neral Miles said to them: 'I have come
to have a talk with you.' The conversation was interpreted from
English into Spanish and from Spanish into Apache and _vice versa_.
The interpreting from English into Spanish was done by a man by
the name of Nelson. The interpreting from Spanish into Apache was
done by Jose Maria Yaskes. Jose Maria Montoya was also present, but
he did not do any of the interpreting.

"Dr. Wood, United States Army, and Lieutenant Clay, Tenth Infantry,
were present.

"General Miles drew a line on the ground and said, 'This represents
the ocean,' and, putting a small rock beside the line, he said,
'This represents the place where Chihuahua is with his band.' He
then picked up another stone and placed it a short distance from
the first, and said, 'This represents you, Geronimo.' He then
picked up a third stone and placed it a little distance from the
others, and said, 'This represents the Indians at Camp Apache. The
President wants to take you and put you with Chihuahua.' He then
picked up the stone which represented Geronimo and his band and
put it beside the one which represented Chihuahua at Fort Marion.
After doing this he picked up the stone which represented the
Indians at Camp Apache and placed it beside the other two stones
which represented Geronimo and Chihuahua at Fort Marion, and said,
'That is what the President wants to do, get all of you together.'

"After their arrival at Fort Bowie General Miles said to them,
'From now on we want to begin a new life,' and holding up one of
his hands with the palm open and horizontal he marked lines across
it with the finger of the other hand and said, pointing to his open
palm, 'This represents the past; it is all covered with hollows and
ridges,' then, rubbing his other palm over it, he said, 'That
represents the wiping out of the past, which will be considered
smooth and forgotten.'

"The interpreter, Wratton, says that he was present and heard this
conversation. The Indians say that Captain Thompson, Fourth
Cavalry, was also present.

"Naiche said that Captain Thompson, who was the acting assistant
adjutant general, Department of Arizona, told him at his house in
Fort Bowie, 'Don't be afraid; no harm shall come to you. You will
go to your friends all right.' He a