Year: 1879

coming down the river and Intended 10 al
tack us. The boys had a consultation ana
they concluded to ambush the red devils aS
they came down in their canoes. The boys
went down and hid in the rocks and watch
ed..They said that as | had only one arm
that was good, had better stay up at the
cache, so l lay down on my stomach to
watch the fight Presently | saw lot OF
black things that looked like logs come
whirling down the river, and then came
lot of sharp reports, and | saw the little
white clouds OF smoke rise up from the
rocks The Apaches were taken complete
ly by surprise, and although some of them
got in the rocks, the most of them were
shot or drowned. When the fight was
about over, all of a sudden felt queer. l
felt Just like when man is shut up IN a
dark room and can't see, and somebody
comes in. lie may not be able to see or


hear the person, but something tells him


there is somebody near him. | never felt


safer in my life than | did up there, but


still turned around to where the path was,


and saw the face of an Apache just com


ing above the rock. jumped up and so


did he. did not have time to get out
T. 4


tomahawk. | went at him and then he


threw his hatchet. The dull edge hit me


on the forehead, and it split my skull open.
See-feel that, and the Colonel took the


writer's fingers and guided them along a


sort of canal or open space on his forehead.
.'Well, | didn't like that very much.
fell down on my knees, and | saw all my


life i'm one second. | said, Charley, you


are gone this time, sure | was too near


the edge of the rock for the Apache TO get


behind me, 50 | stayed where | was. |


was confused, but did not lose my senses


| was good boxer, and although ! could


not see very well on account OF the blood,


still | kept my hands going, aud | expect


ed to feel that fellows scalping knife on my


head every second. He cut at me two


or three times, and cut my nose and check


and eyebrow. but | showed him away. |


made big effort TO see, and | got my right


eve open and jumped at the Apache and


luckily knocked him down. Then | got on


top of him as quick as flash and grabbed


at his knife. He was too sharp for me,


and he cut my thumb open, but | did not


seem to feel it at all. Then he threw his
) knife away and put both arms around my


neck and pulled my head down on his breast
and tried to smother me. | ducked my
; head SO that could breathe. Both of his
hands were in use holding my head and
that gave me my right hand free and used
II then. gentlemen. if ever did. punch
ed him in the ribs in Il way New lork
prize fighter had shown me and | hit hln
in the same place every time. Presently
felt something give way. | had broken
- one of his ribs. Then every time l hit him


could hear him gasp for breath for ! was
driving that broken rib in on his lungs. In
a few seconds his arms dropped down and
. felt him bite me in the shoulder and Try
? to get me bv the throat. was getting aw
) ful weak, but this reminded me that | als(
: had teeth. fastened them on his wind
= pipe. | don't remember any more. Wher
, the boys came up and found me, thu
Apache was stone dead and my teeth hac
q met through his windpipe. The boys
l ricged up blanket between two mules anC
: took me down to Sonora rancho one hun
! dred and sixty miles off, and there | wa!
laid up for four months. On New ear
morning my hair was long and OF deeI
l brown, but five days after, when | Sol u
, the rancho il was rs white as il l. now.
came to my senses on the 18th of February
/ but the funny part of it was that my brail
= was 50 muddled that forgot English an'
e Spanish and could only speak German
, When the people spoke to me in Spanish q


English, | could understand it and though


it was German, but all my answers were Il


German. Gentlemen, you can eat VIVA


YOU please, but for me, | don't want an,
I, more live Apache in mine. Good night,


and the Colonel went to bed.