Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-11-01

miles between nearly perpendicular
walls to another valley lying parallel
with the first
The first valley, rising saucerlike
from the center to the fringe of pines at
the foot of the mountain slopes, was
covered with waving grass. Not tree
nor shrub arose from the undulating
surface. A pine covered point extended
from the western range into the valley
near the center like bold headland into
the sea.
There was no wagon road into the
basin, except the one by which the SOL
diers entered, but there were half
dozen mountain trails from the direc-
tion of the Rio Grande, all uniting with
the one which passed to the west
through La Puerta. There was also q
bride path leading southwark to the In
dian pueblo of Jemez, % miles distant.
Near the center of the valley, little
south of the wooded point, q roll in the
surface swelled into horseshoe shaped
ridge 10 feet high, inclosing a level
space Of nearly two acres. The opening
of the horseshoe was to the east, and
before it, from heel to heel, flowed the
stream. Across the loop and well back
against the ridge stood row of 16 cab
ins, with company kitchen and store
house at the north end and officers
quarters at the south end. Up the ridge,
behind the line of cabins, was the guard
house, before which walked the only
sentinel posted in the valley. A stable
stood little more retired to the north.
The lieutenant's cabin contained one
room, having two windows looking out
upon the parade and a door opening
upon the southern side. The huge pine
logs of which it was constructed were
laid horizontally and hewed smooth on
the inner side. The floor was of earth,
raised above the surface of the ground
several inches, made level and carpeted
with the skins of the gray wolf, coyote
and bear. A corner inclosed with hand
some Navajo blankets was used as q
bedroom. In the corner farthest from
door and windows was large stone
fireplace, chimney and mantel. On the
walls hung the arms and equipments
Of the lieutenant, the antlers of stag
and other trophies of the hunt and
weapons taken in encounters with the
indians. Over the mantel were crossed
muskets intersected by guidons. On
The northern wall small bookshelf,
made of slabs hewed thin and orna-
mented by rustic boughs and pine cones,
contained a few college textbooks in
Latin and Greek; dictionary, reader
and grammar and "Don Quixote" and
the missal dropped from the Valencia
carriage, in Spanish. In English there
were few novels by the best authors, a
Shakespeare, several popular magazines
and reviews, military reference books
and tactics, the Bible and the Book
of Common Prayer" A center table,
stand, four chairs, woodbox and water
jar made up the furniture.
A few yards behind the officers cabin
was his kitchen; but, as the lieutenant
was alone, he made no use of it, turn
ing his rations into the company kitchen,
from which his servant brought his
meals, eking them out with some extras
prepared at the officers hearth.
Life in the valley was full Of adven-
ture. During the eight months that
Raymer remained there he had frequent
encounters with the Navajoes, success
fully resisting an attempt by party of
800 to capture the camp and meeting
with various minor collisions on the
outlying trails. Only two Of these affairs
have anything to do with the thread Of
this story. The first occurred in the last
week of October.
Late in the afternoon of pleasant
day a gentleman, mounted on pony
and accompanied by Mexican serving
man similarly mounted, entered the
camp and was shown by the sergeant of
the guard to the quarters Of the lieu
tenant. He introduced himself as the
agent of the Navajo tribe of Indians and
presented letter from the department
commander which stated that the
bearer was on his way to the Indian
pueblo Of Jemez to prevent threatened
massacre of number of Navajo wom-
en-, children and old men who had
sought asylum there and authorized the
lieutenant to furnish him with de-
tachment of soldiers.
After dismounting and entering the
officers cabin the agent stated that the
Navajo country being overrun by the
national forces, many Of the principal
men of the tribe had sent their wives
and children to the towns of the Pueblo
Indians for safety, and that there were
now at Jemez 2 old warriors, IS women
and quite number of children. He
further stated that war party of Nav
ajoes had recently successfully raided
the stock of the pueblo of Santo Do
mingo because the inhabitants had re,
fused to grant asylum to their families,
and that the Dominicans had organized
| q party to go to Jemez and kill the aged
men and the women and children there
in revenge.
The lieutenant expressing doubt
that the Jemez Indians would permit
such an outrage of the laws Of hospital
ity, especially when they outnumberet
the Dominicans by several hundreds
the agent replied that Jemez was in NJ
sense to be considered friendly to the
Navajoes, but that its position near {