Show c. c HOW HOR I MET TI THE HE MAN WHO vila CAPTURED GERONIMO Mi- Mi E. E V. V Sutton Button and I were driving driving driving ing up the State of Arizona from visiting Montezuma's Well and Castle Castle Castle Cas Cas- tle and the Great Natural Bridge and were just nearing Camp Verde along about five thirty in the afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon both travel tired both weary and supper uppermost in the minds of each I spied a few Apache huts congregated into a tiny Tillage village and andI I said Theres some Indian huts lets let's letsgo letsgo letsgo go see em Aw hell man lets rest and eat eat eat- Its It's only more of the same thing See See em If If we want to the latter added reluctantly Naw Lets Let's see em now I ed Stop er He stopped inwardly cussing me I went over to the village and saw some Indian youths sitting In a rattle rattle rattle rat rat- tle trap wagon watching another Indian tinkering with an auto I essayed a conversation finding it all monologue on my part for they certainly certainly certainly were not communicative I tried to draw them out but without success Finally in sheer desperation desperation desperation despera despera- tion I said I would like to take some pictures and then one evidently evidently evi evl- evi- evi dently once In a white mans man's school said quite have to pay if you do Why of at course I expect to pay How mu mu I didn't even finish the sentence for I saw hobbling out outa of a hut toward me a very very aged old man with mincing steps of at extreme old age toddling along with the help of a stick one eye shut and I knew In an Instant he was partly blind th matter cant can't you see I said to the old gentleman deserting the group for this rare old find for I saw in a glance ho he was a type and I yearned to get him on a film No no see said ald the old fellow who was originally attracted by the strange voice and now wished to get into the spotlight Something on his breast attracted me What is that May I see it iU I Isaid Isaid Isaid said anticipating permission by takIng taking taking tak tak- ing into my hand a big solid BaUd bronze medal modal hanging on his vest yest To my utter astonishment that piece of metal was a medal cast by bythe bythe bythe the United States Government and given to this Indian four years ago ego as a mark of or honor I It read A MAJOR AJOR SMYLY two Ninety-two years year old e Chief of ot Indian Scouts Twenty Seven Years Yeara T Chief of at Indian Police I i TJ I 7 r Seven years Tf d Personally captured GERONIMO The Apache Outlaw won Wall it tt ever a man wag WM thunder thunder- struck add addled il in its the thee pate I was WOoS that man The man w who o q captured Geronimo Geronimo Ge Ge- Geronimo the to capture whom our Goy GoT Government spent upwards of And my hand was resting on the bosom bosom bosom bos bos- om of a famous man a famous Indian Indian Indian In In- dian scout who had done don our nation a very worthy service Major said I clasping his hand band and shaking it How l' l want I-want want you to meet a friend of mine who came all the way from tram Los Angeles purposely purposely pur pur- to meet you Come with me and before he could reply I 1 had him under tow piloting him to Sutton Mr Sutton I said as we neared the car me leading the old man his left hand held in my right I want you to see this old gentleman and look at what hes he's got on his breast How How said Sutton who was an adopted Dakota Sioux and earned the sobriquet Chief Earnie along with a war bonnett which he frequently frequently frequently fre fre- donned How Taking tho the medal medal Great Great Guns Beckwith do you realize what this means meaDs This man Is a a. marvel Hes He's a find Major said I I I want to take your picture I come back tomorrow tomor tomor- TOW row take your picture and r went through the pantomime and I 1 pay you one dollar one dollar you savvy say sav vy Uh Remember tomorrow morning ten o'clock I take your picture pay you one dollar dollan All right I quer quer- led Uh But a n nod accompanied It and did didI I not have an Indians Indian's word and his hla word as good as gold I was elated Sutton watched me hand band In hand with the old gentleman piloting him back hack to his people patting patting patting pat pat- ting him on the back and affectionately affectionately affectionately affection affection- making a lot of my catch Secretly Sutton snapped me In the act I r saw It from an eye tilted for that very purpose Well Wen I t care if Ie I was trudging along holding hands with an Indian man man t It could be an Indian woman for all I care care 1 1 and he could have the evidence too I went back to Sutton all aU aglow I thought in terms of at exposure on the way to the hotel how bow I would place the old man in the morning and what I should place him of to git atmosphere Oh I walked In glory I 1 was that radiantly happy Next ext morning at ten o'clock found me in the village a dollars dollar's worth of at candy in a sack for the kids a big brand new shiny for the old man and my tongue oiled to its glib glib- est Camera set and all hunky hunky- dory There was a man an Indian tinkering tinkering tinkering tink tink- ering with a great big Dodge sedan his wife wIre a neighbors neighbor's wife and the children of both in the car Approaching Approaching Ap Ap- Ap- Ap preaching him I asked Is Major Smyly around Yes hes he's somewhere somewhere somewhere some some- where around May I give giTe your 1 It babies some candy You give giTe to them yourself So opening the th sedan door r I gave the babies each some candy passed some to their mamas and was just handing the theman theman theman man some pieces when whom should I T see strutting out of his hut but but MaJor Major Ma Ma- Jor jar Smyly himself dressed up fit tit to kill killa n a clean shirt on for tor was it no not Sunday morning and was he be not goIng going go go- Ing lag to get his took Hat Jammed down over his ears ean Chest out a foot Stick that he bobbled hobbled hobbled hob bob bled with yester een discarded and andas as chipper as any six ninety-six year yea old cock out strode Major Smyly toward me and to him I darted that May I look anticIpating anticipating anticipating antic antic- a yes by already baYing having in to tomy my hand this time a brilliant purple purple purple pur pur- badge emblazoned in gold suspending suspending suspending sus sus- pending from a ribbon of red white and blue a solid gold miniature of an Indian Chief In war bonnet and dignity and below that printed Ingold in ingold ingold gold on the purple background round Major Smyly two Ninety-two years old Big Chief Tonto Tanto Basin Arizona By the way Tonto Tanto Basin where I Ithen Ithen Ithen then and there was Is where Zane Grey holds forth orth and back on the road somewhere a sign read Zane Grays Gray's Summer Camp and an arm pointed Oh we Oh-we we were among amonS' urn umi What with flavoring of at Indians and writers mountain Mons romance and and and- where'd wo we leave off oft Oh Oh yes Gettin th old mana mans picture I placed the Major But he was wa wasI wasas I as rigid as iron Was he not gettin Bettin BettinI I his hla picture took and would he be un Wl- bend Well I guess not Stiffer than any poker I I I str stroked ked him I talked to him Then Id I'd step back But ZOOM up into rigidity hed he'd flip I tried the tho candy busted in on the old man aan aa as asa r. r Santa Claus Glaus turned loose and fi finally finally finally fi- fi nally got under hla his reserve stuck atuck him before a hut but to get the flavor of at tho the place took off oft his hat hut stroked him affectionately and got a picture pitt- pitt urn ure I am nm proud of |