The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 66, July 1962 - April, 1963 Page: 559

Notes and Documents

excursions into the former states is sold to the citizens of the latter,
who are ever found ready purchasers, and pay them in powder and
lead, and such articles as Indians are in want of.
While at Socorro a young Mexican came to see us, he took hold of
my coarse cotton shirt, then pointed to his, which was a clean, but
rather coarse threadbare linen shirt, and signified to me he would
give five large hard-baked biscuits in exchange for my shirt. That was
too tempting for a hungry person, besides, I had an opportunity to
get a clean shirt for one entirely dirty. When I signifyed my consent,
he went to the guard and asked permission to take me to his house,
saying he would be responsible for my return. Arrived at his adobe
house, consisting of two rooms bare of all furniture, he introduced
me to his mother and wife, then he made signs for me to pull off my
shirt, right in the presence of both women, I thought then he would
pull out a shirt from some box or closet but it seems the fellow
had only one shirt as he pulled off his, and thus we exchanged.
Though I was possessed of only one shirt and a prisoner, a sardonic
smile passed over my face, at this singular exchange. Then he handed
me the bread. The man could not have been more than nineteen-my
age-and he asked me if I was not married. It seems in Mexico they
marry early, and as they live so simple, in adobe houses which last
for ages and need no furniture, they may enter into matrimony, but
the idea of my being a husband, when I did not have as much property
as a cow or a log house in Texas was to me, preposterous.
LXXV.
On the morning of the loth of October we left Socorro without
regret; for although its name in English signifies succor or assistance,
we found none there. We had travelled but a short distance before
the principal chief of the Apache Indians, with a small retinue of his
warriors, was seen rapidly dashing over a hill, to see los Americanos,
as they called us, who had surrendered to the New Mexicans.
The chief was a dignified person in appearance, he was about middle
height, and well built, he must have been old, for his hair was gray.
His countenance was gray. His countenance was stern, strongly
marked, and very expressive, and he was mounted on a powerful gray
charger of fine action.
He rode up to the head of the line of us prisoners, in company of
Salezar. As we passed in review of him, a ragged, haggard and emaci-
ated throng, the old chief examined us with the eye of an eagle-
his thoughts could not be divined.
After a walk of unusual length across a bend of the Rio Grande-
for it was nearly forty miles-we reached, just at dark, a large grove
of cottonwoods close upon the river bank. This grove was called the
Bosque, (forest grove) de los Apaches, and it was a fine camping

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