New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-05
A VENTURE WITH DEATH.

In Southeastern Arizona there is a tract of
land large enough to make an Eastern State. 1t
is known the Apache Indian Reservation, and
il is there that the Indians of that tribe kept
under close military surveillance Years ago the
surveillance would occasionally relax, and then
there would he an outbreak trail of blood
would be marked out toward Mexico, and the
yultures would come in crowds, if from all
the West, to enjoy the banquet prepared for them
in the dead, whose bodies would glisten when
first killed with snowy whiteneSs in the dazzling
sunlight, 20 that you could see them dotiing the
! plains from afar of, while the hot winds from
4 The south that tanned your face would be heavy
with the smell of human carbon
II is not so now, for better watch and ward Is
kept by the soldiers. But when it was SO, there
were four men who went into this Apache country
10 prospect for the mines from which, in the old
days, the Indians obtained tie silver out of which
they would mould bullets when they could not get
lead Many O man has lost his life searching for
these mines, and many moro will doubtless do the
same before they discovered. This, though, will
never deter men from making the effort, long
rs men have the right 10 take their lives in their
bands and wager them against wealth.
OF these four men, one was Harry Barrett He
was young and had, as mang young men have,
and all young men should have, girl with
whom he was very much in love, and TO whom he
was engaged TO be married. Ii probably
this more than anything else that made him 50
desirous of growing suddenly rich by finding the
treasure mines of the Apaches, for, when young
man is truly in love- his greatest regret is that
he does not own the wealth of the Indies AMI
possess the power of the Car to augment his i'm
portance in the eyes of the woman in whom he
is SO deeply interested. This was so with Harry
par Nuho Ian Rrar tho had
prOspected for these same mines for twenty years
or more, came to him with his map Of the country
in which they were supposed to exist Harry was
not long in growing enthusiastic, and believing
what was told him, for the prospect Of great
wealth is always intoxicating. The map WIS
Old and frayed and faded, for many another
man had fingered it, 10 his sorrow. That counted
for naught though with Harry, When the day
came for the party TO start out on their search,
be was the most lght-hearted Of all, especially
when he Jagged behind TO kiss his hand to the
girl for whose sake he desired wealth, and who
stood at the door of her fathers house watching
him, while she saw in vision the beautiful things
that the future had IN store for them both lie
wealth that Harry might discover was not necessary
70 make her pictures of the future bright If she
only could have Harry, that was sufficient, and
when he had posed from her sight she turned
away, humming the song lie most liked, while
thinking of the pleasures that awaited his return.
For months there had been no rumOrs of Indian
disturbances. There had been peace on the reser-
walton so long that men had ceased TO give its
dangers thought, as men who live IN zoe shadow
Of volcanoes live day after day unthnk ing OF the
hour that will find them buried beneath its lava
To the undertaken, nothing is 80 commonplace as
DEATH while the headsman in time secs nothing
notable In execution, save whether or not the
axe finds its way through one neck easier than
through another And - it is with danger, Tor
when il is ever present men grow Gallons 10 IL,
no matter how great IL may be- 80 IL was win
Harry Barrett and his comrades While the glrl
who was awaiting his return might have Occosloh-
ally thought of the risks that the little party ram
the men never felt any anxiety, or, II they dld,
subdued il without openly expressing II.
For the first few days they found Indications
Of rich silver Observation-Disclosures that were 50
rich that they ma lie permanent camp INTENDING
TO examine the lodges that criSs-crossed thc coui,
try thoroughly. They had seen no Indians. ana
expected none. One day, though. as they sat at
dinner. shot came from out Of the pines ami
before the echo had died away it was followed
by a score of others. Old jeff Bramlett. VINO
was to have led them TO untold wlalth' droppla
tie tin plate from which he was eating on the
ground. Not abruptly, but so gently that IL
hardly made sound and, az II Tell ne apphIen,H o
made an effort % rise TO his feet only 10 IAN ',ce
forward into the fire, where still sinllnefcd the
uneaten portion of the MONDAY meal.
The three remaining men sprang 10 Their iect
unframed, and rushed to seek cover behind trees
aea to her Ph sRa % Jarrett pas ed the fire
he drew from it the body of the od man: Inc
face covered with ashes ana blood, whie !he
confact with the Goals The limp body and re-
laxeI jaw toll how suddenly death had core ,,.
As the young man threw me o.iy 20 one ~ si'e
boulder, he glanced In the direction from winch
the shots had come, but could zee nothing AZ
he watched there would occasionally rise pnfs OF
white smoke. followed by the report Of rifle, and
be would fire in return. Through the whole after
noon never once did he see an Indians lace or
form After the first surprise me ,hfce lau
called 10 one another, and were rejOiccd 70 know
that none was hit The oldest had taken the
direction Of affairs. -.
Hold your ammunition and wait until t.
night and then we will break back for the canon
and try to reach the settlements. There are tO9
many of them for us TO stand OIL, ne said' anu
so through the long afternoon they waited. m
fire they kindled burned out, and the BODY OF the
dead man beside il grew cold and rlgid ne
blood no longer flowed from the wound when
the wind would blow the ashes, from the Goals
left by the fire. they would still glow, as IL III
m0ckery of the quick death that had OVcrtaken
the outetrctched form beside them.
When darkness had come, the three men gradu-
ally crept bookkeeping az closely together az
pnsible-in the direction Of the canon Dchhd
them. Occasionally out of the darkness would
come fash of light from rifle ilfed IN tleif
direction To these at first, they replied; put
when they had got some distance from , u;e
camp where the dead man lay, they rose 10 their
feet end rapidly and nolselessiy as p9So, nnS
knew that the faces of his comrades were, IKE
bis own, glowing with that feeling OF gratitude
that comes only when man mas escappa ,h a'm nan
they had Jeff behind again hut, after all, he was
Old and alone in the world, while they well with
them HE was sweetcr and dearer than 1t could
possibly have been to him. TO Harry, at least,
Il seemed so What would the girl have done
bad he instead been killed, and lying back there
BY the deserted campfire to be mn'ilated Deyoha mo
recognition when his body should pass into the
hands Of the XpachesP BY morning they would
be within a few miles Of the settlements ana thcy
would be safe II so dark that they had 10
use both hands and feet in feeling Tor iootwny
down through the canon Still they were making
good progress. 1t was hardly midnight, and they
must have left their camp AT least dozen miles
behind They could not Ike over thirty or forty
miles from the settlements and; once out OF I'M, me
canon, they would soon travel that distance; Inc
moon wocld soon be high in the ravens anu ,'' AZ
Would helm them: but il would also BRING ana 10
he mn rsnars raging AT their escape It's light was