The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-07-17

ing him fall across a rock. His rifle
dropping from his hands, bounded
down the rocks and fell at my feet. /
picked it up. 1 had previously sup
posed him to be alone, but now a dozen
or more yells burst from among the
rocks, and I knew that I was in for it.
Keeping close to the rocky cliff and
lodging from bowlder to bowlder, 1 ran
for some distance up the dried-up bed
OF the river un~perceived. I hid as best
I could, and looked [oack. There were
so or more warriors, it seemed to me,
examining the place where 1 had been
when the shot was fired.
Apparently there was no time to be
lost, and taking advantage of their
s~earchings, 1 ran as rapidly as the
rocky ground would permit me. 1
gained the shelter of a ravine that ran
down the river. 1 clambered up the
sides. 1 was not now more than a quar-
ter of a mile away from where 1 shot
the Indian, and 1 could easily hear
their yells when they realized their
prey had escaped. To my relief. their
cries grew fainter and fainter, and in a
few minutes they ceased altogether.
They were looking in the wrong direc-
ton for ME, and had passed down in
stead of up the river. This rave me
some relief, but I was still in a danger
Gus locality. For aught 1 knew, other
bands were in the vicinity and anxious
for the scalp of anyone who might ap-
pear.
Accordingly 1 carefully and au-
tiously picked my way along; creeping
most of the time and always keep
ing close to the protection of a rock
or large tree. Seeing no signs of In
dams, I lost much of my fear and ran
openly across the hills. l ran on for
some distance, and was finally brought
up sharp 10y fairly running into 4 camp
of the Apaches. They had built a small
fire and were devouring the provisions
hat our excited pack of mules had
spilled. All were so busily engaged in
eating, however, that 1 was upper
ceived. I retreated carefully, but a sem
tinel that they had posted saw me, and
sent a rife ball whizzing in my direc-
ton, much too close for comfort, I can
assure you. 1 ran madly along, STUN
bling over logs and rotten stumps. l
had u good start, and kept in advance of
them, quite out of gunshot. Several
shots were sent after ME, but all ap-
parently fell short. 1 continued run
ming, scarcely knowing how or where,
and at length came out upon the alkali
plain. l had run IN a circle of about
six miles in circumference, and had
arrived at the place where the mules
had stampeded. 1 was so exhausted !
could scarcely o
I was now in desperate straits, in
deed. 1 could still hear the yeIls of the
Indians, although their cries were be-
coming weaker. 1 looked over toward
the foothills expecting to see some one
coming, and to my intense relief I saw,
partly obscured by the flying dust, a
troop of cavalry from the fort. 1 could
make out the tints of their uniforms,
and nothing have seen, before or since,
was as pleasing as that armyfblue. The
fort was only about 20 miles away, and
word had been received that afternoon
that a portion of the Apache tribe had
escaped and were on the warpath, and
this troop had been sent to intercept
them. 1 guided the soldiers to the In
dian camp, where the Apaches had all
returned, having given up their search
for me.
When they saw they were surrounded
By the soldiers, they submitted without
a struggle. Their arms were taken
away from them, and they were forced
to return to their reservation, very
suIlen, it is true, but without further
hostilities.
Thus ended MY first experience with
the redskin warriors, and 1 I'M perfect
ly willing to let it be the last. At that
time 1 was so much so, in fact, that 1 re
signed my position as pilot Of a pack
mule train and returned to a civilized
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Magazine.