The Van Buren press., 1894-11-24
wiers other mon osbis party had hilsd

where other mon ofhis party had filed
theirs. II
After crossing the San Francisco next
morning and entering the San Fran
cisco mountains, more CHASTITY dead
were met with. The appearance OF one
Of these--Nat Luce Che could never for.
get the name)-has ever been photo
graphed on Myers memory. Luce
and three companions left the town OF
Alma the evening before, just about
the hour the troops were camping on
Alma mesa, fifteen miles distant.
Several miles out from town the small
party approached a steep hill. There
were pack mules along, and two OF the
party stopped behind to tighten the
packs before trying the ascent OF the
hill. Luce and the other man rode on
ahead. There was strong wind
blowing from the rear Of the party.
No sound was heard by the packers,
but in about five minutes after Luce
and his comrade disappeared over the
hill Luce's horse came racing down
again, and the packers thought they
saw something wet and red staining
the saddle. The two packers retreat,
ed hastily to Alma. When Myers
saw Luce's dead body, lying on its
back, both arms were in the posture,
frozen there by death, of man In the
act Of firing rifle. Near by were the
dead body and dead horse of Luce's
comrade. The Indian scouts pointed
out the spots where the hostiles con-
cealed themselves, and where, with
guns on rest, they murdered the two
men from . distance of not over ten
yards.
The succeeding morning, Friday,
dawned o glorious day. By this time
Myers had become quite sensible that
scouting was not all galloping and
waving of sabers, and was beginning
to possess reasonable doubt con-
cerning the absolute correctness OF
the famous illustration in the library
book Of Custer and the Seventh cav
airy. In this mountainous country
there was SO much walking, actual
pedestrianism, and pulling np ones
horse behind one, none of which
seemed to surprise the older men, al
though he could remember moth
ing whatever OF this sort set forth
In any of his cherished prints.
Altogether experience was vastly diff.
erent from anticipation = "but II
l could only get at those fell
lers," said Myers, land make 'em pay
for their murders!" Myers had found
. IccA c,,., bo ,r,oc ro-
cruit, and even If his voice was not
particularly loud.
This days march was not over very
rough country in the beginning, but
the country became rougher as the
march grew longer. About noon,
probably for o nooning halt, horses
were unsaddled and dinners ordered
cooked when the command reached
the bottom OF deep and narrow
canyon. The surrounding hills Of the
canyon-called Diablo canyon, in the
black mountains of New Mexico-were
at lowest Ave hundred feet high, and
the easterly hills, in which direction
the trail was running, were the
steepest In point of incline, and the
roughSst in point of rocks. Dividing
the narrow bottom of the canyon, which
was not more than one hundred and
fifty va rds in width, clear, ice-cold
stream of water flowed, trending
southwesterly. There WAS excellent
grass on the westerly hillsides.
Orders were given that, as soon as
they got little to eat, certain Indian
scouts should be sent up the easterly
hills to the summit towards the
hostile trail to guard against sur
prise, and the tired horses were scarce-
ly unsaddled and herds scarcely out
before few scouts, fed quickly, be-
gan to climb the steep easterly slopes.
In the meantime troops and packers
cooks were busy preparing dinners,
and troopers, packers and officern
were scattered here and there. Two
officers, one the squadron commander,
were tempted by the beautiful stream
to seize the opportunity of bath.
Everything looked peaceful, and no
one had reason to believe that immin-
ent danger was lurking.
Suddenly, by the time the foremost
scout had scaled the easterly summit,
a rifle shot was heard, followed by a
second, and Immediately by other
shots in rapid succession. The tall
Jersey lieut. enant, lying down at the
time on the east side of the stream,
towards the firing, was the senior Off.
cor present. The men were scattered,
mainly ON the west side Of the brook.
Getting on his feet, the lieutenant
called out: "Get your carbines, meni
come this way" There was con-
distant troopers about getting to tho
horses" LET the horses alonew
shouted the lieute nant. "Get yonr
cafbines; come this way" And, ct
first all alone, he started up the east
erry hills toward the firing, and from
which bullets were now pouring down.
There was no chance to form any
thing like line Of battle. Troopers
loaped across the stream and followed
as best they could their intrepid leader.
Myers was among thA more distant
troopers down stream, but he and old
Sergt. Atkinson, of his troop, and sew
eral others of the same troop, were
among the first to respond to the call.
1t was stiff and hard climbing. Start
ing at double time, men soon lost their
wind, and were painting and struggling
over the entire hillside. The lieuten-
ant, realizing this, shouted: Rush
from ledge to ledge of the rocks, men!
Stop under each ledge and get BREATH
Take all the cover you canv And in
this way the advance moved forward.
When near the summit junior lieu
tenant heard ra a.her an odd noise from