The National tribune., 1903-01-15

early morning hours. Among them l rec
ognized at once Pedro Urquides, the ma
jordomo of Don Solomon, and upon my
approac oh to the vehicle l saw this benev-
olent gentleman himself descending from
It.
In the wagon, stretched upon mat
tress, lay Mr.. Oscar Buckalew NOW Nv
ing at Helvetia. Arizona,l with leg shat-
tered by musket ball. He was then the
mail rider who carried the United States
mail from Calabazar to Tubac and thence
to Patagonia, in the range of mountains
bearing that name, where the so-caiied
Mowry mines, located by Lieut.. Emory
Mowry, had been operated about $500. De-
fore the Apaches began their hostilitIes:
although the country thereabOuts was ox
then pretty well abandoned. few mali
stations were still maintained, and anoht
three or four Americans with some Mex
lean lahorers systematically worked these
silver mines. generally believed to be quite
rich. and turned out a few small silver
bricks. or "planchas'' from time to time
These small bricks bore the stamp OF the
Mines and from them the latter had re-
ceived the Mexican appellatinn OF the
Plancha de plata" mine, under which It
was quite well known.
The pure metal was extracted from
the ore DN STlliulhS Tue i'ehS ." :"
coptrivance called an "arrastra" by means
of a horizontal wheel turned by horse
mule OF donkey, while n man continually
poured water around the axle of the
wheel to soften the rock. The ground
ore was then smelted in small crucibles.
These mine workers lived in an old adobe
house situated near by, to which access
was had through large, heavy gate that
admitted good-sized wagon and team
H. rH
RIDE FOR LIFE.
As the mail arrived once a week at
about the same hour on regular days, the
Apaches knew the time when Mr.. Buck
alew would pass. and waylaid him in an
'arroyo" or dry river bed. Although he
received severe wound, which shattered
one knee-can, the mail carrier retained his
seat in the saddle and his mule started
on run. OF this the men at the house
knew nothing as yet, but Mr.. Thomas
Yerkes. who was at the gate on the look
ont for the mil. thought he heard several
shots: from his position, however. he
could not see the road. as it made sharp
turn almost directly in front of the honse.
and thence led towards the left under
b1lcing rocky bank of considerable length
The Apaches. knowing. from the thud
Of the bullet. fred according to their Gus
tom from ambush at short range, that
they had hit either the man or his ami
mai; attempted to cut them off from the
house by taking a short cut over the hill.
The shooting had taken place about
half mile distant frcm the house. and the
mail rider arrived at the wood-pile. ahont
80 yards from the gate, at about the
came moment that the Indians dehonched
from over the ridge. No longer able to
keep in the saddle Bnckalew here fell off
4 &,I grim
Yerkes and the blacksmith, Joe Dawson.
now aware of the situation. rushed to the
wounded mans assistance and succeeded
In dragging him inside the gate at the
very moment when the Apaches came in
sight over the bluff. It was a very mar
row escape. indeed.
There being no vehicle OF any kind III
the mines at the time. Ruckalew had IN
wait two whole days before he could he
transported and brought under medical
care Mr.. Yerkes made night trip to
santa Cruz. the nearest place where eff
Gent help could he expected. and fortu
nafely found Mr.. Warner at home. This
gentleman. ever ready to lend a helping
hand to his fellowman. got his ambulance
ready. summoned an escort, and thus Mr.
Buckalew was brought to Wallen OF the
fourth day after he received his wound
which npon his arrival was found tn he
IN very infiamed and dangerous rnndi-
ton. Fortunately we had at Wallen by
this time very skillful surgeon. Maj
Bailey. who performed the amputation Of
the leg in highly satisfactory manner
and with ultimate good results.
PROVISIONING A SCOUTING PARTY.
The commanding officer now thought
that scouting expedition was in order.
He sent for Lieut.. Harrington and Mar
eui1In and oY,-ttltod with tho fatfar IN
the feasibility of following up the
Apaches. by taking mp their tracks at the
Patagonia mines. Marigildo thought well
Of the project, and said that he conld
guess very nearly the direction the In
dams had taken, in all likelihood. as he
had been with them over the same ground
quite frequently. while he had been their
captive: that probably they might be cut
off somewhere at the extreme southern
end of the Huachuca Mountains: but that
the trailing of them from Patagonia, al
though more slow, would be more certain
ss the rainy season was over and there
existed no possibility of their tracks being
ohliterated. unless they did so themselves.
q thing they seldom did. reducing the dam
ger of heing caught to almost minimum
by travelling faster than any horse could
follow.
The men Of the garrison being far from
numerous, only % could be spared These
were. Of course. more than sufficient to
follow and punish, provided they caught
them, handful of Apaches: but what if
they came suddenly upon a war party In
the many intricate canyons Astounding in
the country? As Marigildo .ery correctly
remarked: when you 60 out hunting for
Apaches you have In your minds eye
what you are going to do. but you can
never know what you may be led into or
what you are going. to find. 1t Is a very
uncertain business"
The scouting party was made ready
as well md ms soon as circumstances
would permit. and these circnmstance
were far from favorable. The rntioning
Of the men for any protracted absence Of
fered several difficulties. We had no
hardtacks. officially called dry bread. I
am afraid to state how many reuuisitions.
representations. and even remonstrances.
had been forwarded from our camp with
q view Of obtaining this ration 80 eminent.
ly fitted for scouting parties; somehow the
article was overlooked over and over
again. In this emergency | had induced
our baker, one Gilbert, of Co. G, 1st u.
6. Cav. to attempt the production in his
bakeovcn of something like cracker that
might answer the purpose; but notwith-
standing his persistent efforts he had sue
ceeded in turning ont only a quantity of
very small and very hard round disks
that could be loaded into cannon and
used as grapeshot with good effect. They
turned so hard within two days that they
resisted mastication by the stoutest laws
and teeth, and proved insoluble even In
boiling water. Those were not the DAYS
of canned meats, either and the only way
to provision the scouting party with meal
ait hnr m civ fhnn