Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-27

AN APACHE PERIL.
General stanton Draws on His stock
of Indian Yarns.

General stanton Draws on His stock
of Indian Yarns.
There are stresks in the Indian makeup"
said Paymaster General Stanton to the WashA
ington Post man, mot TO be understood by
the ~paleface. In illustration l might tell an
adventure which happened to me long ago
in Arizona. l recall 1t as one of the closest
shaves OF my life. 1t will serve to exhibit,
however, a side to the Indian character not
readily to be explained.
This was in the winter OF 1871. was
paymaster for the troops Just then engaged
in fighting the Apaches in the far southwest.
One morning | left Fort Apache on a pay
trip. My outfit was made up of three wagons,
an ambulance for myself, with an escort OK
twenty men.
There was plenty Of snow on the noun
tains; still, for all that, the region was thick
with hostile Apachcs, and no mans life was
safe a moment forty rods from the
| knew all this and for that very reason
kept my wagons, ambulance and escort we'll
together and did not permit the outfit to
string out or break into pieces as we climbed
tho mountain trail. 1t was strongly within
the range of tho probable that we were
haunted by Indians, who only awaited some
careless separation of our little force or some
two or three to lag behind to make a swoop.
Getting out from Fort Apache we had to
cross a range Of mountains. 1t was my pur-
pose TO make the summit Of the range
the first day out. We were making slow
work, however, Of our push up the mountain.
The trail was narrow and bad, after the
fashion Of mountain trails. Then, again,
when We got well along up the ascent the
SHOWS became deeper; fairly up to the wagon
beds, In fact. AS a result We were making
a snail's journey Of it.
at was about 3 o'clock in the afternoon
and we still had a long. bad pull before us
to make the summit. Trouble broke out up
at the lead wagon; strained an axle or some-
thing Tho train napnn IN q hall and nnk
out of my ambulance, which was In the rear,
and went forward to aid in putting matters
to rights, After a bit we again started.
II walked leisurely back to my ambulance
as the three wagons and the escort went on.
AS | came UP l told the driver to hold his
mules while l lighted my pipe. l got my
tobacco bag out of the ambulance and filed
up; seating myself meanwhile at the foot Of q
pine tree.
II took my time about 1t, and pending the
filling and lighting Of my pipe. the three
wagons and the escort turned a corner of tho
mountain. My ambulance and / were left
alone, although the balance of the outfit
wasn't ten minutes ahead.
1T struck me at the time that ] might
better close up with my people; that there
was danger in falling behind even this slight
distance.
Il had Just started up to get into the am,
oulance and 60 forward to overtake the
others, when a slight noise below us on the
trail attracted my attention. l looked back
over the road, aud there, not fifty yards
away, we're coming some twelve Apaches.
They were afoot, for the Apache is not o
horseback Indian, and charging for me OH
the dead run. hostile TO the eyes. l could
see they meant blood, and realized in an in
slant how thoroughly they had me freed.
was unarmed. for my pistols were In the
ambulance, and there | stood, unable to fight
n fly, and too far from my escort for them to-
even be aware of what was going On. let
alone return to my aid. There was no way.
out; | saw that In an instant, and | inwardlyl
said 'Goodby' to my wife and babies 2,000
miles away. l had had many a Craze before,
but this was the first time / had been really
convinced that | had arrived at the end Of
my trail.
"Unarmed and unable to avert my fate.
| made q virtue Of what / could not HELM
and stood facing the twelve Apaches al
they came running up.
THE leader, seemingly the chief, held
a lance, whereof the government had COM
placently furnished him on some former day
the blade, at arms length above his head
resdy TO hurl it through me. AS he charged
on full tilt he vibrated it from blade to butt
as II storing It with angry energy for It's
flight. While | stood there watching them
come on / could already in anticipation feel
the pang Of his lance passing through my
body.
my interest centered naturally in the
lead Apache with the lance. The others
trailing along behind I noticed less. AS
the leader came within fifteen feet Of me
he halted. The time had come, / thought,
when | was to be spitted like a chicken,
Still | gazed s~quarely in his eyes.
"As | looked at him he seemed to hesi-
tate. lie was staring as bluntly at me as
| at him. As we gazed. little by little I
saw the lance blade turn to one side. Sud-
denly, without word or sign, whether OF war.
peace or submission, he reversed his lance
and rendered me the butt OF the weapon.
Il lost no time in taking 1t and gave him
no chance to change his mind on a mat
ter so important. / took his lance and
ho3rse Howl! and shook hands. The
others followed his amiable suit. There
were a dozen 'How's! and hand shakes.
Then, shouldering the lance, ] ordered the
ambulance-for the driver, like myself, had
stood through 1t ALTO drive on. When
my ambulance overlook the wagons and the
escort twenty minutes later / was march,
ing at the head Of my twelve hostiles with
the lance at 'righ. shoulder
mo; there was no farce; no Joke about IL.
These Apaches were on the warpath; hostile
as mad dogs; twelve Of the most savage
brutss in ths hills.
why didn't they kill me when in their
power? From a paleface standpoint 1t is not
to be accounted for. II l had fed | would
have been slain. II I'd had my pistols ana
resisted, II would have been over with mo
In an instant. But for me to wait there
without a move, whether to run or resist,
anu All motlonless, stare iate IN the race, ap"
peared to strike their savage appreciation as
the very climax OF courage, and instead OF
throwing his lance through me, as was his
first full intent, this Apache knight, to dis
play his approval. paused in mldpurpose and
presented me with his weapon. II 1t was
anything a white man can pin a name to
1t was a fashion OF sublime savage polite-
ness.
These twelve Apaches ate with us THAI
evening and slept all about my tent that
| night. In the morning ! fed them again, and
then we separated with much OF mountain
pomp and respect. they going their way, Wa
going ours"