Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1900-09-15
r Il Is something over twenty years

r Il Is something over twenty years
since 1 accompanied the small
military expedition under Lieu
tenant Isaac Murphy. which
went from the Rio Grande westward
to establish n new post In Arizona.
Several "tenderfoots," bent upon pros
pect and discovery, were allowed to
travel with the command over a route
beset with danger from attack by hos
tile Comanchcs and Apaches. and al
though the lieutenant did not admit 1t,
think he was not altogether dis
pleased by the addition to his fighting
power Of the half dozen well-armed,
well-mounted and well-provlsioned civ
illans.
But ut Socorro we were Joined by
nm individual. fresh arrival from the
North, who attached himself to the eX-
pcditiop without so much rs, by your
leave. gentlemen" A tall, ungainly.
cndaverous and solemn person he was.
his age guessable at anywhere between
thirty and fifty. He was crosseyed.
and so near-sighted that he wore cum
brous. large-bowed spectacles to cor
rect his vision. He had the thin
cheeks and hacking cough Of n con-
sumptive. Moreover, he had no rid
Ing animal, and the two burros he
had been able to buy in Socorro, to
which point his goods had been sent.
were so heavily laden with his trap
pings that they looked detected.
'See here, Mr.. Man." said Lieutenant
Murphy, as we broke camp. you can't
travel with this outfit. You're physi-
cally unfit for the trip, and my two
wagons are loaded to the limit"
mo trouble to you, trust, sir,
HMM" said the stranger, who had
already been dubbed "the professor"
mo real disability. sir. HMM; just n
touch Of brOnchOrrhoea, hmm; find
this dry atmosphere great help. sir"
He spoke in calm, decisive tone, but
coughed Mt every other word. "Ill
come on in your rear, sir; can't ride in
saddle on account of gastrltls, hmm
Just touch, SIR"
Good gracious! muttured Murphy.
bronchitis, gastritis, cross.eses. false
teeth and afoot! Well, SIR" lie added,
In louder tone, for the man was hp-
parently somewhat deaf. II suppose
we must leave n trail behind U.S."
The tall stranger bowed gravely and
went OH with packing his burros, task
which he accomplished with surpris.
Ing neatness and speed. When we
moved away from SocorrO he fell re-
specially in behind our six-mule
freight-wagons, and he came ON Mt nm
unwearied swing for the twcnty-four-
mile stretch which brought us to our
first water-hole and coolly camped
within out picket lines.
"We'll lose him tomorrow" said
Murphy to his mess. "Cacti" and he
chuckled contentedly.
Our trail the next day led over n
high mesa carpeted with prickly-pear
a mating Of thorns so dense that the
passage Of half dozen "freighters'
could have offered no protection to
feet less well shod than those OF a
mule. Yet the professor plodded un-
NluhtCuAy uSAOoo lHlo otlClSH,
much to our establishment came into
camp ut night without limplng.
Our surprise gave place to a degree
Of respect when we noted that the pro-
fessOr wore wooden shoes lined with
chamois skin. He certainly had proved
himself an experienced traveller, and
now his cheeks were showing sunburn
and his cough seemed less ifcessant.
To the ruder jokers Of the command
the professor afforded unlimited
amusement. His ungainly figure and
lantern jaws. his "buttermilk eye" and
double back:action eyegear," his air
Of intent gravity when packing. I'M
packing or cooking his meals. his big
gun case, which measured the length
Of burro and whacked his patient
bearer, now and then, upon the jaw.
his carefully guarded and never-opened
packs, his general owlishness. all fur.
nislied no end Of fun to the cavalry.
men.
1t was inevitable that the man
should Overhear some of the passing
gibes anent his uncommOnness, but he
continued to mind his own business
with great gravity, and gave no sign.
When we had fairly entered the Tu-
larosa range, the professor was or.
dered to march with the command.
He followed Mt his own distance, rs
before, and showed better color and
less frequent cough. AS q walker he
might have been forever celebrated
among us had he not been destined to
attain celebrity Of another sort when
when we stepped into Jicarrilla trap
upon the Mesa de los LabOs.
After ten days of marching we filed
out of a tortuous canon, one hot morn
Ing, upon the high plain, and having
by some chance taken the lesser Of two
trails where canon and road fOrked,
we found that we had escaped annihi-
lation in huge ditch only to meet a
fierce Apache rush upon the mesa.
Wild riders seemed to emerge-one
hundred. two hundred-out of nowhere,
suddenly "materlallzing" out of a
shimmering mist of heat radiation,
and they ere upon us before we could
form for defence. No ear in that tre-
mendous din could hear Murphy's
rOars Of command.
1t was save himself who can, except
that no man thought Of flight. Each
trooper and civilian got behind horse,
mule or wagon. drew his Colt and
fired into the screeching. Gathering
mob. which charged home upon us In
the characteristic Apache rush.
1t was thrilling, savage moment.
Clouds of hor semen hurled themselves
at us with deifening yells. discharglng
rain Of feathered shafts. and lung.
ing fiercely at horse and man with
their long 'ances. And they rode down
and over and through our thin line,
a veritablc bosom of destruction.
When this whirlwind Of savagery
had howled over us and the dust Of It
had lifted somewhat. we took account
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