The National tribune., 1895-01-24

just came even with the tops of his ears.
With a crack of the whip we were off, bowl
ing along the hard desert road at swinging
trot, for it was 40 miles to Solomonville
where we would stop for dinner and we had
but four and halt hours I'D which to make
the run, and then another 40-mile drive in
the afternoon.
Out of town we were out of the world, on
a boundless sea Of desert, without tree or
an animate object in the range of vision, and
even the horizon seemed immeasurably far
removed, for in that ciearest of clear atmos-
pheres one can see an endless distance. But
we passed strange and grote que types of
vegetaiioD-giant cacti, with their spectral
forms towering 30 feet in hight.
AT n little adobe hut and corral where
we stopped TO change horses we met
teamster in search of horse-thief. The
thief, so he slaled, was man who had
been along with him, sort of helper,
working his passage TO the mines. When
within short distance of Fort Thomas one
Of his wagons had broken down, and leav-
ing his teams in charge OF the helper had
gone 10 have the necessary repairs made
On his return some hours later, he discov-
ered that the man and one of his horses
were missing so leaving his loaded wagons
of coke in the road, he took his animals to
the Fort to have them cared for, and had
started out to run down the thief
us this horse a valuable one?" inquired
the driver
Worth $50, reckon; but / want the
man." was the reply.
Should think it would be cheaper to buy
another horse and let him co." persisted the
driver.
We'll, / reckon it's costing me more than
the horse is worth each day that am out; !;
but" he continued, with slow emphasis, E"
want to interview that man, and / don't
turn a wheel till do"
There was no swagger or br9vndo about
him, and he made no display of weapons;
but his look and manner were of intense
and bitter earnestness. He went his way,
and never heard whether the interview y
took place, but if it did | should not like 10
have been in the culprt's shoes.
The queer little town of Solom0nville
was passed, with its quaint adobe houses,
which seemed TO have been planted regard
less of streets and points of the com pass !;
Oh down the valley of the upper Gila,
through the Pueblo Vicjo told town., a
name given the little valley by the Mexi-
caps, because of its prehistoric occupancy.
Distinct traces of large irrigatinC canal,
many miles in length, vas pointed cut,
which had Supplied wafer to the inhabitants
of he valley centuries before Columbus dis
covered America.
All that is left of this once prosperous
but now unknown people are mounds where
their villages once stood in which are fou nd
stone axes and broken pottery. We passed
ranchers plowing their fields, wearing Win
chesters slung upon their backs. 1t is not
far distant from The San Carlos Reservation,
and the White Mountain Apaches have a
careless way of handling firearms when
they see man out alone who has no gun.
But the incident j started to narrate oc-
CURED on our return trip. Returning few
days later over the same route, and when
well along on our journey, we beheid q
small boy standing by the roadside and
| shiyering in the cold, raw breeze. The
driver stopped TO inquire what was the mat
ter, and the little chap, who was not more
than eight years old, told US between soils,
for he could scarceley reprcss his tears, that
the Indians had been at their house and
that papa was shot and mamma was sick,
and wanted us to come tc them.
| We questioned the child for some time, but
| could learn little beyond the fact that the
Indians had attacked them on the previous
day, and that his father was badly wounded
and that his mother WAS sick. bs-
So pitful and friendiess did the little ont
look standing there sobbing and shiverins
in the cold, that it touched me to my heart
j appealed to the driver TO take the child il
and drive to the house, that we might inves
tigate the matter; but he refused. He was
a carrier of the United States Mail, and hi
duty was to get it through on time; but i
4 I m;chad fo orn with III. hnv he xyouId ra
port the matter at Bowie, and perhaps relic
would come from there. / was the only
passenger, and aan free to admit was no
anxious to meet band of Apaches on tha
lonely desert. But the utter helplessnes
of the boy and his piieous appeal were to
much for me and oyercane all personal con