Amador ledger., 1900-01-26

Lawton' reputation for daring and
pertinacity led to his becoming inter-
nationally famous. His characteristics
were known, of course, to his superior
officers as thoroughly as they were
known to the Indians whom he had
been fighting for dozen years. For
the tenth time the band of Chiricahua
Apaches, headed by Chief Naches and
directed by Geronimo, had jumped the
San Carlos reservation, leaving behind
them the usual trail of blood and ruin.
Ranchmen were butchered on lonely
ranges, children's brains were dashed
out and the smoke Of burning dwell
ings rose day and night to the brilliant
ly blue sky. General Miles, a trained
soldier and Indian fighter himself, was
in command and he selected Captain
Lawton for the task that was set be-
fore them. He started with two troops
of veterans, taking trail that at it's
beginning was broad and plainly
marked. Then followed the most re-
markable pursuit in the historys of
Indian warfare. Day after day the
ceaseless toll continued. The men
speedily found themselves in a coun-
try where horses without claws were
of worse than no account Their Off
GERS dismounted them. 1--WE will
walk them down." he said, grimly.
The walk began. 1t was white pluck
and endurance against Indian crafti-
ness and endurance.
Over ROCKS that blistered the hands
when touched, in ravines so deep and
dark that through the narrow rift far
overhead the stars were visible at noon
tide, up the sides of huge hills down
which trickled rivulets of dust, tread
ing paths along precipices which
frowned upon green valleys 5000 feet
below, drinking the cold, clear springs
that gushed above the clouds, some
times in the sunbaked desert, again
clambering far beyond the timber line,
Lawton and his followers struggled on.
Frequently a wisp of blue smoke jutted
from some inaccessible crag and bull
let sang its wicked way to its billet or
spattered upon russell rock. 1t is a
country that the Almighty made in
wrath and the imprint of His anger is
on it all. Week succeeded week. Men
dropped fainting in the giant hills and
their comrades passed on. There was
no time to stay. They were left to
find their way back to the reservation
as best they could. Indian and white
were foemen worthy of each others
steel and the issue of the contest was
in doubt to the last day.
Finally, one night just as the sem
tries were set, there was a faint hail.
aud an Indian stood before them. He
was worn to the bone, but dauntless
still. He said that his chief would
talk to the white man, but would talk
to him alone. His camp was some
miles farther on, but the messenger
WOulQ LOW bOu w IL Ii u6 Cdr6u W
come. The noncoms endeavored to
persuade the Captain against the ven-
ture, but he smiled sourly at them, and
told the Indian that he was ready.
They left the camp of the soldiers the
next morning. By 10 o'clock Lawton
stood in the Apache horde. Caver-
nous eyes glanced at him. Lips drawn
back from discolored teeth grinned at
him. Wasted hands were waved at
him threateningly. Stern, dominant,
the living, breathing personifcation of
the great white spirit that had beaten
them back from the far eastern verge
of land they had owned, he walked
straight to the medicine man and de.
manded his surrender. There was a
brief parley. Lawton contemptuously
refused to promise anything or to guar