Early in the morning one hundred and fifty of the scouts, with Captain Crawford and Lieutenant Gatewood and Lieutenant Mackay, Archie MacIntosh, Al Sieber, and Micky and Severiano and Sam Bowman, hastened ahead.
They were to fight and to surround, and try to hold the Chiricahuas until the soldiers arrived. The dismounted cavalry and the pack-trains followed at best speed, again into the heart of the high country.
XXII
WAR OR PEACE?
During the next few days Captain Crawford sent back several notes, to say that by the signs he was likely to strike the Chiricahuas at any moment. The pursuit was closing in. Maybe the medicine-men were right. They had prophesied “Three days from to-morrow,” which would be May 14.
But May 14 passed without especial event. Then, at one o’clock noon of May 15, in a little box canyon there was sudden excitement among the cavalry ahead of the Monach pack-train. Jimmie, first in line at one side behind the “bell,” saw the Indian runner dart down the slope, into the trail, and hand a note to the general.
The general read it. Lieutenant Febiger hastened back to Major Chaffee, and instantly the trumpet pealed “Mount!” Into their saddles vaulted the troopers. Down to the pack-trains galloped Lieutenant West.
“Close up your outfits!” he shouted. “Be prepared for action. Crawford’s scouts have struck the hostiles.”
“Hooray!” That was good news. Afterwards it was learned that the foremost scouts had discovered some Chiricahuas in a canyon, had fired upon two men and a woman, and had frightened the rest away. The runner had brought the note six miles across the mountains in less than an hour.