Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-12-05

THB GARMENT OF iron.

-AAA0S SAGy Wv 1Ao O8ys kOOo oA0 DoAA4-
lent unto themselves. But 1t never
occurred to Hartpole what this half.
'lind Indians reasons might be. They
lid not transpire until some weeks
later.
Yet In Ciego's tribe there was 4 le
send Of a great white chief who had
,nce married one Of their women, and
lad ruled over them. and who had
worn suit Of shining iron. And their
tradition ran that whosoever should
Ind and wear that garment again
would be impervious to the bullets of
the White-Eye. would become the
greatest of medicine-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 Ciege
belonged was reputed to have been the
white chief in the coat Of iron.
The Coyoteros believed these things
and SO did the medicine man. So when
the news Of the armor suit had reached
aim, he had levied heavy fees for his
incantations for some months, and
adding these to the gold 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 White-Eye officer
over from his scalp to his toes. and w
again, and then with no sound, save
just one grunt. went out from the quar-
ters and from the post.
Hartpole told Of 1t at the mess tina,
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 vns born, a 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 a savage can
under the ramada of HartpOle's quar-
ters, and thence through the open door
The Indian had missed nothing when
h. had been In that one small room q
month before. He knew where every.
thing in II was, from the chrome in q
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 of the nook where Hart
poles clothes hung. and waited until
the moon showed for Il moment through
a break in the clouds, and he could see
H.. figure on the cot beneath the mos
luito-net. When the room was dark
Eaain. 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 rat Eng armor from Its nails
and wrapped II in the calico curtain,
and fed through the night, as silently
ard swiftly as cnly an Apache can.
Now 1t happened that Hartpole had
gene to another post a 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 1t
was into the luckless soldiers heart
that the knife was driven, and the next
lay a telegram apprised HartpOle that
his striker was murdered and his suit
Of mail was gone.
The day after that all the department
knew that the CoyOteros were on the
war path. and. having cut the reserva-
ton. were killing right and left. They
were led by medicine-man called
"CiegO." and the scouts reported that
he was dressed in a garment of white
iron which no White Eyes bullet could
peirce. They also reported that the
Chiricahuas and the Pah-Utes and the
Sierra Blancas were joining him. 1t
promised to be an interesting time for
the territories.
HartpOle began to have q 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, II at all. 1t was serious already;
but there was one thing In favor to get
away. Their fanatical faith In their
medicine man led them to seek battle
rather than to shun 1t. 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. Hartpole'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 shell
ter. then at last they retreated to a
shallow cave high up on a hillside. and
there was no getting them out. A
mountain howitzer might have done 1t,
but there was none with the command.
All day the troops fred volleys into so
much Of the mouth Of the cave as show.
ed between the pine trunks and the
walls of rock. They knew that the
slaughter within must have been pretty
severe, but there were no signs Of sur
render, nevertheless. The hostiles
might hold out until the last one waa
dead; they certainly would until theiE
edi.ine-man should fall. The medi-
cine-man could be seen from time to
time. a cleaning figure, moving clumsl-
" among the trees and underbrush.
And for all that it went SO slowly and
vas SO bright, no bullet seemed ever to
nit 1t. Even the white men began to
consider IL with awe.
At sunset Of the second day, when
the sounds from the cave had all but
-eased and the Indians within 1t were
without ammunition and at bay. the
listening form came clambering delib-
.rately to the top Of . high rock.
.vhooping and yelling. calling the rem
lant Of its followers on. 1t stood SO.
or q moment, the red sun rays striking
through the pine branches on the dent
ID steel, q weird sight in the depths OF
the mountain fastnesses Of the New
World; 80 odd and strange that the sol
iiers hesitated with their fingers on
| the triggers Of their carbines.
But Hartpole. knseling alone behind
a bowlder, remembered only that that
eiowing srmor was hiA and hat be