The Worthington advance., 1900-11-30

trddit1OnSfan thAt Wh0o0eNef "a 001o
find and wear that karrlment ~ ain
would be fmpervious toethe bullets OF
the White-Eye, would become the
greatest Of medicine e-men, and rule not
only over his own people but over all
the Apache tribes and those OF the
plains Of the north. And the very
founder Of that family to which Ciego,
belonged was reputed to have been the
white chief in the coat Of iron. n
The Coyoteros believed these things
and so did the edicine-man. So when
the newsof the armor suit had reached
him he had levied heavy fees for his
incantations for some months, and,
adding these to the gold Ne had ex-
changed Tor 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. .r.
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-
ters and from the post.
Hartpole told of it at the mess that
night. and forgot all about it after
that. But Ciego did not-as Hartpole
ought to have foreseen.
One night an Indian, his body naked
as it was born, q poisoned knife in his
hand, stole across the sandy parade
ground when the moon was under the
clouds of q coming storm, and slipped,
as silently as none but savage can,
under the ramada of Hartpole's quar-
ters, 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 off the nook
where Hartpole's clothing hung, and
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 the knife was driven, and the next
day 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 bul.
let could pierce. They also reported
that the Chiricahuas and the Pah-Utel
and the Sierra B.ancas were joining
him. It 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 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 t<
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 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 tc
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 fired volleys
into 50 much of the mouth of the cave
as showed between the pine trunk.
and the walls of rock. They knew that
the slaughter within must have beer
pretty severe, but there were no sign:
of surrender, nevertheless. The hos
tiles might hold out until the last on<
was dead; they certainly would unit
their medicine: man should fall. TIL.
medicine man could be seen from time
to time, a cleaning figure, moving
clumsi.y among the trees and under
brush. And for all that it went s,
slowly and was so bright, no bulle
seemed ever to hit it. Even the whit,
men began to consider it with awe.
! At sunset of the second day, whe,
the sounds from the cave had all bu
ceased and the Indians within it wer,
without ammunition and at bay, tn
glistening form came clambering de
liberately to the top of high rock
whooping and yelling, calling the rem
nant of it's followers on. It stood s.
for moment, the red sun rays striking
through the pine branches ON tn
dented steel, weird sight in the depth
of the mountain Businesses of the New
World; 50 odd and strange that tn
soldiers hesitated with their finger
on the triggers of their carbines.
But Hartpole. kneeling alone benin,