The morning call., 1895-01-04

most perpendicular, and man can climb ie
only by drawing himself up by the roots OF
shrubbery and projecting points of rock With
his rifle swung on his back Sydow began this
climb
When Within eight feet of the top he drew
himself together to swing upward. when he
heard deep. hoarse "Ughl' above him. He
looked up and saw peering over the offset in
the bluff the hideous painted face of an
Apache. The Indians right arm hung low
over The edge. graspiDg knife. In a flash
Sydow took in the situation. Above him were
the Apaches; below him was the Bears Den.
In he climbed up it would be TO meet an Apache
knife II he started to climb down he would
be Drained by an Apache tomahawk. His de-
csion was quickly taken. First making a
move as II to climb up. he suddenly dropped
free OF the bluff down to the mouth of Bears
Den and sought shelter there.
His eyes were blinded by the change from
light te the darkness of the cave and at first he
could not see But finally IN the dim light he
saw in the low narrow tunnel three big noun
tain bears. They seemed surprised at first
sight Of their visitor. Then they slowly rose
on their launches and rocked to and fro, growl-
ing. Syd0w crOuched close against the side OF
the cave. knowing the Apaches would pursue
him hotly.
He was not mistaken. Hardly had he hidden
in recess in the rock when an arrow whiZZed
past him. striking the side OF the cave near one
OF the bears. 1t was followed by another and
another. Sydow knew that If one of the bears
was wounded 1t would set on him and tear him
TO pieces. lie also knew that il he stayed long
in there one Of them would surely be struck by
smoke them out, but realized that he. too
would have to get out or perish in the smoke. .
AS he thought, an arrow bearing a lighted
piece of tow dropped far back in the cave.
Luckily it fell on a rock ana went ont Its
presence, however, angered the bears. One Of
them drew near 10 Sydow. he drew bis re- 2.
volver TO fire. AS he did so an IDEA struck him.
He remembered that the bluff leading from the
Bears Den level 10 the canyon below broke
abruptly about fifteen feet from the entrance OF
the den and that forty feet below was sand
leading
narrowed into winding gorge. III he could
cross the fifteen feet from the cave TO the bluffs
edge untouched, he was saved.
The Apacbes were lying close about the
mouth OF the den. Sydow knew that by the
fact that they could shoot into the extreme end
of the cave. Ii he could get one OF the bears
out the Apaches would fall back long enough
to give him a fighting chance TO reach the
bluffs edge. In the breast OF his shirt he had.
two pieces of bareback left. He broke one OF
them in two and as The largest OF The three
bears approached him he threw the bareback
on The floor of the cave between him and the
mouth. The bear hesitated for moment, then
turned toward the bareback. AS the bear APP
preached Sydow caught sight OF an Apache
feather at The entrance. -
He was about to frei at its owners head
when he suddenly turned bis pistol on he
bear, which had also spied the Indian. He.
fired, hitting the bear full With growl it
sprang forward toward the Apache outside the.
cave. This was SydOw's opportunity. Drop
ping his rifle and grasping his revolver, he
sprang through the entrance out into the blum
and forward 10 its edge. Another spring sent
him clear of The cliff, with heavy sand drift
forty feet below him.
The Apaches were taken by surprise. They
sprang 10 the edge as Sydow went. and rained
storm of arrows at him. Eight of them struck
about his shoulders and back, and one pierced
his left hand. He struck the sand drift. and
slid down 10 the canyon, and crept around into
the gorge. He could hear the Apacnes yelling
above him. Then ne heard five rifles speak.
He fired his revolver ana waited. -
As the shooting ceased two of his men ap-
peared followed soon after by the other three.
The Apaches had fed. The five men had met
at VOLTS Rock ahead of Sydow. They had
doubled back below the Bears Den to meet
Sydow, who had already passed beyond it.
Thus they had missed both Sydow and the
Apaches The shouts OF the Indians had told
them of Sydow's Whereabouts
With the arrows in his back Sydow travelled
four miles down the canyon, where he ana bis
men met thirty OF The Indian scouts led by
Peso ana Treo. The skill of the Apache of any
tribe in cutting out an Apache arrow is pro-
verbal. Peso was an Apache. He cut The ar
rows out of Sydow's back. leaving cross as q.
scar of each wound.
White man heap pincushlon for Apache"
he said as he worked.
Thus Sydow got his nickname.-F0rt Sell let
ter TO New York Sun.