THE DESERT AND THE ROSE 13 



the Valley leads us past a projecting butte from the 

 shelter of which bands of savages leaped time and 

 again upon the stage coach following the long trail 

 from California, often murdering driver and pas- 

 sengers, leaving the terrified horses to swing the 

 bloodstained vehicle on to Las Cruces or Mesilla. 

 In after years mine was the privilege of meeting 

 again and again two Apaches — "Government Pets," 

 as the Oldest Inhabitant somewhat bitterly styled 

 this type of Indian — boys from the Reservation. All 

 I can say is that if, so far as appearances went, 

 these chips of the old block resembled the block, 

 then the tales I have been told of the raiding of 

 ranches in the Valley were very far from over- 

 drawn. After thus anathematizing the Apache it 

 is but just to recur to the records of Government 

 folly, and worse, which were to some extent re- 

 sponsible for western massacres. "This wasteful 

 and bloody war," writes Mr. Bancroft, alluding 

 to that waged with the notorious Apache chief, Vic- 

 torio, "was the result of the corrupt policy of the 

 United States Government and the greed of the 

 white settler." Neither is there anything original 

 in the assertion that military leaders proved them- 

 selves alone competent to deal at once equitably and 

 firmly with the Indians. " Tis an old tale and often 

 told," that of ill informed civilians abrogating to 

 themselves knowledge and wisdom possessed only 

 by those on the spot — namely, the soldiers. Many 

 a nameless trooper in days of Indian raids offered 

 his life freely in defence of the helpless, even as 

 "unhonored and unsung" nameless thousands of- 



