The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-12-11

front of the agency. The bodyguard
of twenty-five l had deployed In skir-
mish line southwark from me to the
commissary building and northward to
a deep gulch. The police in the COM
missary building were instructed that
upon a given signal the door would
open and they were to run out in sim
gle file, five PAGES apart and form a
skirmish In the south, east and north
of the parade ground which, with the
line already formed by the bodyguard,
would completely surround the ma
tives.
BulIdOxed the Band.
''The renegades were gathered in a
solid group in front of me, as was
their custom on such occasions, their
worst men-just the men / wanted
being pressed so close to me that /
could have touched any of them with
out moving my position. They knew
that the immediate presence of such
VIGOROUSLY desperate characters. fully
armed and hideous in warpaint, was
anything but reassuring to a paleface.'
When all was ready l told Geronimo
that / had come a long way to have
talk with him and his people; that
/ had matters of Importance to speak
OF. but IL my words were observed
with caution no serious harm would
result to them. TO this he replied
with a naughty Indifference to the eff
feet that If / observed proper caution
no harm would come to- me.
THE anxious moment had arrived.
/ wondered what they would do when
they saw my reserves file out; whether
they would submit peacefully or
whether the next moment would wit
ness a hand-to-hand struggle to the
death between these reckless rene
gades and my police, the bravest and
best fighters in the whole Apache ma
ton. On both sides were the most
desperate of men: the slightest cause
might change the history of the day.
The signal was given; the door of
the commissary building was opened;
one by one my police appeared on the
dead run and took a course that led
to the indicated skirmish line. with
arms ready for instant action. The
renegades observed the appearance of
the first dozen with an expression
which implied that they didn't care for
a dozen more or less. But by the time
a score or more had passed the COM
missary portal they grew nervous and
began to move about so as to occupy
more space and give room for action.
Then a. number moved slowly towards
the gulch. They were ordered back.
but did not heed the command. At
was a large, powerful man an an ex-
perienced fighter. threw up his gun
and drew a bead on the foremost In
dian moving towards the gulch.
The Apaches COrraIIed.
'Intead of the report Of the rife we
heard one of those terrific yells and q
heavy squaw sprang upon my chief of
police. threw her arms about his
shoulders and hung upon him In such
a manner as to draw the muzzle Of
his gun nearly to the ground. The
bTawny scout gave one look of
Amusement and disgust, then with one
sweep Of his great, right arm he sent
the squaw sprawling ten feet from
him. and again his gun went up. This
time dozen Of the police followed his
example, but before a shot was fired
one of the leaders Of the renegades
called out and the retreating Indians
returned. BY this time my police we're
all out Of the building, the skirmish
line was completed, the renegades
were outwitted and outnumbered
and were virtually our prisoners.
During the moments thus occu-
pied ] had not forgotten to observe
each expression OF Geronimo's face. A
trusty shooter, concealed in a
large pocket had been held upon the
renegade constantly, and in case of
open hostilitles a shot from the pock-
ct was among the surprises had
prepared for the willy outlaw. I then
insisted that the chiefs lay aside their