Page:Life among the Apaches.djvu/84

 one hours, the last seventy miles being performed at a run.

So soon as I arrived, I threw off my serape, which had quite a number of arrows sticking in it, called my boy, José, and rubbed my horse down dry with good, soft straw. This operation required about two hours. I then washed him all over with strong whisky and water, and again rubbed him dry. This was followed by taking off his shoes, and giving him about two quarts of whisky and water as a draught. His whole body and limbs were then swathed in blankets, a mess of cut hay, sprinkled with water and mixed with a couple of pounds of raw steak, cut into small pieces, was given him to eat, and a deep bed of clean dry straw prepared for him to sink into. These duties kept me up until five o'clock, when I refreshed my inner man with a wholesome whisky toddy, prepared by Buford, and sought repose, from which I did not awaken for all that day and the succeeding night. On the second day after the above adventure, I visited my horse and found him in as fine condition as any one could reasonably expect. He was neither foundered nor injured in any ostensible manner. On many a subsequent occasion he served me with equal zeal and capability, but never more under such exciting circumstances. Several efforts were afterwards made by the Apaches to get possession of that noble beast, but, I am proud and happy to add, invariably without success. At the Copper Mines he was saved to me by mere accident. On a certain occasion, remembering that he had lost a shoe, I sent José to bring him from the herd then grazing about a mile distant, under the care of a guard. The order was immediately obeyed, and in half an hour afterward the whole herd was carried off by the Apaches.

It may be entered up as an invariable rule, that the