after this, I could go on the warpath with my tribe. This
would be glorious. I hoped soon to serve my people in battle. I had long
desired to fight with our warriors.

Perhaps the greatest joy to me was that now I could marry the fair
Alope, daughter of No-po-so. She was a slender, delicate girl, but we
had been lovers for a long time. So, as soon as the council granted me
these privileges I went to see her father concerning our marriage.
Perhaps our love was of no interest to him; perhaps he wanted to keep
Alope with him, for she was a dutiful daughter; at any rate he asked
many ponies for her. I made no reply, but in a few days appeared before
his wigwam with the herd of ponies and took with me Alope. This was all
the marriage ceremony necessary in our tribe.

Not far from my mother's tepee I had made for us a new home. The tepee
was made of buffalo hides and in it were many bear robes, lion hides,
and other trophies of the chase, as well as my spears, bows, and
arrows. Alope had made many little decorations of beads[11] and drawn
work on buckskin, which she placed in our tepee. She also drew many
pictures on the walls of our home. She was a good wife, but she was
never strong. We followed the traditions of our fathers and were happy.
Three children came to us--children that played, loitered, and worked as
I had done.

[Illustration: APACHE PRINCESS

Daughter of Naiche, chief of the Chiricahua Apaches]

FOOTNOTES:

[9] Maco was chief of the Nedni Apaches. His son (Geronimo's father) had
married a Bedonkohe Apache (Geronimo's mother) and joined her tribe,
thereby losing his right to rule by heredity. By this it will be seen
Geronimo could not become chief by hereditary right, although his
grandfather was a chieftain. It is also shown that Geronimo's father
could not be chief, hence the accession of Mangus-Colorado.

[10] The Apaches will not keep any of the property of a deceased
relative. Their unwritten tribal laws forbid it, because they think that
otherwise the children or other relatives of one who had much property
might be glad when their father or relatives died.

[11] Beads were obtained from the Mexicans. The Apaches also got money
from the Mexicans, but deemed it of no value, and either gave it to
their children to play with or threw it away.

PART II

THE MEXICANS

CHAPTER VI

KAS-KI-YEH

_Part I--The Massacre_

In the summer of 1858, being at peace with the Mexican towns a