The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-08-21


ing him fall aeros1 q rocik. His ril4
dropping from his hands, bocnde1
down The rocks and fcn AT by fes6
pickles It mp Il had previously
posed him tobe alone. but nov a dozen
or more YeIls burst f1nm amoag the
rocks. and / knew that ! was ID FORT.
KeepingAclose to t1e toeAy 1ii7 and
dodgiug ftn howldet % Bow der Etan
for some distance - the afiedap bed
OF the river nnpefceive6 hid ~ best
/ could, and looked back. There we're
80 or o warriors, it seemed to me.
exu1nining the place where / had bean.
when the shot was fred.
Apparently there WIS no tinne to ps'
lost, and taking advantage OF their
searchings, I ran as rapidly Is the
rocky ground would permit me.
gained the shelter 81 a rayine ghdf ran
d0vnathe river. remembered ur hs
sides. was not now more than oquaf-
ter Of a mile away from where n0t
the Indian, aud 4 could easily hear
their yells when they realized their
prey had escaped. TO nay relief their
cites grew fainter and fainter and Is q
few minutes they sceased aliegetheF.
They We're looking III the wrong direa
ton for me. and had passed down Ill.
stead Of up the river. This gave nsa
some felisf, but 1 was stiM I'M danger.
Gus locality. For ought Elxnew, other.
bands were in tbe vicinity and a~nxiolu
for the scalp Of anyone who might ap
pear.
Accordingly I carefully and car-
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 Inc
dams, / iostlnnich of my fear and ran
openly across the hills. / ran on for
some distance, andawas finally brought
mp sharp by fairly running into a camp
of the Apaches. They had built a small
) fire and were d%eyouripg the provisions
that our excited pack of mules had
r spilled. All were SO busily engaged in
eating, however, that l was unper-
ceived. Iretreated carefully, hata SEN
tineI that they had posted saw me, aud
sent q rice ball whizzing in my direc-
tion, much too close for comfort, / can
assure you. I ran madly along, Stun
! bling over logs and rotten stumps. !
had a good start, and keptin advance of
them, quite out of gunshot. Several
shots were sent after me, but all APP
parently fell short. / continued run
ming, scarcely knowing how or where,
and at length came out upon the alkali
plain. I had run in circle Of about
six miles in circumference, and had
Z arrived at the place where the mules
s had stampeded. Twas so exhausted
could. scarcely move.
S / was now in desperate straits, in
5 deed. I could still hear the yells OF the
s Indians, although their cries were be
s coming weaker. / looked over toward
the foothills, expecting Il see some ono
coming, and to my intense relief IL saw
Partly obsdured by the flying dust,
troop of cavalry from the fort. Icould
I make out the tints Of their uniforms
Eand nothing Ihave seen, before or since,
: was as pleasing as that army lolue. The
fort was only about 20 miles away, and
word had been received that Afternoon
! that a'portion of the Apache tribe had
& CSSdPGQ anu WCAS I'll LnG %d1Bdtu5 duN
: this troop had been sent to intercept
+ Ethem. I.guided the soldiers to the In.
/ dian camp, where the Apnches had all
s returned, having given up their search
! for me.
E When they saw they were surrounded
e by the soldiers, they submitted without
a struggle. Their arms were taken
{ away from them, and they forced
= Ito return to. their feservetioE very
spllen, it is true. bpf withaut further
Z hostilities.
Thus ended my first Experience with
the redskin warriors, artd1 am perfect-
{ ~ willing TO let it be the laat. At that
! time / was so much 80, in fact that 1 re-
signed my position as plilot Of i pack
mule train and returned to o CIVILIZED
: region-Peterson's Magazine. !