The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-03-22


Marshal appointed assistants and di-
vided the crowd into delegations and
stationed them at various points in the
town where they would be best able to
| withstand an attack of the Indians if
one should be made. To the writer, who
was a sort of nom combatant on account
of inexperence, he assigned the duty of
carrying orders from himself to his lieu
tenants. The duty was practically de-
void of danger, but that fact was not
| recognized or realized. During the en-
tire night we waited for the dark hour
just before dawn, when Indians usually
make their night attacks We were
prepared to hear shots almost any hour
during the night, but they did not come
| In the morning, after sleepless night,
the Marshal sent out a party to recon-
hotter, and then it was learned that
Geronimo and his party had passed
south along trail about two miles east
of the town. The Indian scare subsidized
for the time being, but interest was re-
newed in it a week later when regular
army officers led into the town about
300 White River Apaches from one Of
the Arizona reservations. They had
been hired to trail Geronimo and his
bucks who were on the warpath The
White River Indians We're on foot and
! they We're to follow bucks who were
mounted. Such plan appeared peculiar
to me, and | asked the Marshal of the
town why the services of fOOtmen We're
secured to try to catch men on horse
back. He may or may not have been in
| earnest, but he replied:
out here in the West we think I'm
Gle Sam waits till after the Indians
are out of reach before he makes an
effort to catch them, and when he does
make a move he secures the aid of
other Indians to keep them in a good
humor and off the warpath. The Gov
eminent may have the idea it is using
one tribe of Indians to kill off the
other"
But don't the Indians know that?"
They don't care, because they have
| the best of the bargain. You see the
indian tribes have an understanding
and the two tribes of the Apaches al
ternate in going on the warpath, so as
| to give the other tribe a job The war
riors always ride and the trailers al
ways walk, so there is no danger of
conflict of the two bodies of Indians"
Those that believe that Indians paint
themselves simply as a Warpath adcrn-
ment are mistaken, and those who
| think the Indians daub themselves
with ochre for the sole purpose of look
ing hideouS, are also in error The fact
as related to me by the chief Of the 300
Apaches, is that there is method of
scientific character in the distribution
of paint on the body of an Indian. not
outstanding science and Indians do
not amalgamate. The chief was easily
dlscerned from among his followers, for
the reason that he was the only one in
the party who wore q silk hat The
silk hat almost completed his ward
robe, too. One of the humble but proud,
members of the tribe wore a pair of red
suspenders and an air of satisfaction.
while another imagined that he was
cold, and he walked stiffiy around with
a cavalry blouse buttoned up to The
chin. The crowd very much resembIed
troupe Of transformers ION the
road"
Give me KODAK said the chief, as
he saw the writer intently studying
the motley crowd of braves who
looked as though the discharge of a
pistol would brighten half of them to
death.
The kodak tobacco was given him
after he was asked why he was
painted.
ITO keep back heat he replied
This was a revelation to me, and |
bribed him with more kodak. which
oiled his tongue, and he said I'VE
paint green on the face SO the sun
will not pain the eye. We put red on
the breast and yellow on the leg so
the heat from the sand will not hurt"
BY that he meant that the paint was
intended to protect the vision and prac-
tically naked body from the direct heat
of the sun and the reflection from the
hot, sandy plains.
The Indians were not the only inter
esting visitors in the town during that
summer. Troops came down from Fort
| Bayard and operated against the war
riors of Geronimo from the town, and
practically had possession of the place
for several weeks The saloons land
half the business houses were saloons)
threw out extra inducements to the
soldiers, but the men had little money
to spend as their pay day was quite
distance in the future Some Of the
soldiers were inveterate gamblers and
it is said in the West that some of
the expert gamblers enlist in the serv-
ice for the sole purpose of pIaving
poker with the other soldiers and prac.
tically drawing four or five paws"
One evening during the Indian excite
ment Sergeant entered a gambling
room and the proprietor challenged him
to play poker.
Il haven't a cent" replied the Ser
geant.
That kind of talk don't GO, re-
sponded the proprietor. you are
afraid
Il tell you I'm broke and can't play"
said the soldier with considerable EN-.
phasis.
Cant you borrow from one of your
friends ?" was the insinuating question
of the proprietor.
Look here" said the Sergeant in
anger you hold those cards face
downward and I will name every one
of them to you correctly"
The proprietor thought the soldier
was only making grand stand play,
and he quickly displayed his own cards
with the face to himself and the back
to the soldier, and as he held them ur
one by one. the Sergeant named each
one correctly Then turning on his
heel and starting toward the door.
said:
Il tell you I'm broke, but I wouldn't
be if / wanted to play poker"
Chinese funeral is always interest
ing to an American, but the one which
occurred in Deming that summer was