Seven Little Indians

They drew straws to see who would kill the Babies.

It was a fall day at an Indian encampment in the Tonto Basin of Arizona. Lined up on their cradleboards against a rock wall were seven little Apache Babies. The weather was so nice, some Babies slept while others gazed out upon the strange world around them.

The late Roscoe G. Willson, in his Arizona Tales run regularly by The Arizona Republic newspaper, told this story. The story illustrated how otherwise hard-bitten men could not overcome the power that emanates from a baby.

All about the camp, in 1871, there was a scene of great activity. The men in the Apache camp came dashing in at early morn, driving a large herd of horses, stolen that very morning from the Bowers Ranch east of Prescott, Arizona.

The Apache men and women of the camp were excited as they talked about their great success. The women busied themselves cooking the meat of a horse they had slaughtered. They laid strips of raw horsef lesh on the oak bushes to dry while they cooked the larger portion of horsemeat over an open fire.

When the meat was cooked, the men gorged themselves on the sweet horseflesh, which they favored above all other. When the men finished, the women too, then ate with gusto. After tending and nursing their Babies, the cherubs were returned to their papoose baskets along the wall. The women joined the group of men sleeping off their heavy meal beneath the deep shade of oak trees.

Soon, a clattering of blue jays signaled to the Indians that something was amiss. Before the Indians could rise to their feet, rifle shots rang out from the hillsides and oak thickets. Several Apache men and women were killed before they could rise.

The attackers were settlers from Prescott, on the hunt for the horses stolen that morning from the Bowers Ranch. John B. Townsend, an Indian fighter, headed the group. The Indians knew him to be brave and fearless and held him in great respec t.

It wasnt until after the last Apache had either escaped, disappeared, or been killed that the seven little Indian Babies were discovered resting against the wall.

This presented a problem for the rugged white men. In their attacks on settlers, the Apache Indians didnt hesitate to kill white women and children.

Captain Townsend looked at the Babies snuggled in their papoose baskets. He scratched his head, knowing that usually the Babies should be killed. But Townsend shuddered at the thought. Good God, he asked himself, who could kill a baby in cold blood?

Others in the party felt the Babies should be killed, but the only question was, who would do the job.

Townsend decided the issue by saying they would draw straws to see who would commit the horrendous deed. Grass stems of different lengths were drawn. Townsend held the short straw. When he pulled his pistol and stepped toward the nearest infant, the baby gurgled, wrinkled its face and smile d back at him. Johns only vision at that point was a picture of his own baby girl back at his Agua Fria Ranch.

His pistol hand dropped to his side. He turned to his companions and murmured, I just cant do it boys. Some one else will have go through with this.

Ed Wright, Johns neighbor on the Agua Fria, stepped forward. Boys, we cant any of us kill those Babies I dont care if the Apaches have killed some of our children. We werent raised like these Indians, and wed all feel like murderers if we cold-bloodedly killed the little varmints. Lets leave em where they are and go make camp.

A sigh of relief sounded through the crowd. After making camp that evening, Ed Wright and some of the others used rawhide rope to lash the seven baby baskets high enough off the ground to be safe from coyotes or other varmints.

The next morning, the Babies and their cradles were gone.

Alton Pryor has been a writer for magazines, newspapers, and wire services. He worke d for United Press International in their Sacramento Bureau, handling both printed press as well as radio news. He traveled the state as a field editor for California Farmer Magazine for 27 years. He is now the author of 16 books on California and western history. His books can be seen at www.stagecoachpublishing.com Readers can email him at stagecoach@surewest.net

Author:: Alton Pryor
Keywords:: Indians, Babies, mountain men, Fighters, horse thieves
Post by History of the Computer | Computer safety tips