We had only been there a few days when two of my scouts came in
one evening and reported having seen about twenty Indians ten
miles from camp and traveling west. The scouts all being in,
George Jones and I and four other scouts and one company of
cavalry started in pursuit. We had no trouble in striking their
trail, and there being a good starlight that night and the country
somewhat sandy, we were able to track them easily. We had not
followed the trail more than two miles when we passed over a
ridge, and I looked down the valley ahead of us and could see the
glimmer of their fire. Here the soldiers stopped, and I and my
scouts went on in the direction of the fires, which we supposed to
be about half a mile away but which proved to be nearer two miles.
When we were near the camp we dismounted and crawled up. We
located the horses, which were mostly standing still at the time
and two or three hundred yards from camp. I "telegraphed" the
soldiers to come at once.
Taking the balance of the scouts we rode slowly and carefully
around, getting immediately between the Indian camp and their
horses, I telling George Jones that as soon as the soldiers
started to make their charge to follow me with the horses. But
this time the Indians were awake before the soldiers were on them
and opened fire on them, killing three horses and wounding two the
first round, but only one soldier was wounded, and the sergeant in
charge told me afterwards that he got eighteen Apaches out of the
crowd, and we got twenty-seven horses.
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