When the West was youngBechdolt, Frederick R. (Frederick Ritchie)
History
When the West was young
Bechdolt, Frederick R. (Frederick Ritchie)
West (U.S.) -- History
At the time it was supposed that no renegades were within a hundred
miles, and Bronco Mitchel felt perfectly safe in taking a siesta under
one of the big vehicles. Suddenly he awakened from a sound sleep; and
when his eyes flew open he found himself gazing into the face of an
Apache warrior.
The Indian was naked save for his turban, a breech-clout, his
boot-moccasins, and the usual belt of cartridges. Even for an Apache
he was unusually ugly; and now as he saw the eyes of the white man
meeting his, he grinned. It was such a grin as an ugly dog gives
before biting. At that instant Bronco Mitchel was laying flat on his
back.
An instant later, without knowing how he did it, Bronco Mitchel was on
all fours with the wagon between him and the renegade. In this posture
he ran for some distance before he could gather his feet under him;
and to stimulate his speed there came from behind him the cracking of
a dozen rifles. He rolled into a shallow arroyo and dived down its
course like a hunted rabbit.
Once he took enough time to look back over his shoulder and saw the
turbaned savages spreading out in his wake. After that he wasted no
energy in rearward glances, but devoted all his strength to the race,
which he won unscathed, and kept on teaming thereafter until the
railroad spoiled the business.
Such incidents as these of Bronco Mitchel's, however, were all in the
day's work and weren't regarded as anything in particular to brag
about in those rough times. As a matter of fact the "Weekly Arizonian"
of May 15, 1869, gives only about four inches under a one-line head to
the battle between Tully & Ochoa's wagon-train and three hundred
Apaches, and in order to get the details of the fight one must go to
men who heard its particulars narrated by survivors.
Santa Cruz Castaneda was the wagon-master, an old-timer even in those
days, and the veteran of many Indian fights. There were nine wagons in
the train, laden with flour, bacon and other provisions for Camp
Grant, and fourteen men in charge of them. The Apaches ambushed them
near the mouth of a canyon not more than ten miles from the post.
Somehow the wagon-master got warning of what was impending in time to
corral the wagons in a circle with the mules turned inside the
enclosure. The teamsters disposed themselves under the vehicles and
opened fire on the enemy, who were making one of those loose-order
rushes whereby the Apache used to love to open proceedings if he
thought he had big enough odds.
Before the accurate shooting of these leather-faced old-timers the
assailants gave back. When they had found cover they sent forward a
warrior, who advanced a little way waving a white cloth and addressed
Santa Cruz in Spanish.
"If you will leave these wagons," the herald said, calling the
wagon-master by name, "we will let all of you go away without harming
you."
To which Santa Cruz replied:
"You can have this wagon-train when I can't hold it any longer."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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