ciently "cured,"
we "struck camp" and rode off to the north until we had reached the
chain of mountains which crossed our path. Here we turned to the
eastward, and journeyed along their base intending to cross at a well
known pass about twenty miles above. Reaching it at nightfall we again
encamped, designing to pass the mountain range the next morning.

CHAPTER XXV.

THE FEAST OF THE GREEN CORN.

The fields, or more properly speaking, the patches of corn were quickly
ripening, thanks to the arduous efforts of Wakadahme and his wonderful
arrow, and the whole tribe was waiting impatiently the time when the
signal should announce that the feast of the green corn was about to
commence. Next to fighting, your Indian likes eating; about one half of
his time is employed in catering to the cravings of his stomach. When
not engaged in fighting his enemies, or marauding in the vicinity of the
Mexican border-towns, he occupies his energies in the hunt or chase. At
the time of my enforced residence among the Apaches, they were not
restricted and confined to reservations as at present. They considered
themselves masters of the country which they inhabited, and were free to
roam in any direction their fancy might dictate. When in search of game,
they would scour the plains to the northward, and on some occasions
would penetrate deep into the country of their enemies, the Crows and
Blackfeet. Numerous encounters would result from this intrusion on the
rights of others. At times they would meet and repulse their opponents,
and continue the hunt, return laden with the fruits of the chase, and
girdles plentifully garnished with their victim's scalps.

At such times, their return home partook of the character of an ovation;
fires would be lighted, food prepared in abundance, and high revelry be
the order of the day. Gathered around the council fires, with an eager
and attentive multitude of old men, women and children, constituting
themselves an audience, the braves would indulge in the most fantastic
and highly colored narratives of their deeds of valor and heroic bearing
in the presence of an enemy. Seated in a circle around the blazing fire,
and smoking their clay pipes, each one in turn would relate the
incidents of his particular case, reciting the most improbable deeds of
valor, and ending up, usually, with the oft-told tale, of how he gained
his _sobriquet_.

His listeners had doubtless heard the same story on many si