252 ELDORADO 



time they met with fair success, and were unmolested, 

 but venturing too far, they were surrounded by a body 

 of Mescalero Apaches, then, as now, the fiercest of 

 the savage tribes. The Indians numbered one hun- 

 dred and fifty ; the trappers three, and their chance 

 of escape looked more than desperate. 



Hope they had none, but they determined to sell 

 their lives as dearly as possible, and cause what loss 

 they could to the redskins before "going under." 

 When first surrounded the trappers had improved 

 their time by throwing up a rude stone breast-work. 

 Hardly had this been completed, when with terrific 

 whoops, the Apaches came up on a charge. 



Not a shot was wasted ; two fired — the third one 

 holding his fire until the others had reloaded — and 

 two of the chiefs fell. Before they could get out of 

 range, the third man fired, and another leader drop- 

 ped. Almost instantly the Apaches returned to the 

 charge, but were met by the deadly fire of the two re- 

 loaded rifles, and on a closer approach, by the pistol 

 shots of the trappers. Again retiring, the Apaches 

 conducted the fight thenceforth at a longer range. 



The state of siege was kept up for two days, when 

 the savages retired and the delighted white men, al- 

 most dead with thirst, sallied forth in search of water. 

 Leaving Arizona soon afterwards, they avoided any 

 further trouble with these foes, who, remembering 

 this drubbing, were glad to allow them to retreat un- 

 molested. 



En passant we will here remark that it was about 

 this time that General Boggs, afterwards Governor of 

 Missouri during her Mormon troubles, had a nar- 

 row escape in New Mexico. In a night attack, the 



