From one end of the country to the other Geronimo and his bloody deeds
occupied more front page newspaper space than any other topic, and to
the readers of the newspapers of all the civilized world his name was a
household word. For over a year the armies of two nations had been
futilely engaged in an attempt to capture or kill a handful of men,
women, and children. Geronimo and his renegades had outwitted,
outgeneraled, and outfought them; and now, after again outwitting the
army of the United States, they had come back to Mexico and were meting
out punishment to those whom they mistakenly believed were responsible
for bringing United States troops below the border to fight them; and in
carrying out this policy they attacked every Mexican they saw after they
crossed the border, all the way to Casa Grande. Nor did they desist
then.
South of Casa Grande, near a place which the Apaches called Gosoda, a
road wound out of the town through a mountain pass. Many were the
freight trains that lumbered through the dust along this road; and near
here hid Geronimo, the Apache Devil, and their followers.
Here the renegades remained for some time, killing freighters, taking
what supplies they desired, and destroying the remainder; but the
reputation that this road achieved was such as to discourage freighting
for the nonce, though it attracted Mexican soldiers in embarrassing
numbers.
Geronimo then led his followers into the Sierra de Antunez Mountains
where they found all that now remained of their depleted tribe and
learned that the United States soldiers had not left the mountains of
Mexico but, on the contrary, were becoming more active than ever.
Geronimo was disheartened when he learned of this, for he had banked
wholly on the belief that he would be rid of the menace of United States
troops if he returned to Mexico without committing more depredations in
the United States.
“What are we to do?” he demanded at the council fire. “Every man’s hand
is against us. If we return to the reservation we shall be put in prison
and killed; if we stay in Mexico they will continue to send more and
more soldiers to fight us.”
“There is but one thing to do,” replied Shoz-Dijiji when Geronimo had
finished. “We must continue fighting until we are all killed. Already we
are reckless of our lives; let us be more so; let us give no quarter to
anyone and ask no favors. It is better to die on the war trail than to
be put in prison and choked to death with a rope about the neck. I,
Shoz-Dijiji, shall continue to fight the enemies of my people until I am
killed. I have spoken.”
“You are a young man,” said Geronimo. “Your words are the words of a
young man. When I was young I wanted nothing better than to fight, but
now that I am getting old I should like a little peace and quiet;
although I should not object to fighting to obtain them if I thought
that I might win them thus.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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