The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-08-27
A Brush With ApaCheS.
By p. WILBUR SHOOP.

THE long string of pack mules
wound down through the dark.
narrow ravine of the IIasaiyampae river
canyon, and crossing the dry bed of
the stream disappeared behind a ledge
OF rocks juttiHg out from the over
hanging cliff. 1t WAS a lonely spot.
Ten miles below quartz mill had been
erected. and five miles up the river Was
a sheep ranch. But here no sign of life
appeared. save the sinuous line of
mules vending their way across
stretch of alkaIi plain to the foothills
Just beyond. The aIkali dust, dry as
finder, crushed under the feet of the
animals and was waited away in little
Uufrs at each successive step.
The straps fastening the load to the
back of one of the animals became
Iooscned. and | stopped 20 fin them.
The other mules filed past and left me
about Il quarter of mile behind. AS |
was tugging away at the straps, with
the mule occasionally looking back at
me with a quizzical expression showing
plainly on its face, | heard Il sound as o.
some one slipping over the rocks above.
The mule looked up. shifted the air,
gave a sudden lurch. wre enching the
straps from my hands, and dashed
nadly OFF toward the animals in the
lead. probably now a mile ahead. and
already on the summit of the nearest
foothill. The tin buckets, provisions.
etc, that formed the contents of its
load, were strewn over the ground quite
promiscuously.
The other animals in the train. who
previously had been walking along in
Il sleepy, mechanical way, and only
twitching their ears and swinging their
tails to vary the monotony, seemed To
bc infected with the terror of the ami
NAL that had broken away from me,
and joined it in a mad disorder. l
stepped back under the overhanging
ledge of rock, and gazed after the ami
mails, wondering as to the cause of their
sudden fright. just then "a sharp re
port rang out. | felt a stinging sen
Sation in my right ear, and could hear
a distinct ping" | clapped my hand
to my ear; il was bleeding. Then the
reason for the mad fear of the mules
came To me. \ mule that has been used
where Indians are around soon learns
to tell by intuition, il seems, whenever
one is near and, as they have an inhorn
antipathy toward them, never lose any
time in getting out of the reach of their
rifles. This one had fired at me
through a creVice in the rocks, but had
done no damage save To clip off the
tip of my ear
We We're not then expecting an out
break \ few months before Gen. Cook
had gathered in the hostile Apaches
and placed them under military con
troll The former horrors were for
gotten, and we were at ease and off our
guard The only weapon | carried was
a navy revolver, poor instrument To
cope with rifle in the hands of IA
bloodthirsty savage.
glanced up through the break in the
rccks and saw an Apache. in full war
dress. peering down to ascertain the
result of his shot. As | kept still, he
thought he had finished me. and so.
losing his caution in his cupidity for
scaIpS. he yentIred out from behind the
rocks and began climbing down. This
vas my opportunity, and | drew my
revolver and fired at him. and had the
somewhat "ruesomr satisfaction of see
ING him fall across ii rock ltiS rIle
dropping from his hands, bounded
down the rocks and fell at my feet. l
picked it up. | had previously sup
I,osed him to be alone but now a dozen
or more Wells burst from among the
rocks. and | knew that | was in for ii.
Keeping close to the rocky elm ana
dodping from bowldcr to bowldcT. ran
for son4. distance up tine dried-up bed
OF the river unpercehed- L hid as best