The Republican journal., 1916-05-04

armed with lances, bows and arrows,
and others had rifles. Lieut.. Hoods men
fought on horseback, using their six
shooters after firing their rifles, which
they had no time to reload. In such close
quarters were they that an Indian snatch
ed rifle from the saddle of one of the
men. Some nine or ten Indians were
killed and large number wounded
Lieut.. Hood lost one man, killed, an
other missing, supposed to have been
killed, and two wounded beside himself.
An arrow passed completely through his
right hand pinning it to the bride rein.
The party suffered severely from want
of water, having to 60 twelve miles for it
after the fight.
Near Fort Inge lived an Old man called
Old Pepper. He was one of the party
who crossed the plains in the first Santa
| Fe expedition. Making a call at the
! post short time ago he said to the doc
tor: doctor, l killed a Mexican the
other day." CHILLED Mexican! What
did you do that for?" "Why, you see
thought it was an Indian, and as he
stopped down to drink l drew bead on
there when want to kill. Well, he gave
yell and ran and guess | traiIed him
more than hundred yards, and when l
found him he was dead.'' Ibid you
bury him?" Lord, no, the buzzards
wouldn't eat him, so left him.
A more detailed account of this first
visit to a frontier post will be given in
an article to follow.
We remained at Fort Inge one day and
then started on a ride of fifty miles into
the wilderness, in the heart of the Ind an
country, with not human habitation to
cheer the sight. We crossed the Nueces
river three times that day and camped
on its bank near range of hills called
the Chalk Bluffs. Our camp was on the
side of ravine filled with trees. Near
the river a little spring dubbed up, the
water cool and Clear as crystal, and
for bathing. Clear water, l found by
experience, was somewhat of rarity in
this country.
All about US were signs of Indian en-
campments, but we saw no Indians.
We crossed the Nueces again the next
day before reaching our destination,
Camp Wood. The camp-officers and
men living in tents-was on a level piece
of ground shaded by trees, near one of
the branches of the Nueces and fine
spring. On hill near by were the ruins
of stone building and others of adobe
connected with it. 1t was called the Old
Mission and was no doubt built by the
Franciscan monks century or more ago
for the purpose of converting the In
dams. There were also evidences of ir-
rigating bitches.
There was one company at Camp
Wood, and the only officer present was
the captain. There was a civilian doctor
and sutler, whose ''store" was made
of the covered wagon in which he
brought his supplies of canned goods, to-
bacco and whiskey. The wheels and top
had been taken off, the wagon turned on
it's side, making counter of the upper
side, and canvas covering completed
the store and quarters of the sutler.
The men were paid off, and the next
evening found us back at our camping
place of the night before.
We had the good fortune to kill deer
just before reaching camp and it was
eoon dressed and hung from tree and
all hands began cooking, and such fry
ing and stewing never saw before. 1t
was a welcome change from bacon, ham
and corn bread-the latter contributed
by my companion, Mr.. Richardson, a
Virginian. Our small escort of soldiers
must have got away with at least half
the deer, and the remainder was left for
the buzzards, which we're lowering
around expectantly.
The next day we reached the road
leading to Fort Inge, only few miles
distant, but our course lay in the oppo-
site direction. We camped that night
near where the Nueces crossed the low
er Ell Paso road beside pool in which a
dozen or more hogs were wallowing on
our arrival, and after the mules had
walked into it to drink it was anything