The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-03-31

his superior officer.
A non-commissioGed officer usually won
about as much as does tile mediocre competitor
in q prize-puzze contest-although he has
failed, he has done well enough 10 deserve
something better than oblivion, aud receives
honorable mention" Privates were some
times accorded the generic classification OF
"men" officer So-and-so and three men
were killed" the dispatch might say, as at an
auction of household effects, half-valueess arti-
cles, like odd boots, a candle-stick, ironing
board a few bottles, a book, potato-masher,
and SO on. are tumbled together in some handy
receptacle and Jumped off by the box or basket
full.
Our red brother was theoretically attending
to his predestined work in those days, and it
was nothing more than was to be expected that
soldiers should be killed.
Engagements, skirmishes, ambuscades and
slaughters wers of such frequent occurrence
that the newspaper readers had grown quite
used to accounts of few soldiers, more or less,
slain, and civilians counted for even less than
private soldiers.
If the victims name appeared in the dis
patches at ALL the chances were that 1t would
be spelled incorrectly; aud so when Steve
Laurence was killed his name was not even
mentioned
The old Sante Fe TraiI-that historic thor
oughfare first traversed by Baptiste La Lande
in 1904, and along which for more than 90
years caravans had crawled through the will
derness, across broad prairies and deserts, and
through mountain passes to Santa Fe-was be-
ing prepared for the passage Of the iron horse.
The survey had left the prairies of Kansas
and the foothills of Colorado behind and had
progressed into New Mexico, and now the ad-
vance was almost one continual battle with
hostile savages and almost equally hostile ma
ture. Stretches of desert were traversed under
blistering sun. Often the only water to be
obtained was from white-rimmed alkali pools.
Then came a scarcely welcome change to the
volcanic wastes, where nature seemed to have
gone mad after the CHASTITY. the weird, the I'M
canny-a monotony of petrifed dcliriums.
And animated nature was in keeping with
the inanimate. The coyote-scurvy, shame
faced. hopeless Ishmaelte-slid from cover to
cover with his sneaking glide. The black
snakes steely length lay stretched in the sun.
The tarantula-hideous, hairy devil-lay ever
in wait. Above in the cloudless sky the buzz
card sailed his huge circles.
And animated by the same devilish ingenuity
and malignity That seemed the sole Quickening
purpose of the reptiles, the Apaches disputed
our progress. Sometimes days would pass with
ont sight of tufted head Then, rife
barrel silently projected from unsupported
cover or a Misunderstanding pile Of stones
fash and death-cry, and some name was
carried forward no more on the pay roll of the
Santa Fe Company, or the saddle of blue
coated trooper was emptied.
The newspapers had said some two months
before the Apaches are QUIT" Old Geronimo
and his friends had accepted the bounty of the
"Great Father" and lived in ideness and
comfort all Winter, TO sally out in the Spring
sleek, well fed. aud thoroughly equipped for
their muFderous work, to rage their red way
at their own sweet will, till, tired and satiated
they were ready to return to the Agencies
again.
Il. \ ~.
10 protect itself against the wards it so literally
endowed with the wherewithai to pursue their
red work did their best. They fought, suf-
fered, went down with their faces to the foe,
and Geronimo and bis friends continued their
pastime.
They were here, there, yonder, gone A
brawny pioneer in some one of the narrow fer
tile valleys in the morning kissed the wife
and little ones for whom he was so sturdily
striving to make a home in the wilderness,
and went out TO his blowing. An hour later
the carriOn bnzzsrd, sailing high above, saw
the humble home in flames, the pioneer
stretched dead by his plow, scalped and mutt
lated. the wife aud mother borne away to a
fate worse than death, the little ones cremat-
ing in the cabin. In another hour the Indians
are miles away, the buzzard has swooped close
70 the ground, the coyotes are gliding thither.
A wagon-train creeps across the desert. A
rush as OF falcons upon q frightened hare. In
little while it is all over. The wagon-train
is only confused huddle of smodering
brands and crooked irons, and here and there
mutilated body waits for the coyotes
Our advance was guarded by two troops of
cavalry. The ethics Of civilized warfare did
not meet the appreciation OF our red brother.
lie regarded il as no part Of the duty of a war
rior TO march out 20 be shot Glory meant
nothing to him. He had been taught that to
kill-not to be killed-was the predestined
purpose Of a warrior.
The soldiers prevented humiliation of our
party. Oar work went steadily on. fash,
death cry. The Indians were gone. Some
body took the place Of the fallen man. and all
went on as before.
Young Steve Laurence had not been with us
long when his turn came. We had grown
somewhat short-LaDded, thanks to the Indians
and the climate and little squad of recruits
had been sent on by the Company. Laurence
was quiet, sun Drowned, honest faced young
fellow who looked like farmer boy. lie had
been recommended TO the Company by Fairfax,
the grim old Engineer-in- Chief who had
known the boy somewhere back in the East.
The rest Of Us had had hardly time 10 b. come
acquainted with him before his turn came.
1t came just after we had entered a little fer
tile valley. We had not seen the 1utter of
dyed feather for two days. The work was 60
ing merriiy on. Old Fairfax, silent aud grim.
to1k his sights aud scribbled in his field book
Win the regularity OF machine. One troop
of the soldiers had gone on half mile ahead.
The other was encamped a short distance in
our rear.
Laurence was only staff-man. He had ad-
Vanced, planting his staff at intervals till he
was well away from the rest of u.s. Old Fair
fax was following, scribbling in his field book.
The ak men were planting stakes
Suddenly there came the crack of rife
and Fairfax staggered, finished the entry he
was making in his Textbook, and then fell
forward on his face Then he staggered TO his
feet and came watering toward u.s.
"Hi-yoh! III yah! Up! ZIP! YI-I-r-IP!"
squad of screeching redskins. mounted on
swift ponies, burst from a timber-fringed arroya
and swirled down upon the wounded man, fir
ing their rifles and yelling like demons. The
ax-men came running back toward US for their
lives. Both troops of soldiers sprang to the
saddle, OF i WAS plain to be seen that the In
dams would he upon Fairfax before either troop
could come rear enough to prevent.
saw roJag Laurence drop his staff give
one frightened glance at the bowling crew,