The copper era., 1905-08-17


 our thirst at the Rio Verde above the post garden. We crossed and CirCled above until we could see the new white tents of the peace com from the quarters of the commando ing officer. There we stopped in the brush and Alder Ali tried to make Del Shay understand to go with MT. Ross on foot, then pointed to the tents gIeaming white in the sunlight. But no, Del Shay would not move. Alder Ali talked in broken Spanish, and that but half understood, until the precipitation stood in big drops on his forehead. Del Shay would only ride through the post on the mule with the young white chief, which he seemed to think was his. Here was nice fix. The bugle was sounding for guard mount and we should soon be seen. Through my mind began to roll visions of the guardhouse and broken beet contract. I looked at Ross, who said nevera word. He quietly threw away the cigar he had lighted, stepped up to Del Shay and slapped him on the shoulder. The Indian turned to see. The index finger of the white chief pointed south. He looked, when quick as a flash came the click of pistol brushing his ear. Now stood very near in plain view and no tremor of surprise or fear came over that Indians face and not one word was spoken. He himself raised his finger for the same point, and dropped the bridle reins, which away with long strides and left us, stunned. We got away quick, made big circle and made our camp be- low on the river, and none were the wiser How glad we were received. They had not slept for suspense. was spent and Bill Kirkland, bless him! can taste it yet, brought out the best whiSkey ever made.
 What happened we never did know for truth. The post was full of tales. One was that the newspaper man came to the opinion of the gen erals tent, who said, "Why, we have missed you. Where have you been?" "Oh, I have just been over to the Tonto camp to get a writeup, a la nature; thought also you, general, would like to talk with the big chief, Del Shay, before the grand entry, " and throwing back the flaps of the tent, brought forth and presented to the astonished general, the very man for whom all these elaborate and that he might meet him in peace. On this same day, too, General Cook arrived. He had been waited for also in the afternoon. General Howard expressed a wish to talk with the Arab in the quartermaster department, who came over with the camels when he was young. Now, at sundown and the orderly rode down to our camp, with General Howard $ compliments and that he would like to talk with the citizen who had been wounded by Indians some years be- fore.
 I found General Howard alone in his tent, his empty sleeve pinned up on his breast. He said very kindly to sit down and tell him as to my being shot by the wards of the gov ernment. There was very little to tell. When packing for the govern ment in '65 on the Santa Maria, we 
 the camp of a bunch of Apache Mohave Indians, who were as much surprised as we, and we faced at once a whole wigg of arrows. The bows bent, think, most by squaws and at random. I got six for my share, the Indians all flew and we stayed. Joseph Kelsey was with us, and his wife, Molly, was then living at the sink of Date creek some thirty-five miles away. Joe was not hurt, and away he rode alone and brought his wife back behind him, and this brave pioneer woman, who had been raised near the land of the Commanches and knew no fear, with a sharp pen knife, cut out from me five hints, and one she could not get and it is inside now.
 "Ycs, but the shot wound in the broken shoulder?"
 "Well I had been before a Confed- crate scout on the Rio Grande."
 Then he said in substance, as newspaper reporter who had accom- panied the commissioner of Indian affairs, Vincent Collier, from New York, he found, had been indiscreet: to say the least, and had been out with me to camp of hostile In- dianS with whom it seemed we. were trading. Did I not know that in the eyes of the government a state of war existed? And he said a whole lot about the articles of war and the penalties. I told him of all this we knew nothing. We were poor whites from the far south, who had been here since boyhood, and from our camp at least there had been no wrong done and no trading. None. He said at once. Well, now he had satisfied himself on that point, but if the affair had not ended as it had there would have been much trouble all around, so now it was best to let the matter drop out of sight at once. Would I?'' Yes; for he said that he assured me that what we had done and the fashion of our doing it, and the war department and the world could not be made to understand, and led on by his kindly smile I think I told him something as if to say:
 We had done no wrong and
 That l cared not what the fashion
 or all the world might be
 For AriZona's sun scared land
 Was all the world to me.
 Now the sutler's store was closed all next day, thing never before known. It was said it's owner was taken very sick with collie and all his clerks were waiting on him. re- member I said to Alder Ali, maybe he had got hold of a fresh head of cooked meSCal and kent it