The National tribune., 1903-01-29

Pass, about 10 miles distant from Wallen,
he and his party had been attacked by
! Apaches, his three companions had been
| killed and the oxen driven off. They were
taking a cart load of oranges to Camp
Crittenden. The attack had been made at
| daybreak, and his escape was due only
! to the heavy mist arising from the noun
tain canyons after the heavy rains of the
previous day and night. The rainy Winter
season had set in early. AS soon as he
had ascertained that the Apaches had
gone, he had left his hiding place and
struck out for our camp, where he arrived
between 8 and 10 O'Clock of the morning.
SCOUT TO RETRIBUTIoH CANYON.
| By. II o'clock "boots and saddles was
sounded, the rations having been quickly
distributed, and Lieut.. Winters was off
! with so men, Marigildo guiding the party
The wounded man had described the spot
of the attack very infinitely. 1t was soon
| found. The bodies of the three men, all
Mexicans, horribly mutilated, were al
lowed to lie where they were, as bury
ing detail was TO follow us; we covered
them with some brush.
Marigildo soon found the tracks of the
Indians upon the wet ground; they showed
the Indian party to consist Of eight or
nine men, one of whom must be tie owner
| Of feet of an enormous size. as usual. all
| these tracks were slightly bent inward. a
| popularity of many Indians; they do not
take long, striGing steps. but travel with n
sort of steady trot that covers great deal
of ground-l should say about five miles
an hour. From them we could see that
they were driving the Two oxen before
| them, having taken n southerly direction
after leaving the pass at Its western
outlet and skirting the whole length of
tie Huachrca range, at the utmost end
of which they crossed the San Pedro
River. Here we found part of the re-
mains OF slaughtered OK and the ashes
of very small campfire, and as night
was setting in we camped and had pinol
supper with jerked beef. No fire was al
lowed to be lighted.
On the following morning, as soon rs it
was light enough 20 follow the tracks, we
broke camp and resumed our march, after
a breakfast which was, like all the fol-
lowing meals, partaken of during this
scout, an exact counterpart of the pre-
vious supper, until we had accomplished
our task. The tracks now led in a straight
| line, over hills and through canyons,
many Of which we had to cross by ascend
ing and descending from steep, rocky sides,
often being obliged to dismount and lead
our horses. towards the western end of
the Chiricahua Mountains, over the partly
sandy, partly rocky plateau that separates
the Huachuca from the Chiracahua
Range. We soon came upon the other OK,
which had been abandoned by the Indians,
as IT could not keep up with them.
About noon we came to a small spring
emanating from a assure in the rocks of a
deep canyon. Here we made short halt
to mix a pinol drink, and resumed our
march, but soon found that we had to
make detour of about six miles, as the
| farther side of the canyon was so steep
and rocky that our horses could not be
made to climb to the top of the ridge.
However, Marigildo soon found the tracks
on the opposite side, after we had turned
the canyon, and away we went. Heavy
clouds now began to gather in our front,
and towards evening we could plainly see
that rain was falling in the Chiricahua
Range. Our horses began to show signs
of exhaustion, for they had Travelled over
difficult ground almost increasingly ever
since We had left the Huachuca Pass,
night set in. We had by that time reached
n small grassy knoll, where some slight
pasture could be obtained. The Chirica-
hua Mountains were still about % miles
away, but as yet we were upon the tracks
of the murderers. During the night we
saw many lightning flashes in the sky
over the Chiricahuas and heard loud peais
of thunder at intervals. Margildo was
beginning to fear that the rains, which in
the mountains of Arizona frequently come
down in torrents, would wash away the
tracks, and we started at the peep of day,
covering as much ground as the state Of
our horses and the difficulties of the ter
rain woGd admit of. The tracks never de-
waited from the direction taken at the
San Pedro camp; it was Decline easily
enough followed by an Apache on foot, =
sApaches have been known to travel
from GO to 20 miles ON foot in "a hours,
over all kinds of ground, without water.
several consecutive days. They them
selves attribute their endurance to their
total abstinence from salt and coffee and
great moderation observed at all times in
the use of drinking water. To this must,
OF course, be added their manner of life
from their carly youth.