West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-03-04
CHAPTER XIII.

= setueu habit, and fortunately so, for
II kept him from going mad He had
no thought Of gain. only the achieve
ment OF a fixed purpose. a monomania.
With this impulse was conjoined a
more volitional motive-he wished to
revenge himself upon the Apaches and
chiefly upon the renegade Mckee.
4 whom he supposed still TO be with
them Somehow he blamed him rather
than Jack Payson as being the chief
cause of his miseries. "If he had not
stolen the buried gold / would have
returned I'm time" he muttered. He
Is at the bottom OF all this. AS walk
ed away from Jack I'm the garden I
felt as if It was Mckee that was fol-
lowing me with his black, snaky eyes"
Accordingly Dick directed his way
TO region reputed TO be both rich In
buried treasure and infested by hos
tile Indians. He wandered westward
10 Tularosa, then down to Fort Grant
and toward the lava beds OF south
western Arizona. In all that arid land
there was nothing so withered as his
soul.
Jack. well mounted, with a pack
mule carrying supplies. had picked up
Dicks trail after II left Tularosa from
a scout out OF Fort Grant.
Slim Hoover headed for Fort Grant
In his search for Jack. Although the
ranchman had only a brief start of
him, Slim lost the track at the river
ford Knowing Dick had gone into the
desert, Jack headed eastward. while
sim. supposing that Jack wns break
mg Tor the border TO escape into for
eign country. turned southwark.
From the scout who had met Jack
and Dick the sheriff learned that the
two men were headed for the lava
beds, which were occupied by hostile
Apaches
Detachments Of the Third cavalry
were stationed at the fort, with Colo
mel Hardie in command OF the famous
II troop, band of Indian fighters
never eQualed.
In turn they chased Cochise, victo-
ria and Geronimo with their Apache
warriors up and down and across the
Rio Grande. Hard pressed, each chief
tain In turn would fee with his band
hrst 10 the lava beds and then across
the border into Mexico WHARF the
onIreu states soImcrS Gould not ioI-
low. Hardie fooled Victoria, however.
Texas rangers had met the Apache
chief In an engagement on the banks
OF the Rio Grande. Only eight AmerI-
cans returned from the encounter.
Hardie took up his pursuit and fol-
lowed Victoria across the river. The
Indians had relaxed their vigilance,
not expecting pursuit and despising
the Mexican rurales. Troop + caught
them or guard In the mountains. The
fight was one to determination. Victo-
ria and his entire band were slain.
This was the troop which was await.
ing orders to go after the Apaches.
Colonel Hardie told Slim that the
Indians were bound to head for the
lava beds. IL the men for whom he
was looking were In the desert the
troop would find them more quickly
than Slim and bis posse.
Slim waited at Fort Grant for orders
writing back to Sagebrush telling him
Of his plans.
Fort Grant followed the usual plan
OF oil frontier posts. A row Of officers
houses faced the parade grounds. Di-
rectly opposite were the cavalry bar
racks fort. On one side OF the quad
rangle were the stables, and the fourth
line consisted OF the quartermaster's
buildings and the post traders store.
Small ranchmen had gathered near the
fort for protection and because of the
desire OF the white man for company.
In days OF peace garrison life was mo
- 4ptonous. But the Apaches needed
Constant watching
As n soldier the Apache was cruel
and cowardly. He fought dismounted.
never making an attack unless at his
own advantage. AS infantryman he
was unequaled. Veteran army officers
adopted the Apache tactics and In
stalled In the army the plan OF mount
ed infantry. soldiers who move on
horseback, but fight on foot detailing
one man OF every four TO guard the
horses.
Mounted on wiry ponies Injured to
hardships. TO picking up a living on
the scanty herbage of the plains. rid
Ing without saddles and carrying no
equipment, the Indians had little trou-
bic In avoiding the soldiers Leaving
the reservation. the Apaches would
commit some outrage and then. swing
Ing on the arc Of n great circle. would
be back TO camp and settled long be
fore the soldiers could overtake them.
Hampered by orders from the war de-
portment. which in turn was molested
By the sentimental friends OF the In.
dlans, the soldiers never succeeded ln
tanning the Apache until Crook cut or
communications and thrashed them so
thoroughly in these same lava beds
that they never recovered.
In Sims absence Buck Mckee and
his gang had taken possession OF Pinal
county. Rustiers and bad men were
coming IN from Texas and tie strip.
Sims election for another term was
By no means certain. He did not know
this, but n nc had It would not have
made any difference to him. RE was
after Jack and at any cost would
bring him back 60 face trial. The
rogues Of Pinal county seized upon the
fight Of Jack as a good excuse to
down Slim. The sheriff was more
eager 20 find Jack and learn from him
that Buckle charge was false than to
take him prisoner. He knew the ac-
cusatlon would not stand full investi-
CATION.
Slowly the hours passed until the
order for boots ana saddles" was