Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-04-02
TORTH to the land of dead thing

returned IN time" he muttered. He
is at the bottom of all this AS walk
ed away from Jack in the garden
felt as if it was Mckee that was fol-
lowing me with his black, snaky eyes,"
Accordingly Dick directed his way
to a region reputed to be both rich in
buried treasure and infested by hos
tile Indians. He wandered westward
to 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, we'll mounted, with a pack
mule carrying supplies, had picked up
Dicks trail after 1t left Tularosa from
u 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
Slim, supposing that Jack was break
ing for 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
e troop, band of Indian fighters
never equaled
In turn they chased Cochise, Vfcto-
ria and Geronimo with their Apache
warriors up and down and across the
Rio Grande. Hard pressed, each chief
tain in turn would flee with his band
first to the lava beds and then across
the border into Mexico, where the
United States soldiers could not fol-
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 Il caught
them off guard in the mountains. The
fight was one to determination. Victo-
ria and his entire band were slain.
i This was the troop which was await
ing orders to go after the Apaches.
Colonel Hardie told Slim that the
Indians were bound tetgV ad for the
lava beds. If the men Tor whom he
was looking We're in the desert the
troop would find them more quickly
than Slim and his posse.
Slim waited at Fort Grant for orders,
writing back to Sagebrush telling him
of his plans.
Fort Grant followed the usual plan
of all 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
notonous. But the Apaches needed
constant watching.
AS a soldier the Apache was crue
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 OF
horseback, but fight on foot, detailing
one man of every four to guard tn,
horses.
Mounted on wiry ponies Injured tt
hardships, to picking up living OF
the scanty heritage Of the plains, rid
ing without saddles and carrying M
equipment, the Indians had little trou
BILE in avoiding the soldiers. Leaving
the reservation, the Apaches would
commit some outrage and then, swing
ing on the are of a great circle, would
be back to camp and settled long be
fore the soldiers could overtake them
Hampered by orders from the war de
partment, which in turn was molestet
| W tAC cChIliuCAlul lllCuuS VI thC LII
dams, the soldiers never succeeded ii
tanning the Apache until Crook cut of
communications and thrashed them S,
thoroughly in these same lava bed.
that they. never recovered.
In Sims absence Buck Mckee ant
his gang had taken possession Of Pima
county. Rustlers and bad men wer'
coming in from Texas and the strip
Sims election for another term wa
by no means certain. He did not know
this, but If he had it would not hav,
made any difference to him. He wa
after Jack and at any cost woult
bring him back to face trial. TIL
rogues of Pinal county seized upon tn
fight of Jack as good excuse t
down Slim. The sheriff was NOR
eager to find Jack and learn from hin
that Bucks charge was false than t
tets him prisoner. He knew the &C
cusation would not stand full invest
cation.