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Show LIEUTENANT SAVES III FROMAMBUSH THREE HUNDRED CARRANZISTAS FAILED IN ATTEMPT TA TRAP TWENTY AMERICANS. Scouting Patrol in Search of Bandits Compelled to Hide From Pursuing Pursu-ing Mexicans or Run Risk of Extermination. Columbus, N. M. Three hundred Carranzista cavalrymen attempted to ambush a scouting patrol of twenty American cavalrymen north of Guerrero Guer-rero recently, and only by skillful maneuvering ma-neuvering did the American commander com-mander save his detachment, it was learned here Wednesday. The incident inci-dent occurred shortly after General Trevino notified General Pershing he would regard any movement of American Amer-ican troops other than northward, as hostile. The soldiers, a detachment of the Seventh cavalry under Lieutenant Horace M. Hickam, were on a scouting scout-ing patrol in search of bandits believed be-lieved to have had their rendezvous in a zinc mine abou thirty miles from the American base; Not finding any bandits they started back and had turned into the main road, the entrance en-trance to a canyon, when three Mexicans, Mexi-cans, half a mile to the south, opened fire. Immediately the troopers replied and the Mexicans ran, disapearing over the top of a ridge. Lieutenant Hickam did not follow, realizing that the terrain in that direction formed a natural trap and that the territory to the south was not under patrol. The Americans turned north, trotting trot-ting into t'.-.e canyon. As they went down the hill, a trooper galloped up from the rear, reporting that about 300 armed, mounted Mexicans Had dashed over the ridge, where the three Mexi cans had fled, and were pursuing the Americans. Hickam started for a hill farther up the canyon, there to make a stand if too hard pressed. His half troop went forward at a gallop, and the American horses, wearied by the long march they already had made, steadily lost ground to the pursuing column. To rest their mounts, the Americans from time to time dismounted dis-mounted and ran, leading the animals. Still they lost ground. When the Carranzistas seemed about to overtake his men, Lieutenant Hickam led them off the road into a rock-walled depression about ten feet deep, where a huge oak hid them from view. Within 200 yards the Mexicans rode past, without discovering the hidden Americans. Then the latter, at a leisurely pace, followed their late pursuers until the hill was reached. Here they drew up along the crest of the canyon with deep ravine protecting protect-ing each flank. Here they had a fighting fight-ing chance, in case of attack, to get their horses safely up and over the mountain ridge overlooking the canyon can-yon which ran upward rom the American Amer-ican rear. But when the Carranzistas came back down the canyon road they passed the foot of the hill without a hostile move of any sort against the Americans, whom they could see plainly a few hundred yards above. |