Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-04-28
TOUGHEST OF MANKIND,
Almost Incredible Stories of Apacbe =,
DURANGO and CunuInr

Almost Incredible Stories of Apache En-
DURANGO and Cunning.
Inc Apaches are, unquestiona bly,. the
most dreaded tribe of Indians on this
continent They are tougher. more en-
during, and more uncomfortable than
any other of their race An Apache can
Iope up the side of mountain with the
thermometer marking 100 degrees. and
when he reaches the top he won't show
an extra drop of pcrspiration, nor will
ne breathe a whit faster than when he
started. He will go for days without
morsel of food or a drop of water; he
Will live on snakes, mice. and refuse. or
II the worse comes to- the worse he will
shoot his horse and eat what he wants
OF hlm raw Set out to pursue Il band
OF Apache raiders. and if they are hard
pressed they will separate. each one for
himself. SO that the only way to- keep
up the pursuit is to follow them individ
ually- in which case the Apache is sure
to have the best end of the contract.
When the hunt Is over the duslzy mis-
creants will come together az some
point twenty or thirty miles away.
There were twenty-five of us cavalry
men. returning from one Of our fruit
Our horses were worn ont and SO were
we. 1t WAS enc Of the hottest days |
have ever known in that thrObbing
furnace of a country. We had several
miles OF baked allsali plain still before
reaching the fort. where we could secure
shade and water. and what we needed
most of all clsc-rest.
Nhcw. but il 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 shimmcrcd and
throbbed as it does over a newly ploved
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 to the westward could be
seen the outlines of the fort. oddly dis
tort, through the quivering atmosphere.
but in every other direction was the
naked. burning desert.
We We're strung along for a distance
of several hundred yards. In fact,
there was a squad of five horSemen
much further than that to the rear. All
the animals We're plodding slowly
through the sand. which it seemed to
me was hot enough to roast eggs. their
heads dropping. while we We're simply
enduring it. grimly closing our teeth.
holding out to reach the post.
Was there anything to be apprchend-
ed from Geronimo? Could we old cam
paigners be entrapped? Low. level sand
on every hand. Well. right there in
he midst IF tha+ l.ir
its horrible sandy waste in which no
spear of grass could find root. that
frightful chieftain and his Apachcs am
buscaded us 1t sounds incredible. but
ii Is the fact.
Suddenly | heard rifle firing at the
rear. 1t had dull. odd sound. but was
close at hand. and as | turned in the
saddle | saw that the squad furthest
away was engaged in a desperate fight
with party of Indians, who were on
foot. shooting. striking. and darting
hither and thither like so 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
scurrying across the plains at speed
greater than any to- which we could
force our exhausted ponies, who sunk to
their fetlocl<s at every step. We gave
them parting volley, which wounded
several. but they managed to limp off
with the help of the others. and all
Were soon out of danger. | don't know
how far they travelled off over that
burning deSolation. but it may have
been many miles, for they were capable
of doing it if they chose.
Those Apaches must have discovered
our approach while we were Il good way
off. Knowing we were on cur return to
the post. they could easily calculate
where we would pass. They then bur-
rowcd in the sand. covering themselves
entirely with the blistering PARTICLES SO
that only their snake-lille eyes pecred
forth. Thus we passed within a few
rods Of them without suspccting their
presence.
IN conversation with Gen. Crook
about the extraordinary incident the old
canpairHer smiled and said:
-! am not surprised. | have seen
them do the same thing myself: but the
Apache is the only Indian that can 90
1t. Minneapolis Tribune.