of the whole force sent against them; therefore, they received the
advance with such coldness that the latter soon after gladly retreated
to their companions, who were halted on the little creek that runs by
the foot of the mountains. Lieutenant Davidson now saw that his only
course was to commence the attack and trust to fortune and the bravery
of his men. Therefore he ordered the gallant fellows to dismount, and
after leaving their horses with a small guard, they commenced the work
of scrambling up the rocks so that they might get at, and dislodge
the enemy. In this they succeeded, notwithstanding they met with a
powerful and determined resistance. In the attempt, five soldiers were
killed; and when the dragoons had reached the highest eminence of the
mountain, they found, to their disappointment, that the Apaches had
not taken to flight according to their anticipations, but instead,
they were scattering and surrounding them. There being great danger,
as already demonstrations were visible in that quarter, that the
Indians would capture the horses of the soldiers, therefore Lieutenant
Davidson placed himself at the head of his men and led them back
to the spot where the animals were congregated. In so doing, he was
obliged to fight his way, as every foot of ground he passed over was
stoutly contested; but at last he arrived, just in time to save them.
The fight then became desultory, but desperate, on the part of the
soldiers; for the Indians, by concealing themselves behind rocks,
trees and whatever came in their way, were quite secure against injury
from the carbines and revolvers of the whites, while, from their
side, came a deadly fire that fast diminished the numbers of their
adversaries. In vain did the dragoons charge them and cause the
foremost of the enemy to retreat to their friends in the rear.
Lieutenant Davidson soon found his party so much crippled in strength
that he saw he could no longer protect his horses and at the same time
carry on the combat against such great odds. When there was little