ing hands and receiving presents from Captain Fritz, who, with his Company B, 1st California Cavalry, had halted there, ex route to the Rio Grande. And the sight of those poor fellows lying there dead, frightfully mutilated, stuck full of arrows, scalped, with cheeks torn off by the whiskers, being ever before their view, must not be forgotten when the matter of Mangas' death is under consideration.
Of course after this no more Apaches came near, and life at this post was monotonous as usual, diversified only by careful scrutiny for Indian signs of retaliation, which we daily expected, and by the interest taken in the skeleton of Mangas, as prepared by the Post Surgeon. It was the wonder of all who saw it, and was described by the Surgeon as a marvel of size, symmetry, and closeness of bone texture. The skull was particularly noticeable from the breadth of forehead and jaw, and from possessing two complete sets of teeth in each jaw— a fact said to be almost without parallel. So wide was the lower jaw that nearly any man at the post could put his face inside it without contact.
Opposite our camp, about one mile distant, was a very fertile meadow, on which, guarded by eight men, grazed about four hundred horses and mules, mostly broken-down animals left here to recruit their strength after toiling over the sterile deserts; they also included most of the cavalry horses pertaining to the force at the post. This meadow was in our full view; and the monotony was varied by seeing, one June afternoon, about two o'clock, a party of Indians, not more than twelve, suddenly descend upon the herd, drive in the unthinking guard, who were probably taking a siesta, lulled into security, as the Indians intended, by the time elapsing since Mangas' death, successfully stampede, and drive off the entire band of animals.
Imagine our commotion—the running,
BLACK CANON. 225
shouting, and swearing that sprung up, sudden and violent as one of those tall, slender, corkscrew dust-columns, seen here every day in the hot weather, but not like them subsiding ineffectually as they rose.
The first excitement over, the blood cooled down, and military judgment and experience began to show their value; for we had as Post Commander an officer possessing those qualities in an eminent degree. Captain McCleave, of the 1st California Cavalry, was in command; and as his experience in the army included ten years of campaigning in New Mexico, Arizona, and adjoining Indian countries, the present raid upon our stock was one of those events with whose character and consequences, as well as mode of treatment, he was well acquainted. There was, consequently, no flurry in manner or excitement of face to be seen as he walked across the parade-ground, and, meeting Lieutenant French, gave the order to mount soon as possible one hundred men, with five days' rations, for a scout. But those who knew our Commandant well remarked, "There's a devilish look in Mac's eye that foretells stiff work for us: he will have those horses again, or give good reason why."
Nearly all of the required one hundred horses were with the stampeded herd, but several of the old and well-trained animals proved refractory, and the Indians were unable to prevent them returning; these leading others back, sufficient were obtained to mount the command. It was, however, near three hours
'before we were ready to start, and the de
lay was most irritating to us all, that the robbers should get so much ahead of us. We all knew "a stern chase is a long chase," and particularly so when a gain of twenty miles would enable the flying foe to enter one of those formidable cations abounding in the country to which they were hastening. But the
