The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-15
PLAIN TALES OF APACHES.
CAMPAI0NING ~ ARIZONA As THE
CORPORIJ SLW II.
It Conaisted OF Chasing Elusive Foes
Division OF Labor OF the BACK and the
Squaw-Th 0uestion or Giothrs-Tho
Land OF Big Thirsts-A BiR Fight Missed.

1t Conalsted OF Chnsing Elusive Foes
Division of labor of the Back aud tho
Squaw-The Ouestion or Ciothes-Tho
Land OF Big Thirsts-A big Fight Missed.
They were two old soldiers and they were lean
ing back In their chairs at tho recruiting office
swapping stories. A young man opened the door.
~ beg your PARDON he said, "can you tell me
where the headquarters of tho Fifteenth are ?"
1.-The Fifteenth 2' replied the Corporal. AT
Fort Bayard. sir, in New Mexico"
The young man thanked him and went ont.
"Humph," said the Corporal, musingly, ~
wonder II he wants to go there. That's a nice,
lonesome place, Fort Bayard. / lived down
there and chased Indians all over the country,
ana / know all about 1t. ] was in Arizona a
good long bit, too, and / can tell an Apache from
a milk cart any day.
Have much fighting ~ asked the reporter.
well, that depends on what you call fight
ing. II you call 1t fighting to be out for a month
Mt n time chasing some runaway Indians who
sneak around behind rocks and put a bullet in
you IL they get n chance, why, I've seen q good
deal of lighting"
Didn't you ever shoot back 2"
"Oh, yes. Two shot at 'em. Don't know II l
hit 'em. Hope l did. haven't any use for an
Indian. He's worse than n rattlesnake. A rat
tlesnake gives you warning. but an Indian
doesn't. We wero handicapped anyway. be-
cause every time we killed an Indian their de-
partment would get after us. ! wish they had
to 20 out and live with them for n while"
You didn't find the noble red man. then 2'
Noble red nothing! Occasionally you find
an Indian who seems to be true to his friends.
but even then I wouldn't trust him. You never
can tell when he's going to hetray you. There
were n few of the ranches out there that the
Indians never inolested. although they could
have done 1t Just No well as not. The people
had been pon6 tn than and thew let tho Dlncns
alone. 1t was terribly troublesome work look
ing after that country. the ranches were so far
apart. We would get word That the Apaches
had stripped one ranch-that Is, killed the peo-
pie and sacked the p~iace-and while we were
getting off to that ranch they would strip.two
or three others. / was in the infantry. but | had
to get out. on n mule or whatever | could get
hold OF, and help chase.
We didn't do much riding. though. because
the Indians take to the mountains. AS soon as
you get anywhere near them they break up into
two and threes. and get off into the hills. Well,
n horse or a mule isn't of any account then.
You can't ride 'em up those rocks. They were
mean rascals. those Apaches, but when 1t came
to physique they were as iine a looking set of
men as l ever saw. Six feet and over, every one
OF them. And as straight as an arrow. They
were built like an Apollo. You could have
put 'em up as statues. The squaws were lunpy
anu unuerslLcu, Dul tleu lHty "OTheu so "
they didn't have a chance to grow. The squaws
did everything. The bucks didn't do a thing but
hunt and lie around and smoke. 1fa buck went
out and killed a deer. the Bquaw would pack 1t
on her back and lug it home. while the man
rode along beside her.
THE squaws had moro time for work than
you would suppose. though. They didn't worry
about fashions. They wore only one garment. a
sort of breechclout, until they grew up. Then
shoulders. Whenever they got any clothes
they wouldn't wear them or. at any rate, not
without altering them to suit, themselves, At
the agents. for instance, u buck would receive a
coat. II pair of trousers anti a hat. After the
first few days, he always discarded the trou-
scrs. He hadn't any use for them.
There was an Indian girl at the station who
had been condemned 10 be burned as n witch by
tho Apaches. and had been, rescued b. our men.
She was only 10 years old, and was n dociIc.
loyal creature. 4 young buck had fallen in love
buck was taken sick and died suddenly. In
their superstitious way they Immediately laid
it to Jane. as we named her, and were going to
burn her alive. There are always some of the
Indians who give things away to the white men.
SO we found out their little scheme and carried
the girl off. She went into the lauHdress's fam
lily. and as was f9nd Of the children thers.l
got Interested in Jane. ! bought some yellow
made Il dress for her. Well. you never saw any
body so pleased as that girl, and yet we had a
time to make her wenr it.
Speaking Of clothes now. you'd have thought
we'd been through a dozen campaigns II you
Chulu nave seen US come III from " Ntck. Or TWO
OF rid nG around that country. ! remember the
first time | went out | came back with only one
trouser leg. The other clean gone. II We had
more than a shirt to orr backs we were lucky:
Why Well, we had TO ride through thick
brush that just tore our clothes into racsF'
Through cactus growth
NO, that's further south. IN the colorado
desert. There's a place for you! When | was n
boy used to study IN my geography about the
African desert. but IL it's any worse than that
one | don't want 10 see ii. Just fine SAND you
Il big hill ns n landmark. Two days later you
come back, and there isn't n hull In sight"
Did YOU ever go without water any length
OF time -
ION, Lord. yes! Many and many n time, but
never for more than twenty-four hours Mt II
stretch. We used to haul the, supplies across
the country then and at each side Of the wagons
were hung four barrels OF water. II II ran short
1t went TO the horses. The mon had TO GO
thirsty. but the animals couldn't. 1t was
right. too. They had the work to do. When We
of water in his c%anteen; He could have that and
no more. II he wanted to wash his face with It
he could. II he wanted to drink it he conId.
He could take his choice between n dirty face
laughed. my face has gone dirty for days"
so you didn't have any big iiEhtsf"
SC" rehectively: "nnster SpGlLea me only
Bull got on the warpath that time was. II.
Crooks column. Gen. Terry had the campaign
planned so that the Indians couldn't possibly
Crook from tho south. and Gen. Gibhon from
tho west. The Indians couldn't go up into Can
ada because the Canadian police were patrollinE
the border. Custer was II dnshing cavalry ofi-
Ger. Iic was hot-hcaded and impetuous; lie
rushed into n trap ard-that was the end.
The corporal sighed rather sadly hs he re-
Elected on his ono chance for n big fight with his
old enemies. Then he took up his pen once moro
ana settled down to the office accounts.
Deaf TO An but the Telephone.