The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-03
INDIANS ALL LOVE
FIELD OF BATTLE
Theory With a Scrap TO Dem
onStrate It
FIGHT FOR THE FUN OF IT
No Special Grudee Said to Be Borne by
Indians Toward White Men-Their
Preferences in the Way of
Fighting.
FIGHT FOR THE FUN OF It
From the New York Sun.

| it, said the Colonel from the west onl9
last year [ had an experience that was
as warm an affair as l ever had in the
early sixties.
Il was down on the ella River looking
over a piece of land / wanted to buy for
sheep raising liked the place all right
water and pasturage just suited me-so l
began to consider it seriously
Ever have any trouble with Indians?'
| asked the old pioneer who owned the
land
"Wall,'" he said. 1njuns do get a little
restless now and agin, but it don't mount
to much just livens up both parties
enough to give en- new zest.
Il didn't consider that the old mans
point of view might not be mine, so 1
mentally made the note. Indians not
troublesome"
Next day | proposed We go out on
| hunting trip, and the old man agreed,
Some neighbors of his Joined us, and we
set out on horses just ten of us.
I'VE struck a trail into the hills. About
noon We discovered a big grizzly wallow-
ing in pool of water and advanced on
foot to interview him.
I'VE had just spread ourselves out in
fine style to open fire when a shot rang
out In chaparral above us, and we
heard the spat of bullet as it hit the
rocks just where our game was. The
grizzyy let out a grunt and looked up.
Then we opened fire. The bear just
rose from that pool like small noun
tain in eruption and with just about as
much noise. He came right for us, and
the rifle cracks sounded like a full-sized
| battle But just as the bear was coming
close enough to make us consider a quick
retreat he fell dead.
I'VE all rushed up with a whoop, but
about the same time there was another
whoop from the chaparral, and four In
dams came peltng down on us. They
reached the bear just as we did
Then followed an exciting debate.
couldent understand what they said, but
| the old man evidently could, for he an
swered them back in their own tongue.
| 1t seems they claimed the bear because
they fired the first shot, but the old man
| wouden't have II that way He told
them to git and as we outnumbered
them they got but they were pretty
sulky about it.
we skinned the bear and were hit
ting the trail back to camp. Suddenly
we heard shot, and a bullet whstled
| right between us
! "1Iit fer the rocks bovsp sboutea tho
old man: and. followins him we n,ada nm
hill for some granite shafts sticl,in. ~,
with bullets flying thick
meanwhile could hear Indians
whooping behind MS When we eot he
hind the rocks we had time TO look and
there were about twenty Apaches coming
across the landscape on their Monies
"As soon as we opened fire they nansed
and began the old game of circlino
They simply crouched over their cd
dies and made a circuit around our hill
firing all the time
Our Mexican friend dropned dead bn,
soon we saw an Indian fall too rhe
firing was like a gigantic Fourth of Jnlv
celebration.
"'rhose Indians kc,,. IN = creamy ura
till dusk. We saw another of them DION
and the old man got "A bullet in his arm,
and another of orr men was wounded in
the neck
That night was one of the unnIeasanf-
est | ever spent We expected an attacl,
every moment but when morning came
the Indians were gone.
It's all right boys' said the old ma,
they've cooled down and quit
I'VE got back to the ranch without SEQ
ing more Indians But that settled mo
ON buying land for sheen raising there
! wanted to leave right off. so the old
man escorted me back to the railroad
station.
We'll would you believe It, on The
station platform / saw one of those same
Indians who had claimed our bear, Re-