The San Francisco call., 1899-05-07

up behind. Suddenly one of the men gave
yell and tumbled backward off his sad
die, with the moose of a lariat tight
around his throat. Frightened, the other
turned to see a furious woman facing
him.
What are you doing?" she demanded.
"Who are you?" he responded gruff1y.
81 own these cattle, and you have got
to help me drive them back where you
got them"
AS she held a cooked revolver at his
head he decided to submit, and, with her
following closely, rode around the scat
tered herd and turned their heads home
ward. For three miles the stock was
driven, and then, with warning not to
look backward, the depredator was dis
missed. He fed without a backward
glance. His companion, choked to death
and with neck broken, was found among
the chaparral, but there was never any
inquiry as to the manner of his taking
off. 1t was enough to know that he had
been engaged in cattle stealing and that
summary justice had been visited upon
him The Danielses became in time we'll
to-do and are residents Of San Bernar-
dino, Cal
The women who have gone with their
husbands or brothers to make homes
down in the famous gold mining region of
Tombstone, in Southern Arizona, are ac-
counted among the most daring Of any
in the Territories in the last ten years.
The Apache Indians. when Geronimo was
their chief. made frequent incursions into
that part of the country and the outrages
committed in homes of settlers and ranch
men among the mountains and foothills
are among the most atrocious and hor-
rible deeds ever done by savages. With
the conquering of the Apaches some
twelve years ago by General Miles the
fearful slaughter of settlers families and
cattle men came to an end, but the
women who still live in that region de-
serve credit for frequent acts of bravery
and coolness in their daily life. An in
stance of this is as follows
Mrs Mary Nugent, her husband and
three little children came from a little
town in Pennsylvania several years ago.
They made their home seventeen miles
south OF Tombstone, where they took UP
one of Uncle Sans land claims and
opened little merchandise store for the
cowboys and Mexicans. Both husband
and wife became accustomed to seeing
Apache Indians about, and they often
gave the savages cast-of clothing.
One day in June 1895, while Mr.. Nu-
gent had gone some twenty-five miles
across country to a ranch house, two
strapping strange Apaches, armed with
knives suddenly appeared in the set
tiers home Mrs. Nugent was there with
a 12-year-old son and a smaller daughter
There had been reports for weeks among
the settlers that Apache Kid and his gang
of murderous thieves were marauding the
region Mrs. Nugent was sure she had to
deal with the most cruel and most inhu-
man Indians in the country That the
men had watched her husband ride away
from the house she knew full well. 1t
would be uselss to try to deceive the red
skins.
The woman instantly decided on a
course of action. Speaking as best she
could in a jargon of English and Apache
she boldly said that her husband would be
away all day and that she was glad the
Indians had come, because she wanted
them to help her at some work That gave
the savages a feeling that they need not
hurry about whatever sinister plans they
had In regard to the Nugent househould
In less than half an hour the woman.
with smiling face and apparent deliber-
alton, while her heart was beating as
never before, and her mind was in
state of deepest alarm, had cooked a fine
breakfast for the Apaches, who sat never
utterng so much as a grunt and all the
time watching her every movement.
When the meal was over and the Indians
had received a quantity of tobacco, Mrs.
Nugent asked II they would help in NOV
ing provisions into the store at the front
of the house
Now there was sort of cold storage
cellar at the back of the house 1t was
built of adobe bricks with heavy wood
door with big iron hinges and a hasp for
a paddock on the outside. 1t was without
windows and the walls were three feet
thick. 1t was a storage place for the mer-
chandse sold in the little Nugent store.
Busting about the house with forced en-
ergy, but not for q moment forgetting
that the two great haif-naked savages
who stood in her doorway were there
for settled purpose, she carried numer-
Gus hams and pals of lard from the store
house as if the greatest expedition were
necessary. Then. suddenly calling the
Apaches to the storehouse, she praised
their strong arms and backs and asked if
they would not carry big barrel of lard
out of the adobe cellar to the store.
The savages were caught off their guard
and bending low began to slowly raise tbe
barrel. At that very second Mrs Nugent
snatched hold of the heavy wood door
and in a flash drew it shut, put the hasn
IN place and fastened the paddock on the