The Helena independent., 1893-09-19
Some OF the Stories Told by the
Stage Driver About Cruel
Apaches.
How Mexican Herder Succeeded
In Frightening or the
Band.
With Chance Shot lie Killed Thsir Ch ie 4
"A Hot and Close Nacs for
Life,


shock to the mind OF an eastern man when
he hears upon first arriving in this region
the stories told by cowboys and sheep herd
ers about the Apaches. Ono reads Indian
stories in the east. but they are stories afar
off or of people who lived long ago. Here
the story Is told by the side of a fresh grave,
80 to speak, and ''So-and-so, who lives right
over there" was one of the principal char
acters.
While driving down the valley Of the
Tulerosa creek the other day. Blunt Arm
strong, the stage driver, said, pointing to
the steep side Of u fat topped mountain on
the rights
During the last raid of the Apaches a
band of them came across the top of that
mountain on their way to destroy the i'm
provements below here. 1t happened that
couple of MeXicans were herding a flock
of sheep right up there that day, and nei.
ther herders nor Indians knew of the ap-
proach of the other. Well, as the Indians
came to the brow of that little precipice
they saw the herders and popped over the
nigh one at the first shot The other one
started to run, and the Indians, q dozen
strong clambered down the bluff and took
after him and made three jumps to his two.
AS soon as they began to close in, say with
in 20 rods or SO, tho Mexican turned round
and tried to shoot at them with an old
fashioned muzzle loading musket he had
carried to shoot coyotes and panthers But
something was wrong with the blamed
thing, and it wouldn't go off.
THAT made the Apaches laugh, and with
much noise they determined to take him
alive and torture him. But the Mexican
was game and kept running and working
away with his old musket until at last
bang! she went, and over went the war
Grief Of the band with bullet in his head.
AS luck would have it, tho chief had
stopped chasing the Mexican-the capture
of u single fugitive was too small a game
for him maybe, and the rest were ahead of
him-and so, although he was hit by
chance, the Indians concluded that all the
motions and monkeyshines the Mexican
had been making with the gun were but
preliminary to the magical destruction of
their chief. With many cries and exclama-
tions they at once stopped the chase and
with the body of their dead chief made
haste to leave the valley.
"As this Incident was enlivening the up
per part of the valley another party of Apa-
ches was hurrying down Apache canyon on
their way to the Tulerosa The white peo-
pie had good warning of their coming, and
all escaped, though II Mexicans were caught
in one bunch and shot down. One white
woman with her husband had close call.
however, owing to her regard for her chick
ems. She had recently come from the east
and was SO much Of a tenderfoot as not to
understand the real danger The Indians
We're reported to be in place that seemed
to her long way off, On hearing the re-
port she, with her husband, started for the
rendezvous at Pat Higgins ranch, but when
well on the way she thought Of her chick
ems that had been left at home Nothing
would do but to return and get them. The
husband said the danger was rapidly in
creasing, but she was determined the Apa-
ches should not have the chickens, and back
the couple drove and got them. Then they
drove up the trail again.
"They had just passed the mouth of
Apache canyon when Geronimo's band
came out and started in chase. It was
about three miles from the canyon to the
Higgins ranch. The ranchman heard them
coming but he had a farm wagon and less
than mile the start. OF all the scenes in
the Tulerosa valley few We're ever more
thrilling than that when turn in the road
revealed to the people at the Higgins ranch
the ranchman leaning out over the front of
his wagon plying blacksnake whip to tho
galloping team, while the wagon leaned
and swayed from side to side, a long cloud
of dust rolled smoking into the air, and d
scattered gang of i'll favored savaees came
galloping behind, shooting their rifles and
gaining at every Jump. 1t was hard race,
but the ranchman won, his foolish wife w.
ing in dead faint on the bottom of the
wagon box beside the coop of chickens"
Over north ef here n grave is pointed out
us that of an unknown white man. After
the raid was over a skeleton was found
across a big red ant hill. A man had been
captured and then by means of stakes and
cords bound alive across the home of col
ony of red ants There he lay helpless
while the ants by slow degrees stripped
away his living flesh.
A ranch over that way has two iron hooks
on the shady wall of the house. These arc
pointed out to the stranger. The ranch
man put them there that he might hang up
deer, an elk or the carcass of a steer as
fresh meat was needed by the family. The
Apaches came along and surprised the
woman at home alone Splitting open her
ankles just above her heels, they hung her
up alive with these hooks through the slts
and left her there Her husband with a
party of plainsmen returned in time to save
her life
The Indians are supposed to be at peace
and contented, but there are some despe-
radoes among the Apaches as among mine
camp whites. The Apache Kid, as wild
youth is known, is cited as an example
He raided his own people that he might
carry off girl with sor.e ponies not long
ago, and when the girl eventually was re-
turned home she told a curious story of his
having belt with 81 500 in gold, which he
wore constantly. The money was from a
white man he had murdered. He goes to
and fro across the Mexican border accord
ing as whim or the proximity of pursuers
dictate He has had narrow escapes. Sev-
era of his companions have been killed,
but he is still at large.
Now and then prospectors go out into the
mountains and fail to return. Cowboys
riding the frontier range fail to report
Skeletons, sometimes singly and sometimes
two or three together, are found lying be
side the remains Of campfire. There is
still region of the United States where
the stock must be staked close to the camp
Mt night and watch kept if the venture
some party is small.-New Mexico Cor
New York SUM-