20 Western Novels You Should Read

Chapter 11

Chapter 8

GERONIMO AND CROOKCRAWFORD'S Scouts were preparing to ride with the coming of the

new day when there appeared upon a little eminence near their camp

the figure of an Indian. Silent and erect it stood — a bronze

statue touched by the light of the rising sun. Slowly, to and fro,

it waved a white rag that was attached to the muzzle of a rifle. A

scout called Crawford's attention to the flag of truce; and the

cavalry officer, bearing a similar emblem, went out alone. and on

foot toward the messenger, who now came slowly forward until the

two met a couple of hundred yards from the camp.

Crawford recognized the Black Bear and nodded, waiting for him

to speak.

"Shoz-Dijiji brings a message from Geronimo," said the

Apache.

"What message does Geronimo send me?" asked the officer. Both

men spoke in the language of the Shis-Inday.

"Geronimo has heard that Nan-tan-des-la-par-en wishes to hold a

parley with him," replied Shoz-Dijiji.

"Nan-tan-des-la-par-en wishes only that Geronimo surrenders with

all his warriors, women, and children," said Crawford. "There is no

need for a parley. Tell Geronimo that if he will come to my camp

with all his people, bringing also all his horses and mules, and

lay down his arms, I will take him to Nan-tan-des-Ia-par-en in

safety."

"That is surrender," replied Shoz-Dijiji."Geronimo will not

surrender. He will make peace with Nan-tan-des-Ia-par-en, but he

will not surrender."

"Black Bear," said Crawford, "you are a great warrior among your

people, you are an intelligent man, you know that we have you

surrounded by a greatly superior force, you are worn by much

fighting and marching, you are short of food, you cannot escape us

this time. I know these things; you know them; Geronimo knows

them.

"It will be better for you and your people if you come in

peaceably now and return with me. Nan-tan-des-Ia-par-en will not be

hard on you if you surrender now, but if you cause us any more

trouble it may go very hard indeed with you. Think it over."

"We have thought it over," replied the Black Bear. "We know that

a handful of braves cannot be victorious over the armies of two

great nations, but we also know that we can keep on fighting for a

long time before we are all killed and that in the meantime we

shall kill many more of our enemies than we lose. You know that

these are true words. Therefore it would be better for you to

arrange for a parley with Nan-tan-des-la-par-en than to force us

back upon the war trail.

"Geronimo is a proud man. The thing that you demand he will

never consent to, but a peace parley with Nan-tan-des-la- par-en

might bring the same results without so greatly injuring the pride

of Geronimo.

"These things I may say to you because it is well known that

your heart is not bad against the Apaches. Of all the

pindah-lickoyee you are best fitted to understand. That is why

Geronimo sent me to you. He would not have sent this message to any

white-eyed man ,but you or Lieutenant Gatewood. Him we trust also.

We do not trust Nan-tan-des- la-par-en any more; but if we have

your promise that no harm shall befall us we will go with you and

talk with him, but we must be allowed to keep our weapons and our

live- stock. I have spoken."

"I get your point," said Crawford after a moment of thought. "If

Geronimo and the warriors in his party will give me their word that

they will accompany us peaceably I will take them to General Crook

and guarantee them safe escort, but I cannot promise what General

Crook will do. Geronimo knows that I have no authority to do

that."

"We shall come in and make camp near you this afternoon," said

Shoz-Dijiji. "Tell your scouts not to fire upon us."

"When you come stop here, and I will tell you where to camp,"

replied Crawford. "Geronimo and two others may come into my camp to

talk with me, but if at any time more of you enter my camp armed I

shall consider it a hostile demonstration. Do you understand?"

Shoz-Dijiji nodded and without more words turned and retraced

his steps toward the camp of the renegades, while Crawford stood

watching him until he had disappeared beyond a rise of ground. Not

once did the Apache glance back. The cavalry officer shook his

head. "It is difficult," he mused, "not to trust a man who has,

such implicit confidence in one's honor."

That afternoon, January 11, 1886, promised to witness the

termination of more than three hundred years of virtually constant

warfare between the Apaches and the whites. Captain Crawford and

Lieutenant Maus were jubilant — they were about to succeed where so

many others had failed. The days of heat and thirst and gruelling

work were over.

"Geronimo is through," said Crawford. "He is ready to give up

and come in and be a good Indian. If he wasn't he'd never have sent

the Black Bear with that message."

"I don't trust any of them," replied Maus, "and as for being a

good Indian — there's only one thing that'll ever make Geronimo

that" — he touched the butt of his pistol.

"That doctrine is responsible to a greater extent than any other

one thing for many of the atrocities and the seeming treachery of

the Apaches," replied Crawford. "They have heard that so often that

they do not really trust any of us, for they believe that we all

hold the same view. It makes them nervous when any of us are near

them, and as they are always suspicious of us the least suggestion

of an overt act on our part frightens them onto the war trail and

goads them to reprisals.

"It has taken months of the hardest kind of work to reach the

point where Geronimo is ready to make peace — a thoughtless word or

gesture now may easily undo all that we have accomplished.

Constantly impress upon the scouts by word and example the fact

that every precaution must be taken to convince the renegades that

we intend to fulfill every promise that I have made them."

Shoz-Dijiji came and stood before Geronimo. "What did the

white-eyed chief say to you?" demanded the old war chief.

"He said that if we lay down our arms and surrender he will take

us to Nan-tan-des-la-par-en," replied Shoz-Dijiji.

"What did Shoz-Dijiji reply?"

"Shoz-Dijiji told the white-eyed man that Geronimo would not

surrender, but that he would hold a parley with Nan-

tan-des-la-par-en. At last the white-eyed chief agreed. We may

retain our arms, and he promises that we shall not be attacked if

we accompany him peaceably to the parley with

Nan-tan-des-la-par-en."

"What did you reply?"

"That we would come and make camp near him this afternoon. He

has promised tha this scouts will not fire upon us."

"Good!" exclaimed Geronimo. "Let us make ready to move our camp,

and let it be understood that if the word made between Shoz-Dijiji

and the white-eyed chief be broken and shots fired in anger the

first shot shall not be fired by a member of my band. I have

spoken!"

As the renegades broke camp and moved slowly in the direction of

Crawford's outfit a swart Mexican cavalryman, concealed behind the

summit of a low hill, watched them, and as he watched a grim smile

of satisfaction played for an instant about the corners of his

eyes. Ten minutes later he was reporting to Captain Santa Anna

Perez.

"They shall not escape me this time," said Perez, as he gave the

command to resume the march in pursuit of the illusive enemy.

A short distance from Crawford's camp Geronimo halted his band

and sent Shoz-Dijiji ahead to arrange a meeting between Geronimo

and Crawford for the purpose of ratifying the understanding that

Shoz-Dijiji and the officer had arrived at earlier in the day.

With a white rag fastened to the muzzle of his rifle the Black

Bear approached the camp of the Scouts and, following the

instructions of Crawford to his men, was permitted to enter. Every

man of Crawford's command Shoz-Dijiji knew personally. With many of

them he had played as a boy; and with most of them he had gone upon

the war trail, fighting shoulder to shoulder with them against both

Mexicans and pindah-lickoyee; but today he passed among them with

his head high, as one might pass among strangers and enemies.

Crawford, waiting to receive him, could not but admire the

silent contempt of the tall young war chief for those of his own

race whom he must consider nothing short of traitors; and in his

heart the courageous cavalry officer found respect and

understanding for this other courageous soldier of an alien

race.

"I am glad that you have come, Shoz-Dijiji," he said. "You bring

word from Geronimo? He will go with me to General Crook?"

"Geronimo wishes to come and make talk with you," replied the

Black Bear. "He wishes his own ears to hear the words you spoke to

Shoz-Dijiji this morning."

"Good!" said Crawford. "Let Geronimo — " His words were cut

short by a fusilade of shots from the direction of the renegades'

position.

Crawford snatched his pistol from its holster and covered

Shoz-Dijiji.

"So that is the word Geronimo sends?" he exclaimed.

"Treachery!"

The Apache wheeled about and looked in the direction of his

people. The scouts were hastily preparing to meet an attack. Every

eye was on the renegades — in every mind was the same thought that

Crawford had voiced — treachery!

Shoz-Dijiji pointed. "No!", he cried. "Look! It is not the

warriors of Geronimo. Their backs are toward us. They are firing in

the other direction. They are being attacked from the south. There!

See! Mexican soldiers!"

The renegades, firing as they came, were falling back upon the

scouts' camp; and, following them, there now came into full view a

company of Mexican regulars.

"For God's sake, stop firing!" cried Crawford. "These are United

States troops."

Captain Santa Anna Perez saw before him only Apaches. It is true

that some of them wore portions of the uniform of the soldiers of a

sister republic; but Captain Santa Anna Perez had fought Apaches

for years, and he well knew that they were shrewd enough to take

advantage of any form of deception of which they could avail

themselves, and he thought this but a ruse.

Two of his officers lay dead and two privates, while several

others were wounded, and now the Apaches in uniform, as well as

those who were not, were firing upon him. How was he to know the

truth? What was he to do? One of his sbordinates ran to his side.

"There has been a terrible mistake!" he cried."Those are Crawford's

scouts —I recognize the captain. In the name of God, give the

command to cease firing!"

Perez acted immediately upon the advice of his lieutenant, but

the tragic blunder had not as yet taken its full toll of life. In

the front line a young Mexican soldier knelt with his carbine.

Perhaps he was excited. Perhaps he did not hear the loudly shouted

command of his captain. No one will ever know why he did the thing

he did.

The others on both sides had ceased firing when this youth

raised his carbine to his shoulder, took careful aim, and fired.

Uttering no sound, dead on his feet, Captain Emmet Crawford fell

with a bullet in his brain.

Shoz-Dijiji, who had been standing beside him, had witnessed the

whole occurrence. He threw his own rifle to his shoulder and

pressed the trigger. When he lowered the smoking muzzle Crawford

had been avenged, and that is why no one will ever know why the

Mexican soldier did the thing he did.

With difficulty Perez and Maus quieted their men, and it was

with equal difficulty that Geronimo held his renegades in check.

They were gathered in a little knot to one side, and Shoz-Dijiji

had joined them.

"It was a ruse to trap us!" cried a brave. "They intended to get

us between them and kill us all."

"Do not talk like a child,'t exclaimed Shoz-Dijiji. "Not one of

us has been killed or wounded, while they have lost several on each

side. The Mexicans made a mistake. They did not know Crawford's

scouts were near, nor did Crawford know that the Mexican soldiers

were approaching."

The brave grunted. "Look," he said, pointing; "the war chiefs of

the Mexicans and the pindah-lickoyee are holding a council. If they

are not plotting against us why do they not invite our chiefs to

the council? It is not I who am a child but Shoz-Dijiji, if he

trusts the pindah-lickoyee or the Mexicans."

"Perhaps they make bad talk about us," said Geronimo,

suspiciously. "Maus does not like me; and, with Crawford dead,

there is no friend among them that I may trust. The Mexicans I have

never trusted."

"Nor does Shoz-Dijiji trust them," said the Black Bear. "The

battle they just fought was a mistake. That, I say again; but it

does not mean that I trust them. Perhaps they are plotting against

us now; for Crawford is dead."

"Maus and the Mexican could combine forces against us,"

suggested Geronimo, nervously. "Both the Mexicans and

pindah-lickoyee have tricked us before. They would not hesitate to

do it again. We are few, they are many — they could wipe us out,

and there would be none left to say that it happened through

treachery."

"Let us attack them first," suggested a warrior. "They are off

their guard. We could kill many of them and the rest would run

away. Come!"

"No!" cried Geronimo. "Our women are with us. We are very few.

All would be killed. Let us withdraw and wait. Perhaps we shall

have a better chance later. Only fools attack when they know they

cannot win. Perhaps Nan-tan-des-la-par-en will come and we shall

make peace. That will be better. I am tired of fighting."

"Let us go away for a while, at least until the Mexicans have

left," counseled Shoz-Dijiji. "Then, perhaps, we can make terms

with Maus. If not we can pick our own time and place to fight."

"That is good talk," said Geronimo. "Come! We shall move away

slowly."

Maus and Perez, engaged in arranging terms for the removal of

Crawford's body and exchanging notes that would relieve one another

of responsibility for the tragic incident of the battle between the

troops of friendly nations, paid little attention to the renegades,

and once again Geronimo slipped through the fingers of his would-be

captors, and as Maus' and Perez' commands marched away together

toward Nacori the scouts of the old war chief watched them depart

and carried the word to Geronimo.

"They have marched away together — the Mexicans and the

pindah-lickoyee?" demanded Geronimo. "That is bad. They are

planning to join forces against us. They will return, but they will

not find us here."

Again the renegades changed camp; this time to a still more

remote and inaccessible position. The days ran into weeks, the

weeks to months. The band scattered, scouting and hunting. At all

times Geronimo knew the location of Maus' command; and when he

became reasonably convinced that Maus was waiting for the arrival

of Crook and was not planning a hostile move against the renegades

he made no further attempt to conceal his location from the white

officer, but he did not relax his vigilance.

It was late in March. Geronimo, Shoz-Dijiji, Gian-nah-tah, and

several others were squatting in the shade of a sycamore, smoking

and chatting, when two Apaches entered the camp and approached

them. One was one of Geronimo's own scouts, the other wore the red

head-band of a government scout. When the two halted before

Geronimo the war chief arose.

"What do you want in the camp of Geronimo ?" he asked,

addressing the government scout as though he had been a total

stranger.

"I bring a message from Maus," replied the other. "Nan-tan-

des-la-par-en has come. He is ready to hold a parley with you. What

answer shall I take back?"

"Tell Nan-tan-des-la-par-en that Geronimo will meet him tomorrow

in the Canyon of Los Embudos."

When the morning came Geronimo set out with a party of chiefs

and warriors for the meeting place. Mangas was with him and

Na-chi-ta, and there were Shoz-Dijiji, Gian-nah- tah, Chihuahua,

Nanay, and Kut-le in the party. General Crook was awaiting them in

the Canyon of Los Embudos. The two parties exchanged. salutations

and then seated themselves in a rough circle under the shade of

large sycamore and cottonwood trees.

General Crook addressed Geronimo almost immediately. "Why did

you leave the reservation?" he demanded.

"You told me that I might live in the reservation the same as

white people live," replied Geronimo, "but that was not true. You

sent soldiers to take my horses and cattle from me. I had a crop of

oats almost ready to harvest, but I could not live in the

reservation after the way you had treated me. I went away with my

wife and children to live in peace as my own people have always

lived. I did not go upon the war trail, but you told your soldiers

to find me and put me in prison and if I resisted to kill me."

"I never gave any such orders," snapped Crook.

Geronimo did not reply.

"But," continued Crook, "if you left the reservation for that

reason, why did you kill innocent people, sneaking all over the

country to do it? What did those innocent people do to you that you

should kill them, steal their horses, and slip around in the rocks

like coyotes?

"You promised me in the Sierra Madre that that peace should

last, but you have lied about it. When a man has lied to me once I

want some better proof than his own word before I can believe him

again."

"So does Geronimo," interrupted the war chief.

"You must make up your mind," continued Crook, "whether you will

stay out on the war path or surrender unconditionally. If you stay

out I'll keep after you and kill the last one if it takes fifty

years."

"I do not want to fight the white man," replied Geronimo; "but I

do not want to return to the reservation and be hanged, as many of

the white people have said that I should be. People tell bad

stories about me. I do not want that any more. When a man tries to

do right, people should not tell bad stories about him. I have

tried to do right. Does the white man try to do right? I am the

same man. I have the same feet, legs, and hands; and the sun looks

down upon me, a complete man.

"The Sun and the Darkness and the Winds are all listening to

what we say now. They know that Geronimo is telling the truth. To

prove to you that I am telling the truth, remember that I sent you

word that I would come from a place far away to speak to you here;

and you see me now. If I were thinking bad, or if I had done bad, I

would never have come here."

He paused, waiting for Crook to reply.

"I have said all that I have to say," said the General; "you had

better think it over tonight and let me know in the morning."

For two more days the parley progressed; and at last it was

agreed that Geronimo and his band should accompany Lieutenant Maus

and his battalion of scouts to Fort Bowie, Arizona. The northward

march commenced on the morning of March 2Sth and by the night of

the 29th the party had reached the border between Mexico and

Arizona.