Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-02-20

route they will take and i've days
travel from here there is a Ilong mar
row valley in the mountains where
they will camp on the evening Of the
fifth day, and there | intend to strike
them and either kill or capture every
one Of them l was at the plaza at
the appointed time, with my horse
and provisions enough to last five
DAYS and there 1 found FL Captain
with about l5O soldiers, equipped and
mounted, ready to march. We soon
struck the trail and FL Captain esti-
mated, from the sign, that there were
about sixty Apaches in the band. On
the afternoon Of the third day We
came TO another broad trail Of Indians,
coming from the east, joining the one
we we're following and Fl Captain es-
timated that there were not less than
$50 Apaches in this band, making a
little over 800 in all. On the after
noon Of the fifth day we reached the
long, narrow valley in the mountains,
as FL Captain had said we would, and
following it up about half way we
came to where it made a short bend
and here the Captain ordered a halt.
He told his men to dismonnt and
picket their horses, and then turning
to me he said: You come along with
me and we will go up in the chaporral
and make a reconnaissance. Crawling
up through the thick brush until we
reached a point that commanded a
view Of the upper part OF the valley
we saw the Indians camped In the
spot where the Captain had said they
would. Pointing out a group OF
high rocks on the side Of the mountain
on the opposite side Of the valley and
about half a mile from the Indians the
Captain said: Those Indians will
post a sentinel up there tonight
among those rocks and at 3 O'Clock In
the morning | want you 10 creep up
there and see 70 1t that he does not
give an alarm. You viii have to be
very careful for you may find that that
Indian is posted behind the first rock
you come 20, and an Indian has
mighty sharp eyes and never goes Y
sleep while he is 0 watch. II be
! gives the alarm you must shoot hin
I dead in his tracks. At the same time
, that you start / will divide my mer
and we will go up through the chapar
raj on each side Of the valley until W
reach the Indian camp and lie Their
4 until daylight. Between daylight am
9 sunrise | will strike them and an
7 going to strike them hard, for / intenI
70 either kin or capture every n If
b can. Now, don't you fail TO get you
Indian the moment be shows him
self At the appointed time, armeI
n with a gun and a sharp butcher knife
Q l started on my perilous journey. Tn
s moon was down and ii was very Oar
in the valley, but l could see the bel
q ter when [ began to ascend the mour
d tain. Crawling like a snake up th
rough side Of that mountain wa
mighty hard work, but l reached th
Ie rocks all right and lay down by tn
first one 1 came to. OF course, l di
not know where my Indian was: b
Ie might be on the opposite side Of th
d rock where / lay for aught that
Is knew, and you may rest assured that
kept both my eyes and ears wide oper
When daylight came l could see tn
Indian camp down in the valley and
70 fully expected TO hear the pal Of til
Mexican guns at any moment
d could see the Indians gatherin
d around their camphTes and cookin
their breakfast but there was no sig
e OF the Mexicans. The sun came up an
3 ! a~nxiously waited until ii ose a
:, hour higher and still there was no sig
y that a Mexican was near the CAM
Then 1t flashed through my min
y that FL Captain had shown the whit
n feather and taken the back tract
e leaving me alone and afoot anon
$ those heartleSs savages and 10 say ths
d l felt awful blue about IL would
putting it mild. just then | saw
rs white streak Of smoke come from ii
chapparal and a big Indian jumpe
II up from behind a rock not five steE
le from the one where 1 lay, and starte
d 90 a run for camp. Before be ha
"a gone forty yards | drew a bead on BIZ
and fred. At the crack Of my gun
leaped high into the air and fell dea
On his face. i ran down 70 where |
II lay and drawing my butcher knife
X quickly drew the sharp edge Of
around the base Of his skull and the
T. catching hold Of the long hair l t0I
the reeking scalp from his head an
a thrust IL into my pocket then "a
D. down TO the Indian camp as fast as
10 could, but before | g0tthere It was a
over. Fl Captain had done well. for
dead Indians lay scattered ar0unI
and 60 live ones had been captures
ID I'll Captain told me that on account
ID having 50 many prisoners On his haBs
D. he could not take the cattle back, bt
B. would have them killed and the me;
dried. The greater part Of the Ap
d ches had escaped through the caByol
10 Men were sent down the valley
Ne bring the horses up and others wei
le ordered to scalp every dead India
that could be found and tie the seall
Il in a bundle. ScanOlds we're built an
the neat, as fast as the cattle we.
ge killed and cut up, was placed on the
/ and fires kindled under them, al
within two days the meat was all d.
enough 70 be tied into bundles 50 thi
70 Il could be carried home on paC
e horses. As their horses were used
/ pack the dried meat many OF q
le soldiers had 10 walk all the way hon
le Before We started back II CaglUs
le told me 10 give him the scalp that
had in M pocket, and, as ! bad d
u told him that 1 had scslped the Sc
q tinel that / had shot, | wondered ho
'e he knew I had Il. When we got baG
n home I was surprised when ! learns
ie that Fl Captain was not going TO sto
III for be went straight On with his pr
Is oners and my meat, and ] thougl
Il that that would be the last that
g would either see or bear OF t. Abo'
Q -four weeks afterwards the CAPITA