Daily Arizona silver belt. (Globe, Gila County, Ariz.) 1906-1929, 1908-04-09
Obeyins Orders.
lCopyright. l9o7. by IS. c. parcells !

alOuS Tue highway In sets OF lourS
when one of the cavalrymen swayed,
lurched aud pitched from his saddle
Just as we heard the report of a rife.
vt the edge Of the cornfeld twenty
rolls from the road was pun Of blue
smoke TO direct us to the bushwhacker.
We had the fences down and were rid
ing toward the spot two minutes later.
War Is cruel enough. but bushwhack-
Ing Is simply murder. farmer am
bushes himself and fires into a column
OF marching men. Whether he wounds
or whether he kills, the war goes on
Just the same. The government would
feel the loss OF mule more than of a
man.
IF your column is bushwhacked,
find the man and hang him. If he has
a home, burn ii.
Those were the orders. and every
man remembered them as we rode
down on the bushwhacker. We found
where he had knelt down to take aim,
but he had disappeared. Fifteen rods
up the hill was wretehed pole cabin,
with the roof sinking in. 1t had no
door at the opening and no sashes at
the windows. There was no floor, and
the cooking was done at rude fire.
place. \ girl who could not have been
over eighteen and who was poorly
clothed and barefooted sat at the front
door, smoking a pipe. She saw us
swarming up the hill. but did NOT
move. Our curses filed her ears a mo-
ment later. but she pulled at her pipe
and lcofed at us indifferently.
"N'herc is the man who fred the
shot? You heard it.. You must know
who II was"
Didn't dun hear nor see nuthin',"
she replied
There was only one room in the
cabin. Lying on the floor under the
rude bedstead, with his gun beside
him, was the man. We hauled him
outdoors without resistance. The wife
on the steps did not rise up nor cease
to pun. She did not look at us nor
at him. The man was a sqnatter. per-
haps twenty-five years old. lie was
''white trash"
Bring rope."
The man leaned up against an old
cherry tree and looked at wife and !
baby. was looking into his face al! |
the time. 1t was emotionless and I'M
Not one human sentiment
swept over it, He simply stared and |
stared and stared
The baby had been nursed and Groom |
I'd to sleep. The woman still held il. |
Her pipe had been smoked out. She
;till retained it in her black teeth As |
he free end of the rope was thrown
over the limb of another tree not far /
away the woman seemed TO look at !
her husband for the 6rst time and |
laid:
jed. didn't ! tell you un so?"
Reckon"
He's bushwhacked one OF my men
Ind he's got to hang" said the officer I
o her
Told him not to-
''Wlll you go inside"
Fur why?" ~-7lzzs |
You don't want TO see your own
husband hung. do your
I'LL sit we're" she answered as she
ettled down.
"Now. them said the officer to the
husband. do you want to kiss your
wife and child before you go:"
| looked TO see soft lines come into
he mans face. but observed not one
ingle one. 1t was Il face of wood or
tone. He looked at the woman and
t the child. and it seemed as If he had
ot understood. She did not even look
p. doubt II they had ever exchang-
d kisses. Perhaps lie had never taken
he infant in his arms. II seems cruel
ow. when peace has been upon the
and for third of a century. but blood
an hot in those days of war. and men
i'd not stop to think. The man was
ralked to the other tree. the moose
Tipped over his head. and half q dozen
airs of hands drew him clear of the
round. Ills arms having been first tied
ehind him. He said no word and
lade no struggle. You would have
bought that something like that had
cen part and parcel of his daily ex.
;tence for years.
",Now we must burn the house" said
be officer to the wife as the grewsome
hing hung there, swaying in the
reeze.
Reckon you must." she answered as
he moved aside for US to pass in.
We brought out everything and made
pile in the grass. She assisted us in
o way. The baby woke up again, with
wall. but before nursing and Groom
lg again she filed and lighted her
ipe. One Of the troopers gave her a
latch. When ordered TO move. she
'alked away about ten yards and sat
own under a buslN The old cabin
'as fred. and in a quarter OF an hour
had disappeared. What we had car
ed out could have been taken away
a wheelbarrow. The provisions con-
sted Of small piece OF bacon aud
bout FIVE pounds Of cornmeal. The
uge blew Attention" and the troop
IS began moving down the highway.
fingered behind to say to the woman:
your husband is dead. your house
urned down. and what will you do
Dw?"
Cant reckon to say" she replied in
lreless tones
Got q father and mother to go to-"
She shook her head.
"Any friends to take you in?"
Another shake.