Produced by Dianne Bean Tales of Aztlan, The Romance of a Hero of our Late Spanish-American War, Incidents of Interest from the Life of a western Pioneer and Other Tales. by George Hartmann A note about this book: A Maid of Yavapai, the final entry in this book, is dedicated to SMH. This refers to Sharlot M. Hall, a famous Arizona settler. The copy of the book that was used to make this etext is dedicated: With my compliments and a Happy Easter, Apr 5th 1942, To Miss Sharlot M. Hall, from The daughter of the Author, Carrie S. Allison, Presented March 31st, 1942, Prescott, Arizona. 1908 Revised edition Memorial That this volume may serve to keep forever fresh the memory of a hero, Captain William Owen O'Neill, U. S. V., is the fervent wish of The Author. CONTENTS I. A FRAIL BARK, TOSSED ON LIFE'S TEMPESTUOUS SEAS II. PERILOUS JOURNEY III. THE MYSTERY OF THE SMOKING RUIN. STALKING A WARRIOR. THE AMBUSH IV. A STRANGE LAND AND STRANGER PEOPLE V. ON THE RIO GRANDE. AN ABSTRACT OF THE AUTHOR'S GENEALOGY OF MATERNAL LINEAGE VI. INDIAN LORE. THE WILY NAVAJO VII. THE FIGHT IN THE SAND HILLS. THE PHANTOM DOG VIII. WITH THE NAVAJO TRIBE IX. IN ARIZONA X. AT THE SHRINE OF A "SPHINX OF AZTLAN" AN UNCANNY STONE. L'ENVOY. THE BIRTH OF ARIZONA. (AN ALLEGORICAL TALE.) A ROYAL FIASCO. A MAID OF YAVAPAI. CHAPTER I. A FRAIL BARK, TOSSED ON LIFE'S TEMPESTUOUS SEAS A native of Germany, I came to the United States soon after the Civil War, a healthy, strong boy of fifteen years. My destination was a village on the Rio Grande, in New Mexico, where I had relatives. I was expected to arrive at Junction City, in the State of Kansas, on a day of June, 1867, and proceed on my journey with a train of freight wagons over the famous old Santa Fe trail. Junction City was then the terminal point of a railway system which extended its track westward across the great American plains, over the virgin prairie, the native haunt of the buffalo and fleet-footed antelope, the iron horse trespassing on the hunting ground of the Arapahoe and Comanche Indian tribes. As a mercantile supply depot for New Mexico and Colorado, Junction City was the port from whence a numerous fleet of prairie schooners sailed, laden with the necessities and luxuries of an advancing civilization. But not every sailor reached his destined port, for many were they who were sent by the pirates of the plains over unknown trails, to the shores of the great Beyond, their scalpless bodies left on the prairie, a prey to vultures and coyotes.