of this brave demands the life of the murderer. Nothing else will satisfy her. She wants no money. She wants no goods. She wants no corn. Would money satisfy me, Ponce (at the same time striking his breast), for the death of my son? No! I would demand the life of the murderer. Then I would be satisfied. Then I would be willing to die myself. I would not wish to live and bear the grief which the loss of my son would cause me.

"Commissioner,-Your words are good and true. You speak with a heart full of feeling. I feel as you do. All the Americans feel as you do. Our hearts are sad at your loss. We mourn with this poor woman. We will do all that we can to assist her and her family. I know that neither money nor goods will pay for their loss. I do not want the Apache chiefs, my brothers, so to consider it. What I propose is for the good of this family. My wish is to make them comfortable. I desire to give them the aid of which they are deprived by the loss of their protector. If the prisoner's life is taken, your desire for revenge is satisfied. Law and justice are satisfied. But this poor woman and her family get nothing. They remain poor. They have no one to labor for them. Will it not be better to provide for their wants?

"The chiefs now exchanged views with each other, all having more or less to say; when Ponce, their principal speaker, said they had all agreed to leave the matter entirely with the mother of the deceased, and that by her decision they would abide. She evidently desired the life of the prisoner. Her desire for revenge, or jus

tice, was more to her than money or goods. The discussion was resumed.

"Ponce,-If an Apache should take the life of an American, would you not make war on us and take many Apache lives?

"Commissioner,-No, I would demand the arrest of the murderer, and would be satisfied to have him punished, as the Apaches punish those who commit murder. Did not a band of Apaches attack a small party of Americans, my countrymen, very lately on the Janos road? Did they not kill one of them, and pierce three others with their arrows? And did they not take from them all their property? Yes, you all know it to be true, and I know it to be true. I passed near the spot where it took place, three days after. The Apaches did not even bury their victim, they left him lying by the roadside, food for the wolves and crows. Why do not the Americans revenge themselves for this act? They are strong enough to do it. They have many soldiers, and in a few days can bring a thousand more here. But there would be no justice in that. The Americans believe that this murder was committed by your bad men, by cowards. The Apaches have bad men among them; but you who are now with us are our friends, and we will not demand redress of you. Yet, as I told you before, you must endeavor to find the man who killed our brother, and punish him. Our animals feed in your valleys; some of your bad men might steal them, as they have already done; but the Americans would not make war on you for this. We hold you responsible, and shall call on you to find them and

bring them back as you have done. While the Apaches continue to do this, the Americans will be their friends and brothers. But if the Apaches take their property and you do not restore it, you can no longer be the friends of the Americans. War will then follow; thousands of soldiers will take possession of your best lands, your grass valleys, and your watering places. They will destroy every Apache they find, and take your women and children captives.

"The discussion continued in this manner for two hours, the chiefs showing much sagacity in arguing their point. The matter was finally settled very much to my satisfaction and apparently to that of the Indians, by my paying to the mother of the deceased thirty dollars in money, that being the amount due the prisoner. I furthermore agreed to pay her twenty dollars a month, hereafter, the amount of the prisoner's wages. Thus was terminated this unfortunate affair, which, at one time, seemed about to destroy the good understanding which had existed between the members of the Commission and our Indian friends.

While the Indians apparently accepted the conclusions forced upon them by the Commission, yet it is a matter of fact that they did not feel themselves bound to comply with the conditions. In other words, it was a treaty accepted under duress, which the Commission paid dearly for, for the Indians stole from them several hundred head of very valuable animals, causing them much loss and delay. Delgadito, one of the chiefs who was present at these interviews, was the leader of the band which committed

these depredations, and the Commission was forced to leave, as soon as possible, the territory of the savage Apaches, for that occupied by the Pima and Maricopa tribes along the Gila River, and, in the subsequent treaty, known as the Gadsden treaty, the eleventh article of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, previously mentioned, was abrogated, our Government having learned, by that time, more of the mammoth task it had undertaken in agreeing to protect the frontier of Mexico against Apache incursions. Santa Ana, then dictator of Mexico, consented to the abrogation of this clause, and gave as his excuse to his countrymen, that he did not think or believe that the American Government ever intended to carry it out.

At this time gold mines were discovered a few miles from the camp of the Commission, a fact that threatened the existence of a permanent colony of Americans, which, together with the invasion of their country by the Survey Party, the recovery of Inez Gonzales and the two Mexican boys by the Americans and their restoration to their relatives, served to inflame the savage malevolence of the Apaches. All was quiet at the Copper Mines for some weeks, but toward the latter end of July, following, a number of mules belonging to the Commission, and for which Colonel Craig was responsible, could not be found, although the surrounding country was searched for thirty miles, and the conclusion was reached that they had been stolen by the Apaches. Colonel Craig, taking thirty soldiers, visited the camp of Delgadito on the Mimbres River. The Indians were much ex

cited and disclaimed any participation in the robbery or any knowledge of the missing animals. They promised to hunt them up and restore them to Colonel Craig if found. Eight days after they kept their promise by making another raid upon the Colonel's herd of mules, and relieving him of the necessity of guarding some twenty-five of those animals, and some fine horses. Having nothing but infantry in his command, Colonel Craig invoked the aid of Capt. Buford's company of dragoons from Dona Ana. Soon after the arrival of that officer, another batch of animals disappeared in the same mysterious manner, and a joint scout of dragoons and mounted infantry started off to find the lost animals, and punish the robbers, if possible. The raid proved wholly ineffective; the animals were not discovered and the Indians were not punished, but during the absence of the force, word was brought that the Apaches had attacked the mining camp about three or four miles down the canyon, and were driving off the cattle. Lieutenant Whipple leading, about twenty of the Commission mounted their horses and gave immediate pursuit. The Indians were overhauled in a thick forest, and a party, consisting of about fifty warriors, stood ready for battle, while another detachment hurried on with the cattle. The Indians retreated as fast as possible, secreting themselves behind large pine trees, but at all times showing a bold and steady front. The pursuing party dismounted and, having been joined by Mr. Hay, the head miner, with four of his associates, left their horses in care of eight men, and took to the trees, keeping