The daily Alaskan., 1914-11-02
OLD WAGON TRAINS
There Used to Be Exciting Times
 on the Santa Fe Trail.
TRICKERY OF THE REDSKINS

Plunder the Caravans and Murder the
 Whites-A Bit of Treaohsry and
 Battle With the Troopers.
 As the overland trade between the American settlements in Missouri and | the Mexican pueblos in New Mexico in- creased in value following the opening of the Santa Fe trail the greater ne- cessity of adequate protection for the traders and their stocks was met by both the United States and Mexican governments furnishing military con VOWS. The troops acted in capacity not unlike that of warships guarding merchant vessels from piratical at- | lacks, for no pirates were more per | sisteut or bOthersome than the say ages of the plains.
 The caravans usually left Franklin and later Independence and Westport in the spring. United States troops would accompany them to the caches | on the Arkansas river; then Mexican troops would guard them to Taos, and sometimes even to Santa Fe. The re- | turn trip later in the summer was similarly protected. Sometimes two trips each way would be made in | year
 The presence of troops usually Kept the Indians from making q direct as- sault on the trains Even in his bray est moments an Indian has small rel ish of a fight on anything like equal | terms; consequently the savages deYei- oped their aptitude for treachery and | deceit.
 l Every sort of ruse their fertile brains could devise was used to separate the various divisions of a train or lure a small part away from the main con- voy. where it could be plundered and the whites murdered without serious danger to the attackers.
 A favorite plan and one which many times hoodwinked large parties into l suffering some loss was for small party of Indians to appear at the camp with protestutions of peace. For dip lomatic reasons the reds would be hos pitably received and their request to eat and sleep in the camp oftenttmes granted. That night the small party of Indians would attempt to stampede the live stock of the train. If success rul large force of savages would be pcOnCealed near by to aid.
 Some ruSes were far Cieverer than that. One which completely fooled a | Mexican officer and came near being the cause of his death was believed by the traders to deserve the palm. That officer, Colonel Niscarro, with 100 troopers, was escorting an American wagon train through the foothills Of what Is, now southern Colorado when party of Indians appeared and asked for barley.
 l The American traders refused the re- | quest. The Indians withdrew and held q consultation. When the convoy reached the Cimarron river the say ages appeared again. One rode for ward with an arrow tied transversely across the shaft of spear, a symbol of the cross. Viscarro was Catholic and hOnored this novel banner. He rode out and spoke to the brave.
 If the Americans will move aside to some distance we will lay down our arms and surrender" the Indian said.
 Certainly, red brother" the colonel replied. He ordered the wagons to re- | tire beyond a ridge. Hardly had they disappeared when a large force or Indians rose from cOncealment behind the sand dunes and poured a destruc- tive fire into the Mexican ranks. Only the heroism of Pueblo Indian guide with the troops saved the colonel from death He heard one of the Comanches yell. Now for the chief" which was the signal for the treachery to begin. The Pueblo jumped in front of his colonel and received a charge of shot | aimed at the officer.
 The firing was heard by the Ameri- cans, who returned to the troops. They rode swiftly to the Hanks of the at lacking Indians and charged. Caught between two fires, the savages soon scattered In flight, but not until they had been handled severely in hand 1 to hand encounter, where clubbed rifles and tomahawks played part. Colonel yiscarro was profuse i'll his thanks to the Americans. City Times.