Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-06-30
INDIAN STRATAGEn.
HOW GERONIMO FOOLED a SQUAD Or
UNCLE SANS cAvALRYMEN.


4 BAND % Apsehss narrowed xnts the
nIiss~ripx s~na and Lay In wais Untn
*. SoiaI.r. came up-rhsx a.. a..
a. 1910. r..s ga. m. r.
! saw Geronimo and . dozen Of his
Apeches 90 something ~ Arizona In
1857 which ! never would have believed
possible had not witnessed 10 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 unconquerabie than
any other OF their race. An Apache can
lope mp the side OF mountain with the
Thermometer marking i10 degs.. and
whom he reaches the top nc won't show
drop OF extra persplration, nor wiii he
breathe q whit faster than when he
started.
He viii go for days without morsel
Of food or drop OF water; he VIII live
on snakes, mice and refuse. or, u the
worst comes to the worst, viii shoot his
horse and eat what he wants OF him raw.
Set out to pursue band OF Apache raid
ers. and II they are hard pressed they
viii separate. each for himself. 70 that
the only way to keep up the pursuit Is
to follow them individually. IN: which
case the Apache IL sure TO have the best
end OF the contract When the hunt u
over the dusky mlscreants VIII come To-
gether ut some point twenty OF tnirty or
more miles away.
There were twenty-five OF us cavalry
men returning from one OF our fruitless
pursuits Il the terrible Geronimo Our
horses were worn out, and 90 were we.
II was one OF the hottest days have
ever known In that throbbing furnace
| Of country. We had several miles OF
baked alkali plain still 70 traverse before
reaching tho fort, where we could secure
shade and water. and what we needed
most Of all--rest.
Whewi but II was hot. Had not the
air been perfectly dry neither man nor
beast could have stood It. The metal
work on our guns was 80 heated that no
one could bear to touch It with the
naked hand The AIR shimmered and
throbbed 40 II does over newly piowea
field at noontide OF a summer day.
1 North. east, south and west was one
level stretch OF plain, on which not o
tree, shrub or even blade o. grass grew.
Far to the westward could DC seen the
outlines Of the fort, Oddly distorted
through the quivering atmosphere. out
In every other direction was the naked,
burning desert.
We were strung along Tor distance OF
several hundred yards In fact there was
. squad or fve 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 II, grim
ly closing our teeth, holding out 70 reach
the post.
Was there anything to be apprehended
from Geronimo! Could we Old cam
: paigners be entrappeds Low, level sand
ON every hand. Well, right there IN thu
midst OF that flaming plain, with ~
horrible sandy waste, In which no spea,
of grass could find root, that frightfu
/. chieftain and his Apaches ambuscadet
ns. IL sounds incredible, but 1t Is fact
Suddenly | heard rifle firing ut thu
I rear. IL had dull, oad sound, but |
: was close at hand. and MS turned II
the saddle ! saw that the squad farthes
away were engaged in desperate fgh
with party Of Indians, who were o.
foot. shooting, striking and dartinI
: hither and thither like 40 many demons
We instantly wheeled and hurrie'
Z back as fast rs we could to the help 0
our comrades, but before we could reaci
them three saddles were emptied, an
Geronimo and his warriors were scurry
ing across the plain at o greater specs