River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-11-29

The Coyote eros believed these things
and so did the medicine-man. So when
the news of the armor suit had reached
him he had levied heavy fees for his
incantations for some months, and,
adding these to the gold he had ex-
changed for Mexican dollars, collected
from many raids. he took himself down
to the camp of the soldiers to obtain
fairly and by purchase that which was
his very own. But fairness and the
offers ofpurchase had failed.
Ciego looked the White-Eye officer
over from his scalp to his toes. and up
again, and then with no sound, save
just one grunt, went out from the quar-
tiers and from the post.
Hartpole tod of it at the mess that
night, and forgot all about il after
that But Ciego did not-as Hartpole
ought to have foreseen.
One night an Indian, his body naked
as ii was born, poisoned knife in his
hand, stole across the sandy parade
ground when the moon was under the
clouds of a coming storm, and slipped,
as silently as none but a savage can,
under the ramada of Hartpole's quar-
tiers. and thence through the open door.
The Indian had missed nothing when
he had been in that one small room
month before He knew where every
thing in it was, from the chrome in
blue frame on the wal to the cot in
the corner, across from the fireplace.
He hid himself behind the piece of
calico that curtained off the nook
where Hartpole's clothing hung, and
waited until the moon showed for a
moment through a break in the clouds
and he could see the figure on the cot
beneath the mosquito net. When the
room was dark again he slid out; and
| the blade Of he knife in his hand went
straight through the heart of the man
asleep. Then he took the rafting ar
NOR from its nails and wrapped it in
the calico curtain and fled through the
night, as silently and swiftly as only
an Apache can.
Now it happened that Hartpole had
gone to another post good many miles
to the east that very day. and he had
left his striker to sleep in his quarters
and keep guard over his things. So it
was into the luckless soldiers heart
that the knife was driven. and the next
day a telegram apprised Hartpole that
his striker was murdered and his suit
of mail was gone.
The day after that all the depart
ment knew that the Coyoteros were
on the warpath. and, having cut the
reservation, were killing right and
left. They were led by a medicine man
called Ciego, and the scouts reported
that he was dressed in a garment of
white iron which no White-Eye's bull
let could pierce. They also reported
that the Chiricahuas and the Pah-Utes
and the Sierra B.ancas were joining
him. 1t promised to be an interesting
time for the territories.
Hartpole began to have dim idea
of why the medicine man had wanted
his Spanish mail. now. He was ordered
out, of course Most of the departments
was Trouble of the sort that this
promised to be had to be checked at
once. if at all. II was serious already;
but there was one thing in favor of the
showed no desire TO get away. Their
fanatical faith in their medicine man
led them to seek battle rather than to
shun IT, And twice, having done so,
they beat off he troops, because there
were, as usual, too few. But the third
time they were caught in pocket of
the Mogallons, and there were no less
than six troops against them. Hart
poles was of the number.
The Indians fought from dawn of the
first day until twilight of the second.
in the open at first, then from behind
shelter, then at last they retreated to
a shallow cave high up on a hillside,
and there was no getting them out.
4 mountain howitzer might have done
it, but there was none with the COM
mand. All day the troops fired volleys
into so much of the mouth of the cave
as showed between the pine trunks
and the walls of rock They knew that
the Slaughter within must have been
pretty severe. but there were no signs
of surrender, nevertheless. The hos
| tiles might hold out until the last one
was dead: they certainly would until
their medicine man should fall. The
medicine man could be seen from time
to time, cleaning figure, moving
clumsi.y among the trees and under
brush. And for all that it went so
slowly and was so bright. no bullet
emed ever TO hit it. Even the white
men began to consider it with awe.
AT sunset of the second day. when
the sounds from the cave had all but
ceased and the Indians within it were
without ammunition and at bay, the
glistening form came clambering de-
| liberately to the top of a high rock,
whooping and yelling. calling the rem
nant of its followers on. 1t stood so
| for a moment, the red sun rays striking
through the pine branches en- the
denied steel. weird sight in the depths
| of the mountain Businesses of the New
World, so odd and strange that the
soldiers hesitated with their fingers
on the triggers of their carbines.
! But Hartpole. kneeling alone behind
bowlder, remembered only that that
| glowing armor was his, and that he
wanted it. The visor was up and he
could see the glitter of the one good
eve. He had won a sharpshooter's
medal in his time, and he put his skill
to use now. There was a puff of smoke
from above his bowlder, and the shin
ing figure threw up its arms and stag
| gered. Then ii fell forward down
from the pinnacle of rock, gathering
and crashing among the logs and
/ stones.
They found, when they dragged him
out. that Hartpole's bullet had gone
straight through the good eye, and
that Ciego was ciego in very truth
now-and quite dead.-San Francisco
Argonaut.
MAIL FROM LEPER COLONY.