Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1901-06-21
DICK HUYL
-
The Story Of an Apache
Boy.

not exactly OF gratitude, as the story
will demonstrate. which she. by writ
Ing his biography. seeks to discharge.
Dick uuyrs history will never be writ
ten by me nor by any n else who
knew him to ndOrn a Sunday school IL
brary. lie was not that kind Of boy.
Dick was an Apache Indian, with all
the characteristics OF total depravity
that the word Apache conveys or sug-
gests. We were children together.
Dick and I. We lived, fought and play
cd together for two years in the same
ermy post. On one memorable occa-
Sion Dick. l~nstlgated by the deyll-fcr
] firmly believe m the devil, II only for
Apaches-dropped down the neck OF
my frock coat, q live toad. 1t was the
cause of my first ct of Mysteries. and l
determined II ever grew old enough I
would tell the whole world how bad q
young Apache could be.
In 1872. IL { remember rightly, Cen
nral Crook had succeeded. after years
OF bloody war and the loss Of hundreds
Of good men. In subduIng most Of the
bands composing the Apache nation Of
New Mexico and Arizona. They had
dwelt In the strongholds Of mountain
and desert, from which they frequent
~ emerged to rob and murder all min
ers or emigrants that they could am
bush, leaving nothing for the human
mind to conceive of In the way Of cru
city whenever a white man fell into
their power.
At the reservation, although they
we're well fed and quite decently treat
cd, 1t was necessary to watch them
constantly. and large bodies of troops
were detailed for that purpose. Never
theless. scarcely n week passed but
n small squad of Apaches, usually led
by some attractive squaw. would slip
quietly past the guards and escape
through the darkness into their beloved
cactus plains and mountain b1rrens.
Roll call nearly every morning devel-
opcd these absentees, and next day
would come news of murder, raplne
and horrors generally. A f0vorlte
Apache mode of dlsposlng OF the I'm
suspectlng f~relghter. miner or emil
grant whose camp they had succeeded
jn raldlng was TO uc the victim by the
}our limbs to stakes and then to build
a fire on that portion OF his body deslg-
mated In the old fashioned almanacs
ps virgo"
. There seemed to be something par
t%icularly fascinating TO tho Apache
temperament In this form OF torture.
Death being long in coming. it gave
fhe sQunws and papooses plenty Of
chance to invent small torrents on
the side. as It were. The women and
children ~emlgrants- But enough. Suf-
Ico It to say that the absolute hatred
entertained by these Indians for the
whites was fully refrigerated, especial
~ by the soldiers. 1t was no easy
matter TO track and successfully fol-
low the ruuaways through the cactus
and mesquite Tickets, over the barren
deserts and desolate mountains that
make up the topography of Arizona.
But In that parched country water is
only to be found at certain springs and
water holes. between which days OF
travel often intervene, but which are
equally well known TO soldiers aud to
Indians.
, So when the morning report showed
TO General Crook that so many war
Tlors. squaws and proposes were
missing the grim old warrior would
make no sign OF pursuit but on thu
night following or perhaps the mex
one a squadron OF mounted men would
flo silently out Of tho reservation bear
ing orders to move as rapidly as pos
IL - - - - MT. NNH-n
or to Agnn Grande spring or to SOM
other place whore the presence OF tn,
preclOus fluid favored a camping plac
for the renegades. The troops wer
always positively instructed 10 brinI
back no prisoners, oil matters Of dc
tail being left TO the officers In CON
mand. One June morning there wer
reported missing 8 Indians and ]
squaws and papooses, including Wa
memo. than whom n more deprnved an
cruel Indian never existed, even in Ar
zona.
Two nights afterward a squad OF tn
Twcnty-third infantry. Crooks ow
regiment, under Lieutenant Huyl,
splendid young fellow, who has sine
left the service, was sent out on
scout with the usual orders. Nc traC
OF the renegadcs was found. but
burned ranch and stage station and
crcmnted cowboy gave sufficient CIV
dence OF Indians at large. The ne2
night. or rather just at dawn, after
long aud fatiguing march. the scout
Teached n natural rock basin at u
foot OF one OF the steepest and moi
inaccessible knobs TO be found In de
olate Arizona. This basin bad ofte
rollectcd a supply OF acrid waite
which, however, was drinkoble enoug
IN that country. A thin vapor Of smol
from a nearly spent Gre convinced Il
troopers that their nights march ha
Dot been In vain. and on creeping .
IS close as possible the hostlles wei
suillDod against the rocks fast asleep
The iiifle squadron silently deploy'