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14 - Story of Geronimo by Jim Kjelgaard · Story of Geronimo

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  Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen of the Story of Geronimo. This is a
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: Recording by Arctic Sun The Story of Geronimo by Jim Cagilgard,
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  Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen. Chief Greywolf Rumor prowled like a hunting mountain
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  Speaker 1: lion over the foothills of the Sierra Madres. It crept
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  Speaker 1: up the canyons, climbed the peaks, searched out every Apache camp,
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  Speaker 1: and came to Geronimo. He surrounded his camp with scouts.
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  Speaker 1: The sun was four hours high when one of the
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  Speaker 1: scouts imitated the call of a jay. Geronimo did not stir.
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  Speaker 1: A jay's call meant that a friend came. A hawk's
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  Speaker 1: scream indicated an enemy. Ten minutes later, Woe rode into
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo's camp. The huge chief of the Nedni was sweating,
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  Speaker 1: and Geronimo hid his wonder. He had known Woe for
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  Speaker 1: many years and had fought with him when the kas
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  Speaker 1: kai Ya massacre was avenged. This was the first time
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  Speaker 1: he had seen his friend show fear. Have you heard Woe,
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  Speaker 1: demanded Geronimo replied, it has come to my ears that
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  Speaker 1: Chief gray Wolf is in the Sierra Madres. He is, Woe, exclaimed.
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  Speaker 1: He held up both hands with all fingers spread ten
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  Speaker 1: times this many warriors he leads, and ten times again
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  Speaker 1: and twice again. The word is that he comes in
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  Speaker 1: peace and only to ask Apaches to return to the
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  Speaker 1: reservation in Arizona. Benito believed him and let his band
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  Speaker 1: surrender in peace. Gray Wolf's soldiers shot the men. They
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  Speaker 1: cut the throats of the women and children. For a moment,
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo remained silent ten times ten and ten times a
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  Speaker 1: hundred and twice a thousand. Not even Chief gray Wolf,
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  Speaker 1: known to the white men as General George Crook, could
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  Speaker 1: lead two thousand soldiers into the Sera Madres unobserved. Nor
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  Speaker 1: was General Crook a white chief who said one thing
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  Speaker 1: but meant another. He kept his promises, and he would
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  Speaker 1: not massacre prisoners. But it would not be well for
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  Speaker 1: even Geronimo to give Woe the lie. Finally, Geronimo asked, this,
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  Speaker 1: you saw this, I saw, said, Woe. You saw it
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  Speaker 1: with your own eyes. Geronimo asked, not with my own eyes, Woe,
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  Speaker 1: admitted one of my warriors saw name him. Geronimo said,
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  Speaker 1: it was not really one of my warriors, Woe said
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  Speaker 1: a warrior from Natchee's camp, or Zealie's or Locos saw
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  Speaker 1: he told my warrior. Geronimo said, I would live in
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  Speaker 1: Arizona again, if I could live as befits an Apache,
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  Speaker 1: I would even live on the reservo, but not on
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  Speaker 1: the Gilla River flats. You would put yourself in the
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  Speaker 1: white man's power, Woe asked, unbelievingly, Geronimo said, I put
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  Speaker 1: myself in no man's power. But if I might once
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  Speaker 1: more live in Arizona, I would keep peace with the
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  Speaker 1: white man and let him go his way, if he
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  Speaker 1: kept peace and let me go mine. You speak madness,
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  Speaker 1: Woe gasped. I speak no madness, said Geronimo. And I
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  Speaker 1: do not think that even Chief gray Wolf can catch me,
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  Speaker 1: now that I know that he is here. We saw
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  Speaker 1: you coming, as you shall see me go, Woe promised.
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  Speaker 1: I have ridden this far to ask you to go
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  Speaker 1: with us whither far to the south, where no white
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  Speaker 1: soldier has ever been or ever shall be. Woe said
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo said, I do not think I would like the South.
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  Speaker 1: I say no more, said Woe. Woe caught his and
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  Speaker 1: rode away. Geronimo knew a great sorrow. Woe was frightened
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  Speaker 1: because he feared he was willing to see through the
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  Speaker 1: eyes of others rather than find out for himself how
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  Speaker 1: things truly were. It was indeed a sad thing. Two
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  Speaker 1: days later, the scout announced another friend. In twenty minutes, Anna,
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  Speaker 1: Benito's wife, climbed the hill to Geronimo's camp. Why are
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  Speaker 1: you here, Geronimo demanded, I bear a message from Chief
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  Speaker 1: gray Wolf, said Anna. Geronimo said, it has come to
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  Speaker 1: my ears that Chief gray Wolf killed all the followers
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  Speaker 1: of Benito. Yet you, Benito's wife, are not dead. We
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  Speaker 1: did indeed fight some of Chief gray Wolf's apache, scout,
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  Speaker 1: said Anna. They were commanded by the White chiefs Crawford
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  Speaker 1: and Gatewood. They surprised us in our camp, and we
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  Speaker 1: thought they came for war, but they came for peace.
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  Speaker 1: And though though they killed a few of us because
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  Speaker 1: we fought them, they took most of us prisoner and
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  Speaker 1: treated us very well. The men remain prisoners, but the
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  Speaker 1: children have freedom of Chief gray Wolf's camp, and all
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  Speaker 1: women have been sent forth with the message Chief gray
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  Speaker 1: Wolf has for all apaches. This is why I am here,
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  Speaker 1: and what is this message? Geronimo asked, Return to Arizona
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  Speaker 1: and live in peace. Geronimo asked, was Chatto in Benito's
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  Speaker 1: camp when gray Wolf's scouts came? Chatto was there, Anna said,
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  Speaker 1: And what says Chatto to the message? Chatto and Benito
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  Speaker 1: have agreed to return, said Anna, so have Zali and
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  Speaker 1: KNATCHI I know not of the others. She lies, Francisco warned.
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo said, women do not lie about their husbands. Would
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  Speaker 1: Chief gray Wolf speak with me? He would, said where.
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  Speaker 1: Anna used a stick to trace a map on the ground.
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo studied it, rubbed it out with his moccasin, and nodded,
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  Speaker 1: Eat and rest. He told Anna, then go to Chief
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  Speaker 1: gray Wolf and say Geronimo will come in four days.
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  Speaker 1: In four days, carrying his Winchester repeating rifle and wearing
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  Speaker 1: a belt full of bullets, Geronimo approached the meeting place
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  Speaker 1: an hour after sunrise. He looked straight ahead only for
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  Speaker 1: anything else might betray him. His warriors, who had left
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  Speaker 1: camp while nights still held, were hidden all about, but
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  Speaker 1: they were to attack only if there was treachery. Geronimo
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  Speaker 1: saw Captain Crawford and Lieutenant Gatewood, army officers whose deeds
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  Speaker 1: had earned them the respect of all Apaches. There was
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  Speaker 1: Al Sieber, fame, chief of Scouts and one of the
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  Speaker 1: very few white men who could think like an Apache.
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  Speaker 1: Mickey Free, whom Cochise had been accused of kidnapping years before,
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  Speaker 1: stood ready to tell Geronimo and General Crook what each
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  Speaker 1: said to the other. Geronimo spoke Apache, Spanish and some English.
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  Speaker 1: General Crook spoke and understood English only proud and haughty
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  Speaker 1: as the Apache himself every inch the warrior. General Crook's
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  Speaker 1: eyes met Geronimo's. They did not look away. Geronimo asked,
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  Speaker 1: what would you talk about. You'll return to Arizona, said
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  Speaker 1: General Crook. Geronimo said, you think I will live again
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  Speaker 1: on the hot flats of the Gillah. It was not
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  Speaker 1: I who sent you there, said General Crook. Choose your home.
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  Speaker 1: There are the White Mountains. A mighty yearning stirred in
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo's heart. He was homesick for Arizona and the White Mountains.
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  Speaker 1: What else do you ask, Geronimo inquired. General Crook said,
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  Speaker 1: your promise to live in peace? Who promises me that
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  Speaker 1: the White Man will also keep the Peacedonimo asked, I do,
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  Speaker 1: said General Crook, and have ye known me to lie?
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  Speaker 1: I have never known Chief Greywolf to speak falsely, Geronimo admitted,
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  Speaker 1: and I see no treachery here. Humor lightened General Crook's eyes.
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  Speaker 1: How many of your warriors surround us? Geronimo? Do you
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  Speaker 1: think I came in fear? Geronimo asked angrily. I did
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  Speaker 1: not say that, said General Crook. I asked, how many
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  Speaker 1: of your warriors surround us? Some? Geronimo admitted, But they
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  Speaker 1: are to shoot only if you start a battle. See
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  Speaker 1: for yourself that we want no battle. General Crook said,
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  Speaker 1: will you come back to live on the Apache Reservation
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  Speaker 1: if you may choose your home in the White Mountains?
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  Speaker 1: I will if I may do that. Geronimo said, will
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  Speaker 1: you live in peace? Geronimo promised, I will live in peace.
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  Speaker 1: When will you come? General Crook asked, when I am ready.
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  Speaker 1: Geronimo turned on his heel and strode away. End of
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  Speaker 1: Chapter fourteen. Recording by Arctic Sun, Anchorage, Alaska. Jeremy C.
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  Speaker 1: Watkins at hotmail dot com