The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1914-11-19
HUNTING
APACHES
BY DWIGHT NORWOOD

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 a youngster in the ranks Of the |
regular army in those days and pass
ed 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
minis one had to deal with, and we
were more afraid of them than any
other savages. They were more
treacherous, more merciless and prac-
ticed more deceptive methods than
any other tribe with which l 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 a spring for water, drop
ping out OF the ranks TO cool off or In
any wise going off by himself was
liable to be taken in, and so noise
lessly that the rest of the command
wouldn't know anything about it I'M
| til he was missed and some one would
| be sent back to find him dead and
scalped.
One time when we were after
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 had taken the precau-
ton to bring along some barbed wire
fencing, and after getting into camp,
before turning in under our blankets,
we fenced ourselves in. OF course we
didn't expect to keep Off the red devils
with a wire fence, especially when we
weren't helping the latter with lead.
| All we hoped for was a few moments
delay. long enough, you know, to grab
our rifles and get on our feet.
We bivouacked one evening on
hillside so situated that we couldn't
very well be taken on the flank, and
instead of running the wire around us
we stretched il 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 so
sly that in order to get a warning OF
their coming we hung all the tin plates,
tin cans-anythipg, in fact, that would
rattle-On the wire.
was listening then for all / was
worth for the slightest sound that
would indicate the presence of an en-
envy.
had to take it out in listening,
for | couldn't see anything unless 1t
was above the sky line. The moon
passed a thin space in the clouds just
as l heard a tinkle away down at the
other end of the fence Peering In
that direction I saw something white.
didn't wish TO make a guy OF myself
by firing at nothing. and didn't wish
to take any chances with Apaches
about. heard another tinkle and saw
the white thing move. 1t seemed to
be on the outer side Of the fence, but
in another moment 1t was on the In
side. i had brought my rife to my
/, shoulder at the first sound. and, seeing
that whatever 1t was had got in be-
hind the fence. | let drive.
, could hear a prolonged rattle OF
! accouterments as the line of sleeping
/ men arose. and their rifles sounded
{ like modern machine gun. The field
! officers went hurrying about, and the
, company officers formed their men
! In few moments they were all stand
ing in line ready for another volley
but the second volley was never fred
The clouds broke away from before
[ the moon 80 that we could see what
t was going on before us. and we found
70 there was nothing going on. No sigr
of an Apache appeared.
!: The order was given to break ranks
e and within ten minutes the men were
j down on the ground again. most OF
i them snoring loudly enough to keep q
> sentry from hearing any more tinklinl
tin plates. | was relieved soon aftel
e and Joined the chorus.
The next morning our commander
4 called up the guard Of the night before
q and asked us who had fired the warn
2 ing shot and at what he had fired.
f confessed that l was the man anc
|. had fred at something white down a
g the other end of the wire fence.
2 Something whitew he exclaimed
I. CONTEMPORARY. Did you ever know
/. redskin to wear anything white
2 No Indian. no Apache certainly. would
II wear anything that could be seen on
IS dark night"
2 1 was dismissed with no other rep
Ir rimand than this. If IL could be con
" sidered n reprimand, and went or to
2 campfire where my men were cooking
n breakfast.
n "What were you men on guard fir
e. ing at last night?" asked one OF tn
)I men.
z "Apaches," said, putting on bol'
IS front. "The moment I fired they ske
5. daddled down the hill under cover o
u the darkness"
u tgTTo.x, o0.,IH NON COO fham IN III