Little Falls herald., 1914-11-27
HUNT !
PAI les
By DWIGHT NORWOOD

BY DWIGHT NORWOOD
Indian fighting is thing Of the past
now, but we must remember that it
was only about a generation ago that
General Custer and his men were SUR
rounded and massacred by redskins.
There is an old ordnance sergeant at
one of the Atlantic coast forts who
was youngster in the ranks Of the:
regular army in those days and pass.
ed a good many years on the plains.
where Indian fighting was the order
of the day. He tells yarns about his
experiences, some Of them bloodcurd-
ling, some simply amazing. Here is
one of the latter class:
The Apaches were the worst var.
mints one had to deal with, and we
were more afraid Of them than any
other savages. They were more
treacherous, more mereiless and prac-
ticed more deceptive methods than
any other tribe with which had the
honor to-. exchange shots. When we
were hunting them we were more sure
that they weren't hunting US. Any
man going to spring for water, drop
ping out Of the ranks to cool OF or in
: any wise going of by himself was
liable to be taken in, and 60 noise
lessly that the rest Of the command
wouldn't know anything about It un-
til he was missed and some one would
be sent back to find him dead and,
scalped.
One time when we We're after q
party OF Apaches, not knowing when
they would turn on US In the middle
Of the night. or, more likely. just be-
fore dawn, we made preparations that
would let us know Of their coming:
Our commander nad taken tne precau-
tlon 10 or1ng along some DarDed wire
ienc1ng: ana aIter gett1ng INTO camp,
peiole tusnins y unuer our p'anKets'
we 49, 'eueeu ulse,vee ~ -. - zeo.ise We
u.un ..r eAnee. ~. - neep ~ sue ieu ues.'s
,'a.a.s,4 W. = ha,,;e- a. ~ nen ~ ~
49, - hona.. -. ~. -, ,,,a.,a..a;
ao,ov ,ons aro,ah vo,, Lno,,, - ono =,
onr riflaa ard cot IN onr foot
We hivonacka1 ono evening on .
hillside so sitnated TINT ,we conldn,t
yerv Wen he taken on. the flank and
instead OF running the wire around us
we stretched it before us. so that any
force coming up the hill must pass
over it. Though the moon was in the
third quarter. the night, being cloudy,
was quite dark. The Apaches were 80
sly that in order to get a warning OF
their coming we hung all the tin plates,
tin cans-anything, in fact, that would
rattle-On the wire. -. .:,8.ss SO
! was listening then for all I was
worth for the slightest sound that
would Indicate the presence Of an eil-
emy. -. ... s=:5=s
had to take it out In listening,
for l couldn't see anything unless It
was above the sky line. The moon
passed thin space in the clouds just
az heard tinkle away down at the
other end of the fence. Peering in
that direction saw something white.
I didn't wish to make q guy OF myself,
by firing at nothing, and I didn't wish
to take any chances with Apaches
about. l heard another tinkle and saw
the white thing move. It seemed to
be on the outer side Of the fence, but
In another moment It was on the in
side. l had brought my rife to my
shoulder at the first sound: and. seeing
! that whatever II was had got in. be.
hind tho fance lat drive,
conld hoar a nrolonoad rot+,a ~
oooontormon+a oa tho 1,no. ~ aloon,no
,.an arosa ana +ho,. ,.,aa. sonn1aS
.. n,sa s' 80. a eh..a . >s M - aa,s
Ca ae - 80. ,...Sn.nn ssa... suu a.,1 .s'u
o.ase.s ~ n1. .ns a1o. anu -
sOmpan omeets .ulmeu tne,, men'
~ g" :, 1oele IVY "ev a. etnu1
ing IN line ready TOT anotner vol'ey'
Dut the second Voney was never nreA
Inc CLOUDS DroKe away 1rom DeIors
the moon so that we could see what
was going on before us. and we found
there was nothing going on. No sign