El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-13
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trail crossed the crest of the mouutsi1i
And vita oor glass scanned the hills
In front of us, but no herd OF ponies,
smoke nor Indian could be seen
Whilst we we're landing there hock
OF doves came sweeping by our heaoe
and 1 said: boys, where those are
going to water we will find the Indians
10 the morning." No fire could be
seen from our front, 80 we cooked eno
were soon asleep, the sentinel instruct
ed to wsken US before day break.
We were good tired and IL seemed i
had hardly been asleep an hour until
we were awakened and had hasty
breakfast aud were off On the trail ::
1t WAS bitterly cold, go we walked an
led our hor- es, had to stoop down In
places to work out the trail. OLD Ber-
nardo was ahead and 1 and Lieutenant
Nevill just behind, and just as day be-
gan to dawn the Old Pueblo squatted
down and said: Hay, estanlos Indios,
captain" aud looking in the direction
he pointed we distinguished two
camp 6res burning up brightly.
Luckily we we're just on the crest OF
a hill and turning back were soon out
of eight aud by taking advantage OF the
ground we got within four hundred
yards Of them and Sergeant Carruthers
Uf Nevill's company and Corporal Nat
Harrison, company A, made a detail to
ing, as all the rangers wanted 10 take
hand, but five had to sit quietly and
hear their comrades cheering and
Winchesters popping.
We were able to get within two
hundred yards of their camp. Sergeant
Carruthers with nine or ten men was
sent to the left and Instr ucted to get as
near as he could to the Indians without
bsine discovered and when we opened
fire TO do the same and charge their
camp. My squad oy following In Indian
file and STOPPING as low as possible got
within q hundred yards OF the eastern
csmp. Here we came to swag or low
place between Us aud the Indians, who
were huddled up around their fires
cooking breakfast and not conscious OF
q ranger being within g huodr ed miles.
One was just coming to
the fire with some wood aud
looked rs big as q skinned horse, hsv-
Ing an army cape on taken from some
negro soldiers killed at hot Springs on
the RIO Grande. Ii proved TO be a lit
tie girl not over years old, and goes
To show how easily one can let bis i'm
aginasion run away with him. L was
afraid II we passed down this swag
some of the Apaches would see US and
being just on the crest of the hill with
a deep canon beEond q few jumps would
take them out of sight. So L kneeled
down aud motioned to the men to fall
into line on my right and passed the
word down the line when L fired to
turn loose.
Old Bernsrdo's eyes we're gl'stening
like pauthcr's at the chance of get
ting even with the murderers of his
brothers, his con and nephew by his
side. Lieut.. Nsvill was at my side
and the muzzle of his gun within an
inch of old Barnardo's ear, and when
n -vill fred 1 cav the old fellow dodge
like a mule with q tick in his ear. Il
was complete surprise to the Indians,
aud there was plenty of blood all
around their camp fire, showing some
of Us had good aim Sergeant Csrru-
theirs got three at the other fire. Near |
~ ell the men had WING hester csrbi- |
nes and rifles, but L used Springfield |
rife with hair trigger such as the |
Uuited States officers used and L doub. |
If q better army gun was ever made |
Tor reliability.
We only had q few shots when the
Apaches broke over the hill like herd |
of deer and we charged tie camp, as
d i'd tho other squad, and when we got ]
where We could see, the Indians were i
making 2 40 time down the steep can
on. Only one tried to mount horse
and every ran ger In sight began pamp-
ing lead at him. He tun bled of the
playing 'possum until we ceased firing,
be jumped up ana made better time
han he did on horseback. The Apa-
ches ran, some to the west and some
east down the deep canon and one war
-ior went up the opposite side Of the
canon.
He bore along the hill in full view
Ind drew the fire of every one and
would turn around q.
Ihoot back at US. ALI we could do
vas to hold our breath until he Shot,
rot knowing which one was his target.
took five pops at him myself. Frank
De JarEette and another ranger fol-
owed his trail for over a mile and said
,e was bleeding like q beef, but still
making big jumps toward the Tula-
Osa agency. Four or five Indians ran
Iown the arroyo and 1 called to Frank
d Jsrnette and told him the arroyo
vas so crooked that if we would leave
t and run along the eide of the canon
believed we could get ahead OF the
Indians and kill some of them. So
way we went at full speed, Frank
head.
Suddenly saw him cit down and
art TO slide. AMI L reached down AMI
rabbed him back, when be eat still ,
hsppsrel cock without being able to
peak. We had come square on the ,
rink of q cliff that must have been
our or i've hundred feet perpeudicu-
ar. II he had gone over could not
ave stopped and we would both have
cen killed by the fall and no one been
he wiser except old Bernardo would {
ave followed our trail. 1t was one OF {
he times 1 humbly thanked God he
lad spared my life.
Finding we could make DO further s
rogress in that direction, and the
ring ia the canyon ceasing, we turned &