St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-12-29

only over his own people but over al
the Apache tribes and those of thu
| plains of the north. And the very
founder of that family to which Ciege
belonged was reputed to have been The
| white chief in the coat OF iron.
| The Coyoteros believed these thing.
! and so did the medicine-man. So wheT
the news of the armor suit HAD reached
him he had levied heavy fees for hi
| lamentations for some months. and
adding these to the god 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 of purchase had failed.
Ciego looked the Wkite-Eye officer
over from his scalp TO his toes. and uT
again, and then with no sound, save
just one grunt. went out from the quar-.
ters and from the post.
Hartpole told of it at the mess that
night, and forgot all about il afte:
that But Ciego did not-as Hartpole
ought 10 nave 1OTtSeeu.
One night an Indian, his body naked
rs it was born, a 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 wall to the cot in
the corner. across from the fireplace.
He hid himself behind the piece of
calico that curtained on the nook
where Hartpole's clothing hung. and
waited until the moon showed for q
moment through 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 the knife in his hand went
straight through the heart of the man
asleep. Then he took the rattling ar.
NOR from its nails and wrapped it in
the calico curtain and fed 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 she knife was driven. and the next
day telegram apprised Hartpoie 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 garment OF
white iron which no White-Eye's bull
let could pierce. They also reported
that the Chiricahuas and the Pah-Ctes
and the Sierra B.ancas were joining
him. II promised to be an interesting
time for the territories.
Har;pole 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 department
was. Trouble of the sort that this
promised to be had to be checked at
once. if at all. It was serious already;
but there was one thing in favor OF the
troops. which was that the hostiles
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 of the troops. because there
were, as usual, too few. But the third
time they were caught in a pocket OF
the Mogallons. and there were no less
than six troops against them. Hart.
po.e's 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 hillside.
and there was no getting them out.
A mountain howitzer might have done
it. but there was none with the COM
mand. All day the troops fred volleys
into so much Of the mouth Of the cave
as showed between the pine trunks
and the walls Of pnck. They knew that
the slaughter within must have been
pretty severe. hut there were no signs
OF surrender, nevertheless. The hos
a. IL h<y yo -
was dead; they certainly would until
their medicine man should fall. The
medicine man could be seen from time
to time, cleaning figure, moving
among the trees and under
brush. And for all that il went SO
slowly and was so bright, NO bullet
seemed ever to hit it. Even the white
men began to consider it with awe.
At sunset of the second cay, 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-
TO the top of high rocF
and yelling, calling the rem
nant of its followers on. 1t stood SO
for moment. the red sun rays striking
the pine branches on the
dented steel. weird sight in the depths
Of the mountain fastnesses of the New
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 thai he
wanted it. The visor was up and he
could see the glitter of the one good
eve. He had won sharpshooter's
medal in his time. and he put his skill
10 use now. There was a puff of smoke
from above his bowlier. and the shin.
ng figure threw up its arms and stag
gered. Then it fell forward. down
from the pinnacle of rock, clattering
and crashing among the logs and
stones.
They found. when they dragged him
put. that Hartpole's bullet had gone
straight through the, good eye. and
kh,y N;aUn waS rieOo N vepy fruth