, which, situated as it was on this tableland covered
with canebrake and boulders, formed an ideal position for Indian
defense. As the infantry moved forward the firing of the scouts was
heard, which led us to believe that the fight was on, and great,
accordingly, was our disgust to find, on our arrival, that the firing
was accounted for by the fact that {42} the scouts were killing the
stock, the Apaches themselves having escaped through the northern exit
just a few minutes before their arrival. It was a very narrow escape
for the Indians, and was due to mere accident. One of their number,
who had been out hunting, discovered the red headband of one of our
scouts as he was crawling around into position. He immediately dropped
his game and notified the Apaches, and they were able to get away just
before the scouts closed up the exit. Some of these Indians were
suffering from old wounds. Natchez himself was among this number, and
their sufferings through the pursuit which followed led to their
discouragement and, finally, to their surrender."

The persistent action of our troops was beginning to have its effect,
and when the Indians ceased to commit depredations it was good
evidence to those who knew Indians and Indian nature that they were
beginning to think of surrender.

One night the troops ran into a Mexican pack-train, which brought the
first reports that Indians were near Fronteras, a little village in
Sonora. Two of their women had come into town to find the {43} wife of
an old Mexican who was with the Americans as a guide, hoping, through
her, to open up communications looking to a surrender. As soon as the
report was received Captain Lawton sent Lieutenant Gatewood of the
Sixth Cavalry, who had joined the command, with two friendly Apaches
of the same tribe as those who were out on the warpath, to go ahead
and send his men into the hostile camp and demand their surrender.
This he eventually succeeded in doing, but the Indians refused to
surrender, saying that they would talk only with Lawton, or, as they
expressed it, "the officer who had followed them all summer." This
eventually led to communication being opened and one morning at
daybreak Geronimo, Natchez and twelve other Indians appeared, in camp.
Their inclinations seemed at least to be peaceful enough to allow the
entire body of Indians to come down and camp within two miles of the
Americans. It was agreed that they should meet General Miles and
formal