78 



RECREA 7 ION. 



GERONIMO. 



graph, of the outbreak, and within a few 

 hours the cavalry from Forts Huachuca, 

 Bowie, Apache and Grant, in Arizona, 

 and Forts Bayard and Cummings, in 

 New Mexico, were in the field, with the 

 prospect of a long and hard Indian 

 campaign before them. 



It was believed that the hostiles, fol- 

 lowing their usual tactics, would strike 

 south for the border, by rapid marches 

 cross into old Mexico, and find rest 

 and safety in the fastnesses of the 

 Sierra Madre mountains, well known to 

 them, but rarely penetrated by white 

 men. For these reasons, the troops 

 marched south toward the Mexican 

 line, hoping to intercept the hostiles in 

 their attempt to cross. 



Their trail of blood and fire soon 

 betrayed them. Their course was 

 marked by burning ranches, corpses of 

 murdered settlers, and outraged women. 

 Four companies of regular cavalry, with 

 a large force of Indian scouts, were 

 sent by rail, from their camp in the 

 field, to San Simon, a little station on 

 the Southern Pacific Railroad, in Ari- 

 zona. From there the command was 

 marched rapidly toward the Stein's 



Peak mountains ; the idea being to 

 place it between the hostiles and the 

 mountains, and thus bar their passage. 

 The Apaches, however, by marching 

 night and day, had succeeded in get- 

 ting into the mountains in advance of 

 the troops, and had taken up an almost 

 impregnable position, on a high ridge, 

 the only approach to which was through 

 a deep canyon, with towering walls, 

 several hundred feet high. The Indian 

 scouts were directed to strike into the 

 range lower down, march parallel to 

 the troops, who would keep on the 

 road, and try to locate the hostiles. 

 During the afternoon of the second 

 day's march, a moving object, coming 

 from the direction the scouts had taken, 

 was seen rapidly approaching the 

 column. It proved to be one of the 

 Indian scouts. His pony was nearly ex- 

 hausted, and blood covered his white 

 cotton shirt, from a wound in his 

 shoulder. 



By signs and words, he told how the 

 scouts had found the trail of the hos- 

 tiles, who had their squaws with them, 

 and a great many ponies. 



A trail reveals many things to an 

 Indian that are hidden from the white 

 man. Trail reading is also well devel- 

 oped in the Mexican, and to a lesser 

 extent in the white frontiersman and 

 guide, but it is born in the Apache. 

 To tell you how many horses or people 

 have passed any point, the number of 

 hours that have elapsed since their 

 passing, whether the horses were led or 

 ridden, their gait, and many other 

 things, is easy for him. He can also 

 follow a trail so dim that a white man 

 could not even see it. It is as an open 

 book to him. 



But to return to my story. The 

 scout further said that his party had 

 been fired upon by the rear guard of 

 the hostiles, from ambush ; that four of 

 them had been killed, and himself and 

 one other of the scouts wounded. 



As soon as the Indian had finished his 

 report the cavalry column was headed for 

 the mountains, the trumpeters sounded 

 the gallop, and as the troopers settled 

 down in their saddles, every man of 

 them felt that he had started on a ride 

 which might be his last. The fluttering 

 guidons, the sun reflected from the 

 bright accoutrements of horses and men, 

 made a stirring picture, but one which 



