Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-01-10
THE BOULDER WAS.AL,vr
An Apache Trick That Near,v g.,

Courier His Life in Arizoro ''
''Talking of Indians and their stro..
gems" said D. A. Marston, lately Of Va
United States cavalry, to a New yoa'
Sun man, "they are past masters of ~
arts of skulking and deceiyinc
Apache will lie behind a soapweoa ~
the open prairie, and you may ride NO." W.
two or three hundred yards away ona
never have an idea that there is rna
skin within fifty miles of you unloosl
decides to risk shot at you AS wy
pass the soapweed he works his hod~
around so as to keep it always in rvS
with the plant and you. Even ON ~.
open prairie, with no more shelter tha.
that afforded by some little inooro,;,
Of surface, he will sift dust oyor n,
body, flatten himself out, face down
ward, against the ground, and lv;n.
as motionless as a stone, will esoo~'
the observation of any except shors
and practiced eyes. Sometimes in
grove of cactus or Spanish bayonet his
buckskin garments blending With th'
hues of the plants, his face and noor
concealed by the head of a Snonish
bayonet, he will stand like a post ind, |
tinguishable to the inexperienced o,,,
even at close quarters from the ora
tesque plants about him. A oueer or
perience of this kind occurred to mo y,
my service in Arizona during Gov
Crooks last campaign against ,ba
Apaches. Tom Merriam, of my troon
and myself were detailed to carry dis
patches from Camp Bowie to Cam,
Grant, up on the Rio Benito. II wov
dangerous service at that time and wa
had to keep a sharp lookout and ho
ready to fight or run at moments M
tice, for there was no knowing ot who,
point on the route the Apaches mich,
not be lying in wait to jump us as va
came along. We were on our return IA
Camp Bowie and had just crossed tha
wooded canon where the cold spring g
and were coming out upon the Onion
prairie that stretches down to the San
Pedro River when through the branch.
es of low tree saw what took to b.
an Indian on the plain, about half
mile ahead. But on squirting my horse
forward SO as to get q better look moth.
ing was to be seen but the bare prairie
with no sign of man or beast upon its
eXpanse. AS we rode along spoke Of
the matter to Tom, who laughed Al
what he called my scare, which he sail
caused me to see imaginary Indians
We came opposite low, gray bouldc
upon the prairie POO PAGES or so from
the trail.
"I don't remember ever to have Seq
that rock BEFORE said Tom, who ha
been over the route several times. How
in the devil did it get there? I'll rid
over and take q look at it" And ID
refined his horse and rode toward III
object. | followed him, few yard
behind.
His horse had scarcely taken dom
steps when the seeming gray roc
moved slightly upward and there cam
from it's lower edge Il flash and report
with the scream Of q big calibcr bal
that tapped Toms coat with its wind
and caused his horse to plunge 50 SUI
denly that Tom, one Of the best riders
the troop, not being on the lookout ID
such a happening, was thrown. Attn
same instant an Apache leapcd tWI
beneath the gray blanket that h
served him to masquerade as boul1
and ran like deer for the canon lea1
ing to left and right as he went to ave
the shots that Tom and ! sent after hi
from our repeating carbneS. We knO3
ed up the dust about his feet and maj
him do some tall lodging to the wills
ling of our bullets, but that was ALL
we didn't hit him. TO have chaS
him would have been folly, first
cause we were bearing dispatches
haste and needed the last ounce Of
serve force in our horses, and, second
because with the start he had we Shou
not have overhauled him in his run
the canon, into which we could not III
followed him. SO we took the TIA
again and rode our way with anoI
wrinkle added to our experience Oh In
dian trickery and cussedness. bgl
Lit TINS