Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-28
rnE nouLDEn wAs ALIvn.
An Apache Trick Ihat Nearly Cost n
courier HIS Late IA Artxvun

courier ans Late Ia Arizona.
New York. Dec. 26.-'Talblug OF In
dlans aud tnelr stfatagems," sud A.
u. 4tarston, lately VI tue Onitca s.alvs
cavalry, "thoy ATE past masters Vi tne
arcs o. skuiNlug ana deeeiNhg. An
Apache wall ne ueaiad a soapWced va
the open p2lrle, ana you may ude past
Two or hr=e aundled yAras away aaa
never have an iuea tadt tnat there Is
re0sNin wltum my iuAes OK you, un-
less he docides ~ risk shot at YOU.
As You pass Tue soapwoed ne worAs
mS body around SO as 10 Keep 4, al
ways IN line with The plant and you.
Even on the open prairie. NitA no
more shelter thAn that afforded by
a1me Mite inequality u suruUa be
Wlll sat dust over his body. natlcn
himself out, face downward, against
the ground, aud, lying as nouoaess
US Stone, viii escape the ouseINa tun
OF any except sharp and praetiUed
eyes. Sometimes, Va a grove OF cactus
or Spanish bayuuet, hij uuoksitn gUr-
mehts blending with tnp hues oI sHu
plants, his lace and neck concealed by
the head OF q spanish buyouet, ho
VIII stand ike pJst, inuiauAguish-
aUlc 10 the Inexperienced eye. even AT
close quarters, from the grotrsgue
plants ABOUT MIN. A queer experience
OF thlB kind occurred 10 me In my ser
wee In Arizona during Geueral CroOA's
last campaign against the Apachys.
Tom Merriam, OF any troop. ana my sell
were detailed ~ carry dispatches from
Camp Bowie TO camp LtAul, up on the
RIO Benio, II was dangerous SER
vice AZ that time, aud We had 10 keep
q sharp lookout and be ready TO Aght
or run at a moments nOtiuc. for III re-
was no knowing AT what point On the
route the Apacnes might 10, be lying
~ walt to jump us as We came along.
We were on our return TO Camp Bowie
and had lust crossed the wooded canon
where tue cold spring Is and were CONF
ing out upon the open prairie that
stretches down TO the san Pedro river
when through the branches OF a low
tree l saw what l took to be an In
dian ON the plain, about half mile
ahead. But on squirting my horse for
ward TO get better look nothing was
to be seen but the bare pralue with no
signs Of man or beast upon It's ex-
pause, As we rode along ] spoke OF
the matter to Tom. who laughed at
what he called my scare. which be said
caused ME to see imaginary Indians.
We came opposite a low, gray. boulder
upon the prairie 200 PAGES or SO from
the trail.
81 don't remember ever to have seen
that rock BEFORE said Tom. who had
been over the route several times. How
In the devil did it get thore2 III ride
over and take a look al u! And he
refined his horse and rode toward tho
object. followed him. u short dis
tance behind.
Ills horse had scarcely taken doz-
en- steps when the seeming gray rock
moved slightly upward and there came
from Its lower edge fash and re-
port. with the scream OF big
oaliber ball that Tapped Toms coat
with Its wind and caused his horse to
plunge SO suddenly that Tom, one Of
the best riders In the troop. not be-
ing on the look out for such a hap
paning. was thrown, At the same In
slant an Apache leaped from behind
the gray blanket that served him 10
masquerade as a bowldcr and ran like
u deer for the canon. leaping TO left
and right as he went along to avoid
the shots that Tom and ! sent after
him from our repeating cnrbines. We
knocked the dust about his feet and
made him do come tall lodging TO the
whlstllug Of our bullets. but that was
all for we didn't hit him. TO have
en-, sei him would have been folly. FIRST
because we were bearing dispatches
In haste and needed the last ounce OF
reserve force IN our horses, and second
iy, because with the start he had we
should not have overhauied him In bis
run for the canon. Into which we could
not have followed him. So we took the
trail again and rode our way with an
other wrinkle added to our experience
Of indian trlekery and cussedness."