
the post.
Was there anything TO be apprehendes
from Geronimo? Could we old cam
paigners be entrapped: Low, level sands
ON every hand. Well, right there In the
midst of that flaming plain, with its
horrible sandy waste. In which no spear
of grass could find root, that frightful
chieftain and his Apaches ambuscaded
rs. Ii sounds incredible, but it is a fact.
Suddenly | heard rifle firing at the
rear. IL had a dull. odd sound, but it
was close at hand, and as turned in
the saddle saw that the squad farthest
away We're engaged In desperate tight
with party of Indians. who were on
foot, shooting, striking and darting
hither and thther like 80 many demons.
We instantly wheeled and hurried
back as fast as we could to the help of
our comrades. but before we could reach
them three saddles were emptied, and
Geronimo and his warriors were scurry-
Ing across the plain at a greater speed
than any 10 which we could force our
exhausted ponies. who sank to their fet-
locks at every step. We gave them q
parting volley. which wounded several,
but they managed to limp off with the
help Of others. and all were soon beyond
danger | don't know how far they
travelled off over that burning desola-
ton. but 1t may have been many miles.
for they were capable of doing 1t If they
chose.
These Apsches must have discovered
our approach while we were good way
| of knowing we were on our return 20
the post they could easily calculate
where We would pass. Then they bur
rowed in the sand. covering themselves
entirely with the blistering particles. so
that only their snakelike eyes peered
forth Thus we passed within few
reds Of them without suspecting their
| presence.
| In conversation with General Crook
about the extraordinary incident. that
old campsigner smiled and replied:
I am not surprised. [ have seen them
do he same thing myself. but the
Apache is the only Indian that can do
it.~-Chioago Mail.
Fnr,S-sn Rrih~s
/ No4hirtf- has r,~ovaD mora if7sfvaiv