The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-03-17
CUNNING TRICK OF APACHES

[ saw Geronimo and a dozen OF his
! Apaches do something IN Arizona, IN
! 1887. which | never would have be
| Ieved possible had l not witnessed II
with my own eyes, says Edward L.
! Elis.
The Apaches are unquesionably the
most dreaded tribe Of Indians on this
continent. They are tougher. more
I enduring and more uncouquarabls
than any other Of their race. An Ap-
ache can lOpe up the side Of d noun
/ tain with the thermometer marking
100 degrees, and when ne reaches the
1 top he won't show d drop Of extra per
spiration, nor viii he breathe a whit
faster than when he started He viii
go for days without q morsel Of food
or a drop Of water: he viii live on
snakes, mice and refuse. or if the worst
comes 10 worst. will shoot his horse
and eat what he wants OF him raw
Set out to pursue a band Of Apache
raiders, and if they are hard pressed
they viii separate, each for himself,
50 that the only way to keep up the
pursuit Is to follow them individually,
in which case the Apache IS sure to
have the best end OF the contract
When the hunt IS over the dusky mis-
creants will come together at some
point twenty or thirty or more miles
away.
There were twenty five OF rs cayal-
rymen returning from one Of our fruit
less pursuits of the terrible Geronimo.
Oar horses were worn out and 50 were
We. Il was one Of the hottest days I
have ever known in that throbbing
furnace Of a country. We had several
miles Of baked alkall plain still to
traverse before reaching the fort,
where we could secure shade and water
and what we needed most of all else
rest
Whow, bat it was hot. Hadnot the
air been perfectly dry neither man nor
beast cJald have stood i. The metal
work on our guns was 50 heated that
no one could bear to touch it WITH the
naked hand The air shimmered and
throbbcd is it does over q newly pillow
ed field aJ nooltiie Of a summer day.
North. east, south and west was one
level stretch Of plain, on which not a
tree, shrub. OF even a blade Of g.aas
grew Far to the westward could be
seen the outlines OF the fort, oddly dis
tOrted through the quiyering atm0s-
Uhere, but III every direction was the
naked. burning desert.
We were strung along for a distance
OF several hundred yards. In fact
there was a squad OF five hoTsemen
much farther than that to the rear.
All the animals were plodding slowly
through the sand. which, it seemed to
me. was hot enough to roast eggs,
their heads dropping, while We were
simply enduring 1t, grimly closing our
teeth. holding ont to reach the post.
Was there anything to be apprehend
cd from Geronimo Could we old
campaigners be cntrapped? Low, Level
sand on every hand. Well, right there,
in the midst OF that flaming plain
with It's horrible sandy waste, in
which no spear OF grass could find
root, that frightful cnieftmn and his
tpachas ambuscaded rs. 1t sounds
Incredible. but it is the fact
Suddenly | heard rife firing ut the
rear. 1t had a duh, odd sound, but #
was close at hand, and as | turned in
the saddle, | saw the squad furth25t
away were engaged in a desperate
FIGHT with a party Of Indians, who
we're on foot, shooting, striking. and
darting hither and thither hike 50
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 emp
tied and Geronimo and his warriors
We're scurYing across the plain at a
speed greater than any to which we
could force our exhausted ponies, who
sank to there fetlocks at every step.
We gave them parting volley which
wounded several, but they managed
to limp off with the help Of others,
and al were soon beyond danger |
don't know how far they Travelled off
over that burning desoiation, but 1t
may have been many miles, for they
were capable of doing it il they chose.
Those Apaches mast have discover
ed our approach while we were a good
way of knowing we were on our re-
turn to the post. they could easily cal
culate whore we would pass. They
then burrowed in the sand. covered
themselves entirely with the blister
ing particles, so that only their snake
like eyes peered forth. Thus we pass
"a within a few rods Of them without
suspecting their presence.
In conversation with Gen. Crook
about the extraordinary incident, that
old campaigner smiled and replied:
Il am not surprised; L have seen
them do the same thing myself; but
the Apache Is the only Indian that can
do it.
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