Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-11-04
sPRiNTINo WARRIORS.
rhe Indians Ability An Retreat 10 o.
OF His Strongest Points.

xhe Indians Ability an Retreat 10 One
Of His strongest Points.
One of the problems of the soldier
in the west u to overtate tho Indian
when that fellow wants to get away.
Let q band of Indians commit q
depreciation and start to run and II IL
one Of the greatest of difficulties to
catch them. No one who remembers
the accounts Of the Geronimo band.
can forget the trials of the army men
who were sent to capture and punish
the redskins. Once they had reached
the mountains IL was almost impoesi-
BILE to get near them. They not only
knew the land thoroughly, but they
could run 30 rapidly that you might
have them safely located In one place,
bring your detachment up, only to
find they had gone, bag and baggage,
hours and hours before.
On straight chase 1t is almost
equally impossible to catch them.
Even cavalry is useless against them.
The human, after all, Is the better
animal, and when an Indian band
ran in the lead of cavalry horses the
latter lost. The only hope was In
numbers that could in time surround
and turn back the line Of retreat 90
often and at such unexpected places
that the Indian would surrender more
from confusion than from fear.
II Is no difficult thing for one OF
the mountain Indians to run 100
miles within ten hours. Carriers
have carried messages for army on
GERS in that time very often. A sim
gle mile in three minutes has been
made ON a wager time and again. Up
at Hualpi, village Of the Moqm In
dams Of Arizona, there is o religious
festival which is sintroduced by q race
of five miles, in which the winner,
on testimony that cannot be denied,
makes the distance in twenty min
utes, climbing at the conclusion of
the race a sloping height Of over 700
feet.
SO proud are the Indians of their
prowess as runners that ON an occa-
sion when Commissioner Morgan, Of
the Indian bureau, was in the terri
tories looking over his wards, the
Navajoes brought a runner to the
headquarters of the government men
and wanted to pit him against q
horse. Lieutenant Baker, Of the
Seventh infantry. and Lieutenant
Pierson, of the engineer corps, slipped
away from the commissioner and
went down where the Indians were
camping. Baker said he thought the
Navajo couldn't run. They were
much offended, and offered to bet he
could outrun horse.
Baker" said Pierson, you BET
them can beat their man.
The lieutenant OF infantry made
the proposition and the Indians swift
ly gathered up their valuables and
offered TO stake them. They came in
groups and clamored for a bet. They
could not get to him quickly enough
He covered everything they offered
even TO their ponies. He had abou
peck Of the most beautiful garnet
heaped on blanket before him ant
all the silver girdles they had /,
camp. The Indian racer stripped b.
the skin and Pierson took of hi
heavier garments Indians and white
agreed upon a course and the runner
started. Pierson Is q sprinter wh,
} could probably beat any man in tn
army and he ran away from th,
Navajo. But the Indians were game
They were sadly disappointed in thei
man, but the bets they never gave
second thought.
The army men rounded up thei
herd of ponies. loaded a burro witt
, belts and valuables, hired boy b
carry the lighter winnings and star,
! ed away The Indians broke cam,
and got ready TO leave. As soon a
! the two lieutenants had shown thei
! plumber &c the other officers they sen
for the losers and gave everything
back. Il was quite difficult MATES
, for them to explain TO the Indian
that an army officer could not gam
J BILE with Indians, and certainly coul
! not justly win from them. But .
game were the latter that they diI
not want to take their things back :