Page:The Pima Indians.pdf/45

40 themselves. The others were followed and all killed. "This was the only event of the year, and our people were undisturbed further in the practice of their customs."

Salt River. Late in the spring a party of Pimas went to Tucson to buy clothing and other needed supplies. On their return they were ambushed and barely escaped massacre. The Apaches had concealed themselves on either side of the trail, and when the attack was suddenly made the Pimas were at first panic-stricken, but recovered sufficiently to repel their assailants, with the loss, however, of two men killed and a boy captured. This youth is said to have been a very handsome fellow, skillful in the use of the bow and arrow. Fearing a renewal of the conflict, the Pimas hastened home.

A few months later they obtained their revenge upon a party of Apaches who came to the villages to steal horses. The enemy were seen and chased across the river. On the way they were met by a party of Pimas, returning from a council, who called out to the approaching horsemen to ask who they were; on receiving no answer they shot one of them. An Apache called "Slender Leg" was pushed off his mule and two Pimas jumped off their horses and tried to hold him, but he was too strong for them and they had to tie him. He was taken to the well-swept plaza of the village, according to the Salt River calendar, or to an open alkali flat near the villages, as stated by the Gila Crossing annalist, where the people gathered and danced and sang around him. Two widows of men killed in an ambuscade earlier in the season walked four times around the outside of the circle of dancers, and then passed inside as an avenue was opened for them. They carried long clubs of mesquite, with which they beat the captive into insensibility.

There are no events recorded for these two years on either of the two sticks that date back thus far.

Gila Crossing, Salt River. The Maricopas of the village of Masakimûlt, accompanied by one Pima, went on a campaign against the Yumas. The enemy gathered to meet them and sent a messenger to tell them that they should leave aside their knives and bows and fight only with sticks. The Maricopas agreed to this, but the Pima said he had made his bow and arrows to use on the enemy and he would keep them in his own hands. The Yuma messenger showed the Maricopas where to cross the Colorado river and conducted them to the assembled Yumas on the farther side. It was agreed