, saying that the Mexican cavalry had left Arizona,
going southward. We were quite sure they would not return soon.

Soon after this (in the summer of 1860) I was again able to take the
warpath against the Mexicans, this time with twenty-five warriors. We
followed the trail of the Mexican troops last mentioned and entered the
Sierra de Sahuaripa Mountains. The second day in these mountains our
scouts discovered mounted Mexican troops. There was only one company of
cavalry in this command, and I thought that by properly surprising them
we could defeat them. We ambushed the trail over which they were to
come. This was at a place where the whole company must pass through a
mountain defile. We reserved fire until all of the troops had passed
through; then the signal was given. The Mexican troopers, seemingly
without a word of command, dismounted, and placing their horses on the
outside of the company, for breastworks, made a good fight against us. I
saw that we could not dislodge them without using all our ammunition, so
I led a charge. The warriors suddenly pressed in from all sides and we
fought hand to hand. During this encounter I raised my spear to kill a
Mexican soldier just as he leveled his gun at me; I was advancing
rapidly, and my foot slipping in a pool of blood, I fell under the
Mexican trooper. He struck me over the head with the butt of his gun,
knocking me senseless. Just at that instant a warrior who followed in my
footsteps killed the Mexican with a spear. In a few minutes not a
Mexican soldier was left alive. When the Apache war-cry had died away,
and their enemies had been scalped, they began to care for their dead
and wounded. I was found lying unconscious where I had fallen. They
bathed my head in cold water and restored me to consciousness. Then they
bound up my wound and the next morning, although weak from loss of
blood and suffering from a severe headache, I was able to march on the
return to Arizona. I did not fully recover for months, and I still wear
the scar given me by that musketeer. In this fight we had lost so
heavily that there really was no glory in our victory, and we returned
to Arizona. No one seemed to want to go on the warpath again that year.

In the summer (1861) with twelve warriors I again went into Mexico. We
entered Chihuahua and followed south on the east side of the Sierra
Madre Mountains four days' journey; then crossed over to the Sierra de
Sahuaripa range, not far east of C