Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1892-09-13
AFIGHTWITHCACTUs
A RISKY STORY or A WESTERN MIS-
ADVENTURE At NIGHT

, RISKY STORY OF a WESTERN MIS-
ADVENTURE At NIGHT.
A Ludicrous Adventure OF = Party Hunt
Ing Indlans IN Southwestern Mexico.
The Bravery % y Leader Brought rid
icule Upon Himself
"Haltl Whats tbatr said our leader
IN a sharp whisper.
It was n clear moonlight night An the
extreme southwest Of Mexico.
I was visiting a friend who conducted
q large ranch and hacienda there.
A local revolt had Just been quelied in
the neighborhood and a spirit Of lawless-
ness still pervaded the atmosphere. Only
the night before my friend had been
fred upon and u Of his storehouse8
robbed by band Of Indians some fifteen
or twenty strong. Early in the morning
four Of us, under the leadership Of our
host, bad set out upon the track Of the
robbers.
We were well mounted, and resting
only a few hours at roon had followed
hard after them till nearly midnight. II
we met them in a fair field we could
drive them into quarters like cows to a
pen, but we had no mind to run into o
trap in the dark with Eve against IF
teeni hence caution.
'Haltl What's thatT' our leader had
whispered. We had come to the edge
OF q dense woods, and across an open
space, upon the brow Of a low sand hill,
clearly outlined in the moonlight against
the sky, we had discovered a dozen or
more half naked fellows, with their
arms extended in every direction, en-
gagged in some sort of a weird, fantastic
dance.
We could not see their legs, for the
tops Of the trees beyond the hill rose
waist high, making a black background,
but their arms moved slowly to and fro
and we could easily imagine their legs
keeping company.
'Those are the thievesr' our host NUT
tered. II know them, even at night.
You fellows just come to the edge Of the
wood, where they can see you without
knowing how many there are Of you,
and I'll have them down here in no
time"
He rode out alone to the foot Of the
hill.
1t required no little courage, and we
wayUJ.ed him with proportionate admira-
tioh.
The figures did not cease their dance
OF notice him. Suddenly, with his rifle
at his shoulder, he called to them: 81
have you therel If one of you moves
I'll shoot him deadr'
The wind bad been blowing through
the trees, so that we could not have
heard their response, but fortunately at
that moment it ceased, and in the deep
silence which settled down upon the
forest in such a momentary lull we
waited for the result.
Every Indian suddenly ceased his
dancing and stood like a statue outlined
against the sky.
"Come down here now" shouted our
host. "Come quietly, too, for the first
man who makes any trouble drops dead"
Wecould hear a sound, as of a hurried
consultation of some sort, going ON upon
the hill for a moment, but the wind
sprung up again before we could dis.
tinguish a single voice, and to our utter
astonishment the fellows actually began
their solemn dance again.
'Come down or I'll shooti' reared Oul
host, but they kept on dancing and he
did shoot.
Then there was commotion enough
A wild cry, followed by a cloud Of dust
rose from the brow Of the hill.
"Firer" yelled our host, and we re
sponded with a well aimed volley, while
he whipped out his heavy revolver and
gave them another peppering.
There was a perfect bedlam of screams
from the hill, and the dust hid every
thing from view. They were either con
ing down upon us in an unexpected
horde or running for their lives.
For us it was either fly or follow. W.
waited irresolutely for the word Of oul
leader, when the dust settled and Their,
stood the Indians, silently going OF will
their fantastic dance as though we wer'
q hundred miles away.
With q fierce ejaculation our host pu
spurs to his horse and dashed up tn
hill. We followed, without command
to find him upon the summit, sitting OF
the ground beneath a line of gaunt ant
ghostlike prickly pears-the ungainl.
cactus Of Mexico.
They extended along the brow Of tn.
hill, their naked, skeleton branche
spreading out in every u~naccountabl
way and swaying solemnly in the breeze
Among the roots a multitude Of bur
rows in the dry dust showed where tn
sandbirds had been lying, half buried
and quietly sleeping; and it was thei
noisy yelp we heard when they wer
frightened away by u hosts duel wit
the cactns.-Louisville Conrier-Journa