Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 308, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1914 — GERONIMO'S REDSKINS [ARTICLE]

GERONIMO'S REDSKINS

By OSCAR W. EDLING.

“Yes,” said the station agent, “I did have an adventure with Geronimo’s warriors the summer they broke loose from their reservation, which, perhaps, is worth telling about “The previous winter I had been employed away up north in Canada; within sight of the glaciers glinting' qn the Banff mountains, and I got tne iced air so Incorporated in my system, that I felt like a cold-storage plant. \ “As soon as the snow blockade was raised in the spring I turned Southward. I was not particular where I went so long as it was' near the tropics. I accepted a place in southern Arizona, a stand which can give Sahara hints on the tropic business. “It’s a great place for acquiring a thirst, or even adding to one already acquired. I was sitting in the shade of the water tank one day, the contents of which I had been absorbing at brief intervals. I wondered if I would ever have enough animation in me to go north again. “I found it too much work to think with the expanding mercury almost lifting the glass tube of the. thermometer out of its socket and so I fell into a doze. How long I nodded I do not know, but a swarm of insects settling on me as if I were.made of fly-paper awoke me. “As I stirred, my little dog also came out of his usual comatose condition, for the heat had made us both excessively weary, and dragging himself over to a post he leaned against it for support and barked feebly. I heard a noise behind the house. Before I could get up to investigate, I found the cause standing before me in the shape of several painted Indians. “I was familiar with the sight of Indians, but I could see that this bunch "were not friendly visitors, although they grinned at me. Their grin said plainly, ‘You are ours.’ “ ‘How do you do?’ I asked, as soon as I could swallow a sudden inflammation in my throat

” “How do?’ one of them grunted in reply. ‘Whisk! Bottle whisk! Mouth dry; want drink!’ ‘"Whisky? Certainly,’ and I brought out a quart bottle which I kept for snake bites. Immediately it was passing from mouth to mouth; and it was all gone when a second crowd of painted faces galloped up alongside. There was a full score more of them and I felt awfully lonesome. "The empty bottle was circulated among the last arrivals; each rider gravely taking a smell. ‘More, bring more whisky!’ some of them shouted, and when I explained that I had no more, they looked crushed. The first six who had merged the contents appeared happy over the discomfiture of their comrades, and one of them pointed to the big, dripping water-tank and said, ‘plenty water, take heap, all you want’ ‘‘This did not seem to comfort them any, and I saw that they reproached me for being a temperance man. I knew that I would have to suffer for their loss, and the sight of some scalps dangling from their belts did not reassure me. "After some Confusion in rummaging through the place I was put along-, side my desk. There was a brief confab in Apache between the leaders, one of whom was Geronimo himself, and then one of them, dresed like a white man, sat down and wrote a message on one of my blanks. Turning to me when it was finished he said in good English: “ ‘Look here, young fellow, we want you to send this dispatch to the captain at Fort Bowie, and, mind you, no monkeying on the wire. Send just that, no more and no less. Obey us and your life will be spared; but if you send any warning beside this, we will comb your hair for you. I picked up some telegraphy at the Indian school.* “And with that he laid the blank before me and at the same time pointed a pistol toward my head. “There was nothing for me to do but obey and I read the telegram. "To Captain. , Fort Bowie: “Geronimo, with a large force, has just passed south on the way to surprise the mining settlement in Crystal Gulch. Some ranchmen brought me the news, and they ask you for God's sake order your troops there to the rescue at once. Please answer. "AGENT." *1 had direct wire connection with the fort and I soon raised the operator there and began transmitting the dispatch, wondering, as I did so, what its object was. I concluded that it was to put the troops on a false chase, and I privately resolved to notify the fort if I could. “Was the young Indian really an operator and could he detect me if I should add a warning to the message? He was now standing over me and I looked up at him. His eyes met mine as I did so, and a smile passed over his face as he said, ‘Yes, I’m following you all right. You are at that word;’ and he pointed to the exact place where I had paused in my sending. Geronimo uttered an approving grunt. “I resumed my wiring and was nearly done, when the fort operator broke me, having missed a word, I repeated It and was going ahead with the close when the Indian operator Interrupted me with an oath: ‘‘‘You are sending wrong; you are posting the fort!’ “ ‘No, I am not,’ I answered him. “ ‘You lie! What did you say just then?’ And he shoved his gun under " ' T <he operator at the fort asked me

to repeat that word and I did so| that is all. Didn't you hear it?' ■“He looked hard at m» for a few seconds, but as I had spoken the truth I-did not flinch and returned the gaze quite steadily. “ ‘Oh, I was only trying to frighten you,’ he said with a laugh. ‘Where are you now?* “ ‘Here,’ I said, pointing to the place where I had left off, with the key open. ‘“That’s right! Finish it!’ said he; and I did so, getting O. K. from the fort. minutes thereafter the fort called me. The reply was short, expressing thanks for the information and saying that the troops would leave for Crystal Gulch at once. When I had O. K.’d it the fort man asked me for more information regarding the Indians. “The Indian ordered me to write down wery word, and he would not permit me to answer it until he had written the reply.. Then he would follow the copy closely with his eyes, and at the same time listen intently to my sending. “When the wiring was ended, the fellow explained the business to the others, who grunted their approval and immediately all went out of doors except my operator friend, their places being taken by three others. “I heard the gang outside ride off, but in which direction they went I was unable to tell as my guard would not allow me to look out. They were not sociable fellows, speaking seldom to each other, and puffing in silence on their pipes like factory chimneys. “What were they keeping me for? I wondered. Had they some other use for me that they did not kill me at once? ) t ' ,

“Three long oppressive hours passed thus, the figures of the Indians, dimly visible through the dense tobacco smoke enveloping us. Then they arose and, seizing me, bound me to my chair and left the room. “I heard the clatter of their horses’ feet and I realized with surprise and great relief that they had gone and I was yet alive. Waiting a few minutes to make sure they would not return, I wriggled loose from my bonds, which, had been carelessly tied, and cautiously peeped out of the window. A half mile to the north I could see the four Indians riding away. * “They remained in sight for ten minutes more at least, when they dropped from view down in a valley. I was glad I had seen the direction of their going, sp that I could report it to the fort. “For while the troops were speeding south to Crystal Gulch, the Indians were riding north and very likely would attack the ranches along Chico creek, which were not far above the fort and could not be attacked with impunity while the troops were there. “I was at the telegraph key in an instant and called the fort furiously. The operator there replied in a few minutes and I Was not long in explaining what had happened. The information astonished him. Excusing himself he ran and informed the commander. “At length he returned and told me that the captain had sent only a little more than half of the company stationed there to Crystal Gulch and had retained the remainder, who would start directly for Chico creek. “The next day some soldiers arrived by train and stopped at my station to guard the railroad property until all danger had passed. I learned from them the conclusion of the affair and the narration surprised me. Geronimo’s telegram had told the truth! “The Indians had tricked me into believing it was a lie! + “The-four fellows who had guarded mi had purposely gone north so long as they were within sight of my station, and my life was spared so that I could observe them and report it to the fort. “The main body of Indians had gone southward three hours before, but had concealed themselves on the way so as to jivoid the returning soldiers, whom thejr expected to be recalled, and then attacked Crystal Gulch early in the evening. “They would have succeeded had not vhe fort commander decided to take no chances. ‘For,’ as he had remarked to his sergeant at the time of my warning, ‘the devil alone knows where his imps will turn up; and half a company of my boys can handle a whole company of Apaches!* “So he did not send for the return of his men from Crystal Gulch, When Geronimo and his men dashed into what they supposed a defenseless settlement they met a volley that left half the ponies riderless and sent the rest of the band scattering to the four winds of heaven."