o capture or kill the chief and his
followers. The story of the war is filled with exciting deeds of daring,
but through them all Geronimo looms as the foremost figure. His name
came to inspire terror.

At last in March, 1886, a truce was made and this was followed by a
conference, at which terms of surrender were agreed upon. But the wily
Geronimo was not yet caught. Again with a band of his devoted followers
he fled to the Sierra Madre mountains, beyond the borders of Mexico.

General Miles was now in command of the United States troops and quickly
he began an energetic campaign against the Apache outlaws. This
continued until August, when the war came to an end. The entire band of
340 were made prisoners and the warfare at last was ended. Geronimo and
Nachi (the latter a hereditary chieftain of the tribe, though his
comrade was the real leader), were sent as prisoners of war to Florida.
Later they were removed to Alabama and at last were settled near Fort
Sill, Oklahoma. There, Geronimo evidently concluded (and his conclusion
was the more easily arrived at because he was under the continual
supervision of United States soldiers) that he had had a sufficiency of
war and that henceforth he was to be a man of peace. He became
prosperous, and was a most cautious spender of his money.

The part which Lieutenant Pershing, a young officer fresh from West
Point, had in the round-up of this campaign naturally was not of a
character to bring him into great prominence. That he did his work well
and that he had the full confidence of his men, however, are evidenced
from the following incidents which remain among the reports of the
campaign.

In the autumn maneuver in 1887, he was specially complimented by General
Miles for "marching his troops with a pack train of 140 mules in 46
hours and bringing in every animal in good condition." Doubtless his
early experiences in dealing with mules on a Missouri farm had stood him
in good stead.

Another instance of his courage and his ability to deal with men, even
at this early stage in his career, was shown when word came of the dire
predicament of a score of "bad men"--horse thieves and cow-punchers--who
had been surrounded by the Indians and were threatened with the death
of every one in the band unless they should be speedily rescued. The
young lieutenant with his detachment not only succeeded in penetrating
to their refuge, but also in saving every one of them without the loss