The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-04-11

Tor old man Barnaby had ceased to be
of any particular use in this world long
before Geronimo had become the ar
chief of the Chiricahua Apaches. Bess,
ibis daughter, ran the ranch, MIXED the
COWS, cooked the food, did the washing,
] attended to the modest little garden
that she had managed to coax from the
arid Arizona soil, and even gave the
two cayuse ponies that belonged to her
father all the grooming they ever got.
Besides this, she had to attend to the
selling OF water from the artesian well
that was the only excuse for Fresh
water rauch's existence.
There was not so very much travel
on the road that ran by Mount Graham
down to the dusty ella valley, but
there were forty miles at 4 stretch of
il, and Freshwater ranch had the only
water that was to be found upon it And
SO, when the freight teams and the
Ermy ambuIances made the trip from
Fort Grant TO Fort Thomas, the team
{ sters were very glad to pay twenty-five
cents bucketfut for water and double
rates for forage. And that is how Bess
made a living, a wretched lonely. al
most outcast living, for her father and
herself.
Bat there was plenty TO do this day
and plenty OF excitement. For the
first time in all her memory, a whole
troop CT handsome cavalrymen. with a
bright checked and still hsndsomer
young lieutenant at its head, had come
to Freshwater ranch to actually camp
over night and perhaps stay even
longer. A bunch Of White River
Apaches, getting over the effects of
tlsoetn drunk, had jumped the reserva-
ton and started on a numbering and
thieving raid after their usual manner.
Quite after their usual manner, also.
two troops Of cavalry had started in
pursuit, following their trail with the
faint hope of catching mp with the
fleet footed Apaches: while the re-
Inainder Of two regiments of cavalry
and twice as many of infantry had
been put at patrol duty and at the
guarding of water holes. springs and
mountain passes.
1t is the young lieutenant that is sent /
on this patrol duty as a rule. The
more experienced officers are sent in
pursuit And il is hard grind. III
deed, on the nerves of the impatient .
young lieutenant to sit for DAYS in his /
camp watching the surrounding couu- .
try through his tield-glass and receiv-
ing the reports of his scouts, always
the same monotonous: Didn't see no
signs Of EN-, sir" 1t is his ambition TO ,
get under fire. 1t is the height OF a
young lieutenaut's widest dream to
s-,l1
heart burns with envy when he hears
big Bailey. of his regiment, who but
few years before, was himself but a
green lieutenant. talk in an off-hsnd
way about that time we had to fight
with Old Geronimo down in the san
Samoane valley" Bailey looks into
The campfire as he speaks, and does
not appear to care whether anyone is
listening. There is tantaiizing tilt 10
Bailey's forage-c.p. and the youngster
swears that if he ever does, by any
good luck, happen to come across u
hostile Apache. he viii cut off his head
forthwith and send it to Bailey. and do
. little talking himself He would
hate Bailey If he wasn't such jolly
good fellow and so Internally kind
short of ready cash on ones strinIinc
pay. and so deucedly clever about get
tinr ones MONT il good trim when
ore has famed ,he poor beast with ua-
skIlful riding; AL Of which Bailey TN !
fortunately Is
And SO the poor ''plebe" lieutenant
CRASHES his teeth and swears at his
luck, and looks at his fe,d-Slasses IN
til ne can see all sorts OF things with
his tired eyes-exceps Indians. But
woe to him if M. Cra1y Bear, with his
family and relatives and intimate
friends, happens to slip through his
lines during the night and the trail Is
rot discovered promptly the next day.
Woe to him if it is the grinning cap
tain Of the pursuing troop that tantaliz-
iuriv informs him, while he is still rub