Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-10-29
INDIAN STRATAGEM.
HOW GERONIMO FOOLED A SQUAD OF
UNCLE SANS cAVALRYMEN.

Blistering Sand and Lay in Wait Until
the Soldiers Came Up-They Are the
Only Indians That Can DO 1t.
/ saw Geronimo and a dozen of his
Apaches do something in Arizona in
1887 which never would have believed
possible had not witnessed it with my
own eyes.
The Apaches are unquestionably the
most dreaded tribe of Indians on the
continent They are tougher, more en-
during and more uDconquerable than
any other Of their race. An Apache can
lope up the side of n mountain with the
thermometer marking 100 degs., and
when he reaches the top he won't show
drop Of extra perspiration, nor will he
breathe a whit faster than when he
started.
He will go for days without a morsel
of food or a drop of water; he will live
on snakes, mice and refuse, or, if the
worst comes to the worst, will shoot his
horse and eat what he wants of him raw
Set out to pursue a band of Apache raid
ers, and if they are hard pressed they
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 miscreants will come to-
gether at some point twenty or thirty or
more miles away.
There were twenty-five Of us cavalry
men returning from one of our fruitless
pursuits f the terrible Geronimo. Our
horses were worn out, and so were we.
1t was one Of the hottest days i have
ever known in that throbbing furnace
of a country. We had several miles of
baked alllali plain still to traverse before
reaching the fort, where we could secure
shade and water, and what we needed
most of all-rest.
Whewl but it 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 shimmered and
throbbed as it does over a newly plowed
field at noontide of 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 distorted
through the quivering atmosphere, but
in every other direction was the naked,
burning desert.
We We're strung along for distance OF
several hundred yards, In fact there was
a squad Of five horsemen much farther
than that in 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 it, grim
ly closing our teeth, holding out to reach
the post.
Was there anything to be apprehended
from Geronimo? Could we old cam
paigners be entrapped? Low, level sands
on every hand. Well, right there in the
midst of that flaming plain, with it
horrible sandy waste, in which no speal
of grass could find root, that frightfu-
chieftain and his Apaches ambuscadec
us. 1t sounds incredible, but it is a fact
Suddenly / heard rife firing at the
rear. 1t had dull, odd sound, but il
was close at hand, and as turned il
the saddle saw that the squad farthes
away were engaged in a desperate figh
with party of Indians, who were OF
foot, shooting, striking and dartinl
hither and thither like so many demons
We instantly wheeled and hurrie'
back as fast as we could to the help o
our comrades, but before we could reacl
them three saddles were emptied, an
Geronimo and his warriors were scurry
ing across the plain at greater spec
than any TO which we could force GU
exhausted ponies, who sank to their fet
locks at every step. We gave them
parting voIley, which wounded severa
but they managed TO limp off with th
help of others, and all were soon beyon
danger. | don't know how far the
travelled off over that burning desoli
ton, but it may have been many mile
for they were capable of doing it if the
chose.
These Apaches must have discovere
our approach while we were good wa
off. Knowing we were on our return
the post they could easily calcula
where we would pass. Then they bu
rowed in the sand, covering themselv
entirely with the blistering PARTICLES,
that only their snakelike eyes peert
forth. Thus we passed within fe
rods of them without suspecting the
presence.
In conversation with General CroC
about the extraordinary incident, tn
old campaigner smiled and replied:
II am not surprised. have seen the
do the same thing myself, but Il
Apache is the only Indian that can
it."-Chicago Mail
Say Your Nasty Little Prayersr'
Mr.. Sala in his journal relates the fC