BONITA 21

the next morning the butte and the canyon waas deathly quiet. no sound came from the top of the butte. the cavalry sent a couple of scouts up the slope. they bounced from tree to tree and boulder to boulder. soon they were seen crossing over onto the top of the butte. for a good hour all was quiet then one of them came to the edge of the butte and waved a white flag. everyone let out the breath they were holding. the cavalry commander and a bugler along with butch blondy and two other troopers started up the trail. on top they found a mess. dead horses lay every where, their throats cut big pools of dried blood every where. one of the scouts showed them where the apache band had taken the steep trail up onto the graham mountain, up into the forest. they were gone. the horses wouldnt have made the climb. butch walked around the top of the buttee and surveyed the mess. under a scrub mesquite he found what he took to be cowans boots. blondy sat on a boulder at one side of the trail rolling a cigarette." we better head back and let the eagle know about this. he wont be happy. looseing a good man and a cow , altho he wouldnt know how many cows he has any way." the telegraph line from fort grant to fort thomas ran along the edge of the flat down below. the cavalry had a cut in key and had sent word back to grant to be on the look out for the apache band. one of the scouts stated he thought the apaches would follow the mountain top to the east then drop down into the san simone river valley and follow it into mexico. the cavalry had sent a patrol through stocton pass to try and cut off the escape. blondy and butch had caught up cowans horses and was leading them back to bonita. blondy didnt think the cavalry would catch geronimo or wanted to. he thought it just as good the apaches went to mexico. on reraching the 76 gilbert webb was dismayed about loosing cowan. but seemed more worried about finding a replacement for him.blondy stayed at the 76 while butch rode on to bonita. he wanted to check on alice. butch was sitting on the porch of the dubois store with alice and talking about the raid and how everyone was scared. from up the trail to the 76 rode blondy." the eagle wants me to go check on simone over in stockton at the c n camp. wanna ride along and watch my back?" he asked butch. " is simone that ole blister with the hatchet we saw over there once before?" butch asked. blondy nodded. he s a bit of a hermit and kinda war like at times. the apaches might have passed him by, or he could have gone with them no tellin." butch gave alice a hug and stepped over to his horse" well we cant have you comming back with that hatchet stuck in your back. lets go."