Page:Travels in Mexico and life among the Mexicans.djvu/639

Rh These Apache scouts were a muscular, sinewy body of men, and their countenances were of a cheerful cast, save for an aspect of ferocity bestowed by an overhanging shock of jet-black hair. This was bound in place by a strip of scarlet cloth; a loose-hanging shirt fell over their scanty drawers, or deer-skin leggings, and their feet were encased in fine and close-fitting moccasons with raw-hide points, which projected beyond and turned up in front of the toes. Some were in uniform and wore blue trousers, kept in place by a broad leather belt, which contained as many rounds of cartridges as could be crammed into it, generally forty. All were armed with the regulation Springfield breech-loading rifle, and every one bore a brass tag, with a number on it corresponding with another attached to a minute description of the bearer at the San Carlos reservation.

Our first respects were paid to Captain Crawford, commander of the scouts, and Lieutenant Gatewood and the bronzed and war-worn troopers who comprised the company from the Sixth Cavalry. Most of them were asleep, and but one man could be seen on guard in the whole encampment, though the Indians, scouts and all, outnumbered the whites ten to one, and were not a long way distant from their retreats in the Mexican mountains. The squaws and children, temporarily deprived of the protection of the gallant "bucks," had already raised shelters over themselves and their belongings, in the shape of huts of brush, or cloth tents, and there they sat, as hideous groups of redskins as ever drew the breath of life. There they sat, or wandered around the camp, or went to the spring for water, or staid by their fires and cooked the entrails and garbage of the slaughtered cows, while choice cuts of beef fairly covered the tops of all the bushes. Revelling, even rioting, in abundance, these Indians were far better fed than the brave and patient soldiers who had penetrated to their far-off stronghold, and brought them out to be petted and fattened at the expense of good Uncle Sam. "Beefsteak and chops for the —— redskins," said one of the soldiers, "and sow-belly and hard-tack for us." This is the usual complaint, I know, but in this case it was justified by the fact.