The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-08-03
The Toughest Of Mankind.

A frontier exnpsigner says that be saw
Geronimo and dozen Ofhis Apaehes do
sOnething in Arizona, in lSS7. which he
would never have believed possible had
be n0s witnessed il with his own eyes
The Apaches are. unquestionzbly,-
he SAYS, the most dreaded tribe Of Indi-
ans on this continent Al Apache can
lope up the SIDE Of mountain with the
Thermometer marking one hundred and
twenty degrees, and when he reaches
the Top he won't show = drop Of extra
peEpiration, nor vii be breathe q Whit
faster than when he s-zrted.
There were twenty-five Of Us cavalry
Een, returning from our fruitless pur-
suit ofthe terrible Geronimo. Oar hors-
= we're worn out, and 50 were We twas
one OF the hottest days had ever known
in that country. We had several miles
Of baked alkAh plain still before reach
ing the fort, where We could secure
shade, and water, and what We needed
most Of al else-rsst-
-WheE, Bot i Was hot Had lot the
sir been perfectly dry, neither han nor
beast could have stood IL The metal
work Of our guns Was - heated that no
enc could bear 70 touch il with the IA
kei hand. The air shimmered and
throbbed 2s il does over q newly pl0Eed
fed at 1ooatide Of = summer day.
North, east, south and vest VAS one lev
e. stretch Of plain, or which not a tree,
shrub or even = blade OF yrazs greE. Far
70 the westward could Be seen the out
lines ofths foIs, oddly distorted, through
the quivering atmosphere, bat in every
other direction Vas the naked, bGrning
deserf
We were strung along for distance
Of several hundred yards. In fscf, there
vas a squad Of i've horsemen much far
ther than that 20 the rear- Al the ami
mals were plOdding slowly through the
sand, which il seemed 70 ne, Vas hot
enough 10 ro2st rs, their heads drO0p-
ing, while We we're simply enduring It,
grimly closing or teeth, holding oct 10
reach the post.
Was there anything to Be apprshend-
ed from Geronim0c Could We Old cam
paigners be entrAppei? Low, level sand
on every hand Well, right there, in the
midst Of that flaming plain, with is hor-
rible sandy waste On which no spear Of
graz could find root, that frightfai chief
tzin and his Apaches amb1scsded rs. Il
sounds incredibls, bat il Is the fact.
Sud5enly I heard rife firing Al the
rear. L bad q dull, odd sound, bot Vas
close At hand, and IS turned II the sd
die saE1hatthe squad arthest away
Eas.engagsd in desperate fight with 4
party OF Indians, EhO were on foot,
shooting. striking and darting hither and
thither Ike 50 many demons.
g We instantly wheeled and hurried
back, as fast As We could, 70 the help Of
or comrades; but before Ne could reach
Them three saddles we're emptied, and
Geronimo and his warriors were seurry-
ing aeross the plain al 3 speed greater
than any % which We could force our
exhausted ponies, who sank 10 their fst-
locks at every step. We gave them a
parting volley, which wounded several,
but they managed 20 limp Of With the
help Of Others, aud al were beyond dan
ger. don't know how Ear they travel
ed Of over that burning desOlaiion, Bat
Il may have been many miles, for they
we're capable Of doing II fthe chose.
Those Apaehes must have discovered
our approach while We we're a good way
OF knowing We we're 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 80
that only their snske-like eyes peered
forth. Thus Ee passed within = few
rods Of them without suspeeting their
presence.
IN conversation with me about this
extraordinary incident, General Crook
smiled, and said
am not surprised I have seen
them do the same thin 2 myself; but the
Apache is the Oaly indian that can do
Il. .Ns7r York Ledgr.