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26 - Among the Camanches and Apaches- An Autobiography by Edwin Eastman · Among the Camanches and Apaches- An Autobiography

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty six, seven and nine Years among the Comanches
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  Speaker 1: and Apaches, an autobiography by Edwin Eastman. This is a
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  Speaker 1: Danger Ahead. We started again at early dawn and commenced
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  Speaker 1: the passage of the defile through the mountain. The pass
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  Speaker 1: was torturous and rugged, but as we wrote in single file,
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  Speaker 1: we experienced but little difficulty, and after about three hours
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  Speaker 1: of alternate ascents and descents, we gained its outlet and
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  Speaker 1: debouched upon the plain below. It was a temper prairie,
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  Speaker 1: studded with motes of tall cottonwoods, and bisected near its
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  Speaker 1: center by a small stream. A heavy belt of timber
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  Speaker 1: fringed the northern horizon, and towards this we directed our course.
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  Speaker 1: As we were now liable to come in contact with
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  Speaker 1: hostile parties of other tribes, stone Hawan exercised great caution.
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  Speaker 1: Nearly one hundred runners or spies were sent in advance,
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  Speaker 1: while the main body advanced slowly, the chief receiving frequent
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  Speaker 1: reports from the scouts. About ten o'clock we halted on
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  Speaker 1: the banks of the arroyo, and while watering our animals,
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  Speaker 1: one of the scouts returned and made some communication to
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  Speaker 1: our leader. In a few moments it became known to
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  Speaker 1: the entire band that a large war party of Arapahose
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  Speaker 1: had been discovered. Ahead beyond the belt of timber was
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  Speaker 1: a large grass prairie, a favorite haunt of the buffalo,
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  Speaker 1: and upon this the Arapahos had halted to hunt, and
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  Speaker 1: after getting a good supply of meat, were engaged in
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  Speaker 1: converting it into tsao, preparatory to an extended raid upon
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  Speaker 1: the tribes of the southward. It is probable that we
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  Speaker 1: ourselves were intended to receive their polite attentions, but if
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  Speaker 1: this had been their object, it was frustrated by the
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  Speaker 1: fact that we were out upon the same errand as
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  Speaker 1: regarded themselves. At the eastern extremity of the prairie, a
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  Speaker 1: mountain rose from the plain. It was an isolated peak
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  Speaker 1: of small altitude, its height being but a few hundred feet,
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  Speaker 1: and in shape almost a perfect sugar loaf. The belt
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  Speaker 1: of timber, which formed the southern boundary of the prairie,
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  Speaker 1: extended to the mountain and fringed its base near the
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  Speaker 1: foot of the mountain. The Arapa hose were in bivouac,
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  Speaker 1: their horses grazing upon the plain. Long rows of stakes
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  Speaker 1: and lines were erected, and upon these the buffalo meat
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  Speaker 1: was hung in strips and was fast blackening in the
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  Speaker 1: hot sun. Evidently a few more hours would complete the
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  Speaker 1: process of its conversion into tossao. A number of fires
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  Speaker 1: were kindled near the base of the mountain, and around
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  Speaker 1: these were grouped the Arapa warriors, engaged in the usual
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  Speaker 1: Indian pastime of eating. A more favorable opportunity for attack
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  Speaker 1: could not be wished, provided we could approach near an
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  Speaker 1: no to take them by surprise, But to effect that
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  Speaker 1: promised to be difficult, as we would certainly be seen
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  Speaker 1: the instant we passed the timber, and in that case
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  Speaker 1: surprise would of course be out of the question. Our leaders,
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  Speaker 1: Stone Howan and his Aducha stood apart, apparently holding a
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  Speaker 1: sort of council of war. Their conference, however, was quickly ended.
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  Speaker 1: The renegade made some proposition, to which Stone Howan seemed
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  Speaker 1: to assent. For he signed us to mount and we
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  Speaker 1: instantly resumed our march. In a few minutes I was
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  Speaker 1: able to fathom their design. From the course taken, skirting
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  Speaker 1: the belt of timber and screened by it from the
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  Speaker 1: views of the irapa hose, we directed our course towards
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  Speaker 1: the lone peak. The timber belt was perhaps two hundred
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  Speaker 1: yards in width and filled with a dense undergrowth. In
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  Speaker 1: its shadow, the spies crept along its northern margin, moving
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  Speaker 1: parallel to our course and keeping a close watch upon
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  Speaker 1: the enemy. The renegade's plan seemed to be to approach
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  Speaker 1: them as closely as possible under cover of the forest,
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  Speaker 1: and then make a sudden dash, taking them by surprise
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  Speaker 1: and affecting their utter route. As events showed, I had
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  Speaker 1: judged correctly of the intentions of our leaders, or at
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  Speaker 1: least partially so. But there was one detail of the
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  Speaker 1: plan which I had not thought of, which was presently
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  Speaker 1: put in execution. After riding slowly for about two hours,
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  Speaker 1: we reached the point, shreaded off to the north and
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  Speaker 1: encircled the mountain. Here Stone Howan halted the main body,
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  Speaker 1: but the band of Isso di Cha, which numbered about
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  Speaker 1: sixty warriors, was reinforced by about the same number detailed
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  Speaker 1: from the chiefs party, and sent round the mountain to
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  Speaker 1: attack the enemy. In the rear. I was about running
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  Speaker 1: off with this party when stone Hawan beckoned to me, and,
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  Speaker 1: on my riding up to him, directed me to remain
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  Speaker 1: with him. I was quite surprised at this, and looked
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  Speaker 1: towards isoud Cha, expecting that he would urge that I
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  Speaker 1: be permitted to accompany him. But to my still greater surprise,
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  Speaker 1: he did not seem to notice me at all, and
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  Speaker 1: with his band, soon disappeared behind a spur of the mountain.
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  Speaker 1: I had little opportunity, however, to reflect upon this circumstance,
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  Speaker 1: for our party was quickly put in motion, and, passing
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  Speaker 1: through the wood, were soon ranged along its outer margin,
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  Speaker 1: sheltered from view by the thicket, and awaiting the signal
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  Speaker 1: to charge upon the foe. We were barely two hundred
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  Speaker 1: yards from their position, and could plainly distinguish the varied
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  Speaker 1: hues and designs of the war paint upon their persons.
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  Speaker 1: Their number was about equal to our own, and with
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  Speaker 1: the advantage of surprise, it seemed probable that we might
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  Speaker 1: utterly destroy them, like hounds held in the leash. We
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  Speaker 1: awaited the signal. At last it came. The shrill notes
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  Speaker 1: of the war whistle pierced the air, and it was
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  Speaker 1: instantly followed by the wild intonation of the Comanche war whoop,
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  Speaker 1: as we burst forth from the timber and charged with
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  Speaker 1: headlong fury upon the foe. For a moment I thought
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  Speaker 1: that the surprise would be complete, for our sudden appearance
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  Speaker 1: seemed likely to completely demoralize the enemy. But the Irapa Hose,
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  Speaker 1: although greatly surprised and alarmed at our sudden onslaught, showed
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  Speaker 1: no signs of panic. Indeed, it is next to impossible
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  Speaker 1: to really surprise an Indian. A few of those that
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  Speaker 1: were nearest to us were written down, transfixed with lances,
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  Speaker 1: or brained by blows from our war clubs and battle axes,
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  Speaker 1: but the larger number, hastily plucking up their lances and
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  Speaker 1: seizing their other weapons, rushed for their horses, and before
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  Speaker 1: we could reach them, were mounted and forming to receive us,
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  Speaker 1: riding at a headlong pace. A few seconds brought us
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  Speaker 1: upon them, and we closed at full speed. A confused
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  Speaker 1: and deadly melee followed, the combat being mainly hand to hand.
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  Speaker 1: Blows and lance thrust were exchanged, arrows whistled through the air,
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  Speaker 1: Ghastly wounds were given and received. The air resounded with
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  Speaker 1: the groans of wounded and dying men and the wild
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  Speaker 1: war cries of the contended warriors. Exactly what I did
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  Speaker 1: I hardly know, so great was the excitement and confusion.
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  Speaker 1: I know that I gave and received blows and mechanically
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  Speaker 1: defended myself from the attacks made upon me, But the
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  Speaker 1: incidence of that brief, yet terrible struggles seemed like a
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  Speaker 1: dream to me. Now the impetus of our first charge
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  Speaker 1: had carried us entirely through the enemy's line. We then
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  Speaker 1: wielded and charge them anew and this maneuver was repeated
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  Speaker 1: many times. Our adversaries seemed to beginning decidedly the worse
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  Speaker 1: of the conflict, and we could see unmistakable signs of
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  Speaker 1: an inclination on their part to take refuge in flight.
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  Speaker 1: When something seemed to suddenly change their determination and they
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  Speaker 1: again assaulted us with renewed fury. We were not long
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  Speaker 1: in discovering the cause. During the fight, we had many
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  Speaker 1: times changed positions with our adversaries, and we were now
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  Speaker 1: facing towards the mountain. Attracted by a noise in our rear,
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  Speaker 1: we glanced in that direction to behold a site that
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  Speaker 1: filled us with dismay. Approaching us at fall speed was
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  Speaker 1: a party of fully one hundred of rapahoes, evidently a
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  Speaker 1: detachment from the band we were fighting, coming from the north.
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  Speaker 1: They had got within a quarter mile of us before
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  Speaker 1: we had discovered them, the tumult and confusion of the
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  Speaker 1: conflict preventing us from perceiving them sooner as Hissau Dechaw
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  Speaker 1: and his party, from some unaccountable delay had not arrived
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  Speaker 1: upon the ground. Our position was a perilous one. In
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  Speaker 1: a moment, the new enemies would be upon us, and
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  Speaker 1: without doubt we would be overwhelmed. Instant action on our
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  Speaker 1: part was imperative, and our leader, with ready perception of
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  Speaker 1: that fact, gave the signal to close in together and
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  Speaker 1: charge upon our immediate opponents. With the wild yelled, we
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  Speaker 1: rushed upon them, breaking through their line and retreating rapidly
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  Speaker 1: towards the base of the mountain. Here a number of
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  Speaker 1: large rocks had fallen upon the plane from the cliffs above,
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  Speaker 1: and laid in such positions as to form a sort
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  Speaker 1: of natural breastwork. Indeed, the masses of rock, from their
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  Speaker 1: peculiar formation and grouping, had a striking resemblance to the
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  Speaker 1: ruins of some vast building behind these rocky bulwarks. We
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  Speaker 1: sheltered ourselves and prepared to receive the attack, which we
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  Speaker 1: felt sure the Arapahos, strengthened by their opportune reinforcement, would
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  Speaker 1: certainly make upon us. Indeed, we could see that they
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  Speaker 1: were preparing to do so, and I, having by this
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  Speaker 1: time had quite enough of fighting, was awaiting the assault
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  Speaker 1: with dread, when I was suddenly called by stone Awan,
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  Speaker 1: hastening to his side as he sat on his horse,
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  Speaker 1: He directed me to accompany one of the young braves,
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  Speaker 1: who was standing by him and had apparently received his instructions. These,
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  Speaker 1: the chief repeated, for my benefit, we were to ascend
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  Speaker 1: the mountain with all possible speed, and send up from
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  Speaker 1: its summit a signal smoke to hasten the arrival of
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  Speaker 1: Hissodcha and his party, still unaccountably delayed. Leaving our horses
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  Speaker 1: and most of our weapons with the party, we set
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  Speaker 1: off at once, the wild yells of the Arapahos as
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  Speaker 1: they advanced to the attack, ringing in our ears and
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  Speaker 1: being echoed by the defiant war cry of the Camanches,
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  Speaker 1: as the latter prepared to receive the onslaught end of
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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty six