The times., 1898-11-27
LUCKY APACHE GERONIMO
Twice Lester Moffett Drew a
Bead on the Old Chief. @
PROVIDENCE STAYED HIM
Meeting of the Plainsman and the
Renegade Indian at Omaha-Story
Mexico Recnlled-Adventur of =
Youthful Couple of Elopers.

ing out the objects of interest to his wife
at the Omaha Exposition, writes Bill
lings, Mont, correspondent of the New
York Sun. Suddenly the smile on his face
seemed to change to diabolical grin; his
blue eyes flashed fire and he was almost
overcome with desire to shed the blood
of a fellow-creature This homicidal de-
sire was not the result of temporary
alteration, but of undying hatred, born
in moments of peril and despair, to last
as long as life itself. The grim, wrinkled
visage or Geronimo, ex-chief of renegade
Apaches. was the cause which wrought
the sudden change in the plainsman.
That ugly face was visible across the
sights of my rife barrel a good many
times one night" said the white man,
and then turning to the Indian. he added:
you and 1 came pretty near dying in
the same place and at the same time, al
though you didn't know IL. s3
The remark was translated. Geronimo
merely shrugged his shoulders and grunt-
ed as II to indicate that il did not signify
To stand face to face with man who
has had "A mortgage on ones scalp Is apt
10 refresh the most recreant memory.
During the summer of 1873. Lester l.. Moi
fet, now a Montana stockman, was run
ming a freighting outfit from Albuduer-
que to a construction camp at what was
then the end of the grading on the At
lantic and Pacific Railroad The camp
was about $50 miles from albuquerque
and something like seventy-iive miles
from Fort Wingate. the nearest military
station. The rails had not been laid and
the freighting business furnished en-
ployment for a number OF men and teams.
Passengers were sometimes carried as
well as freight, for most of the people
then travelling on that part of the frontier
preferred to have company. Rumors OF
the depredations OF a band Of renegade
Apaches reached Albuquerque from time
TO time and such complaints were made
almost every day at Fort Wingate. AT
this period II was tame frontier and did
not have its periodical Indian scare, and
the freighters belonged to that class OF
westerners who never borrow trouble.
The day before the four eight-horse
teams were to start from Albuquerque
young man, accompanied by a girl about
sixteen years of age. applied for passage
to the railroad camp. In those days it
was necessary for a stranger to furnish
a plausible autobiography before he was
admitted to the fraterual relations made
necessary by trip across the desert
The young man explained that he and the
girl had eloped from Ohio. and that he
had a relative running a graders OUTFIT
at the camp who had promised him en-
ployment He admitted that he had no
money to pay for his passage, and the
name of his relative was not one known
to the freighters. On the whole. his story
was not so convincing as 1t should have
been, and his request would have been
refused peremptorily had 1t not been for
the girl. To his earnest pleading she ad
ded beseeching looks. After the danger
of being killed by the Indians had been
put before them in blood-curdline narra-
tives they still adhered TO their desire to
GO and so they were told there were well
come to passage If they thought they
could stand the hardships of a freight
ers life.
Danger in the abstract was preferable
to precarious existence in Albuquerque.
and they were told to put their belongings
into one of the covered wagons. Many Of
the wiseacres. who always gather about
the campfire of an outfit the night before
Its start, said ii was a sin that a woman,
and a young and pretty one, at that,
should be led into such a deathtrap, but
the young couple disregarded all these
dismal croakers. They were happy as
larks, and the girl was the life OF the
outfit as they watched the town slowly
fade from view.
The days were very hot although the
nights were cool. The first camp was
made early in the forenoon. The girl did
ner best to prove that she was grateful.
and the way she helped the old camp cook
improved the flavor of the plain but sub
stantial food. In certain environments it
does not take people long to get acquaint
ed and by the time the camp was made
for the night everybody was calling the
l
| the novelty of the thing and seemed as
| much at home as though she were feeding
the pigs and chickens on her fathers
| farm in the Buckeye State. Fitting here
and there, she made the kind of picture
| that is always appreciated by frontiers
men, and after the first twenty-four hours
there was not a man in the camp who
had not caught himself marveling that an
ordinary-looking chap like her husband
could catch such n prize. One by one the
boys, as they urged their teams along.
dreamed again the familiar old day dream
of the time when they would go back
East for a wife, and each one decided he
would get one just like Nellie Plainsmen
| are loyal to the West. They declare that
the rest of the country is not fit to live
| in, but they always think of the East
as the place where the pretty girls come
from. Going back East to get married.
| is much of a stock phrase as Going
| West TO grow up with the country used
| to be in the East.
Meanwhile the caravan moved slowly
| across the parched plains, and II there
| We're any thoughts of hostile Indians they
were in connection with dream of some
| daredevil deed that would make the doer
hero in Nellie's eyes. The name itself
and her blonde winsomeness reminded
| them of home. Nellie was essentially a
| cognomen acquired in the States They
| We're used to Dolores and sloe-black eyes
| TO senoritas who wore mantilas and
smoked cigarettes. Such girls belonged
| to the place as much as the prairie dogs
| ana the coyotes. Spanish girls never made
| them think of sweethearts or sisters as
| this youthful bride did. The Yankee girl
| they thought had but one fault. and that
was her husband still in New Mexico Mt
| this time there was always chance of
| her becoming widow, especially If they
| should happen to meet Geronimo on the
| trail
Forty miles from Albuquerque the first
| night camp was made. The young couple
sat around the campfire listening to the
| stories, but with tact which did the mar
| rators credit all tales of Indians and la
rantulas were avoided. The night wrtng-
| Ter who watched the horses slept at his
| post just as if there were no rumors of
| Indians on the warpath, and at breakfast
| denied he had closed his eyes. All the
| day the prairie dogs barked merrily. the
| sun shone fiercely and all nature seemed
| to be at peace. Just as the sun was 60
! ing down the caravan came in sight of a
| green valley. Cottonwood trees could
| actually be seen, and as they got nearer
| the bunch grass lost its yellow hue and
| merged into green sward. Down the
| valley two miles was a cluster of cabins
belonging 10 rancher engaged in the
| business of raising horses. A little WAY