elevation, and
at the first glance, to get at them, appeared to be an impossibility
on account of the roughness of the country. If the Indians had hunted
over the whole of the Rocky Mountains they could not have hit upon a
place that offered them so many advantages for the use to which they
intended to put it; but, as the red men had, by great labor, reached
the tops of the crags, therefore, the soldiers resolved not to be
outdone, even if they had to be the assaulting party.

The strength of the Apaches amounted to eight lodges, or two hundred
and forty warriors; and, as they were on foot and without their
families, they were entirely unencumbered. Lieutenant Davidson's first
manoeuvre was to send in advance a small party, whose duty it was to
act as spies, while at the same time they endeavoured to engage the
Indians in a talk, of which they are usually so fond; but, the courage
of the red men was apparently much elevated on seeing the smallness
of the whole force sent against them; therefore, they received the
advance with such coldness that the latter soon after gladly retreated
to their companions, who were halted on the little creek that runs by
the foot of the mountains. Lieutenant Davidson now saw that his only
course was to commence the attack and trust to fortune and the bravery
of his men. Therefore he ordered the gallant fellows to dismount, and
after leaving their horses with a small guard, they commenced the work
of scrambling up the rocks so that they might get at, and dislodge
the enemy. In this they succeeded, notwithstanding they met with a
powerful and determined resistance. In the attempt, five soldiers were
killed; and when the dragoons had reached the highest eminence of the
mountain, they found, to their disappointment, that the Apaches had
not taken to flight according to their anticipations, but instead,
they were scattering and surrounding them. There being great danger,
as already demonstrations were visible in that quarter, that the
Indians would capture the horses of the soldiers, therefore Lieutenant
Davidson placed himself at the head of his men and led them back
to the spot where the animals were congregated. In so doing, he was
obliged to fight his way, as every foot of ground he passed over was
stoutly contested; but at last he arrived, just in time to save them.
The fight then became desultory, but desperate, on the part of the
soldiers; for the Indians, by concealing themselves behin