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Edith L. Crawford, Francisco Gomes.
Carrizozo, N. Mex. Lincoln, N. Max.
Words 1362.
PION= STORY
I was born at Merman°, Valencia County, New Mexico, on
September 17, 1854. My father was Guadalupe Gomez and my mother
was Susanita Serne. Both my father and my mother were born near
what is now Bolen, New Mexico. mr father worked for a man named
Jose Seim at Menzeno end was foremen of his sheep ranch.
Once when I was about seven years old my father sent ms out to
find the oxen and drive them to the house. It was rather early
in the morning. I had made me a little fiddle out of a cigar
box and I was going along playing it when an Indian stepped from
behind a bush and snatched me up. I was very scared and cried
and the Indian slapped his hand over my mouth. BS carried me un-
der his arm for about a half mile and then he came up to five more
Indians. The one that had me put me on the ground and told me to
walk fast. They punched and poked at me all the time to make me
go faster. I was barefooted and the rooks and sticks cut my feet
and made them bleed. ;Ad try to sit down to rest and they would
kick me end make me move on again. When they got way up on the
side of Manzano mountain they stopped for the night. They tied
my hands and feet with raw hide thongs. They did not have any
thing to eat but pinions. I was so awful tired and worn out that
I went to sleep and did not wake up until daylight. Only one
Indian was there when I woke up but the rest soon came in and
they talked and talked for a long time. I don't know all they
said but they had wanted to steal some horses and either could
not find any or they were too closely guarded and they did not
get any. They untied my hands and feet and told me to start
Edith. L. Crawford, 2.
Carrieozo, D. Eht• Words 1342
down the mountain. I ran as hard as I could go because I
wee efreid they would ooze after me. After I had gone for
e ways I ret my father with s bunch or men coming to look for
me. I wee nwfully glad to see them. My Pether took me in his
arms and turned back with me to take me home. The rest of the
men went on up the mountain to hunt for the Indians, but they
never did catch up with theme They were Navajo Indians.
I remerber that they hed ear rings in their eine that were
mede of silver Fee. were round loops. They wore a bend around
their heeds with feathers stuck in it and bed on breech clouts
ane m000nsins. They hed necklaces of beeds and silver orna.
mente that hunt down on their chests. I remember thet the one
who carried ne lend on three of these necklaces. They ell had
bows and errows. I do not know what they were made of but
the tips of the Prrews were of flint about '77..n inch or an inch
and i half long and were white or light colored. Olen the
Innen first caueht me he had his bow end sore errows in his
hand end after we had tone e ways he put the bow in s kind of
scebberd on his beck and the arrows in a kind of beg hung on
one shoulder. My father told me that the Indians had carried
me sbout twenty miles from home. I had been away nearly all
one day and one night. I did not have anything but pinions
to eat ell that time.
My rather and mother moved to Lincoln Ni Mexico in 1863,
yhen I wee about rime yEars old. I do not remember very much
about the trip but we moved in r wagon with an ox team. My
father eettled on n eines about a quarter of a /Ale east of
Lincoln end termed. He used oxen altogether on the fare.
Sdith L. Crawford, 3.
Cerrizozo, N. Mex.
'i:ords 1362
I can remember when we lived in Manzano that the oxen had big
horns and the ropes were fastened to their horns but when we
moved to Lincoln they used yokes on the oxen. I had never
seen them before. dhen we planted corn at Lincoln my father
drove the team of oxen and I dropped the corn in the furrow.
Father would go up in the mountains near our house and cut
down trees for wood and would put a chain around the tree and
the oxen would snake the tree down the mountain side to the
house. $Jhen I was about eighteen years old I went to work for
the MoSilmonts. I steyed with them for about two years. I remem-
ber that one winter Billy the Kid stayed with the MoSweents
for about seven months. I guess he boarded with them. He was
an awfully nice young fellow with light brown hair, blue eyes,
and rather big front teeth. HA always dressed very neatly.
Be used to practise target shooting a lot. BA would throw up
can and would twirl his six gun on his finger and he could
hit the can six times before it hit the ground. He rode a
big roan horse about ten or twelve hands high, all that winter
and when this horse was out in the pasture Billy would go to
the gate and whistle and the horse would come up to the gate to
him. That horse would follow Billy and mind him like a dog.
Be was e very fast horse and could out run most of the other
horses around there. I never went out with Billy but once.
Captain Baoa was sheriff then and once some tough outlaws oame
to Lincoln and rode up and down the streets and shot put window
lights in the houses and terrorized people. Captain Baca told
Billy the Kid to take some men end go after these men. Billy
Edith L. Crawford, 4. tiords 1;362
Carrizozo, tz. dex.
took me and Florencio and joso Chaves and LantL*mo ;;;11.ea with.
him. The outlaws went to the upper Ruid000 and we followed
them. ;e caught up with thom and shot it out with thaa. One
of the outlaws was tilled and the other raz awny. None af
us were hurt.
Alen tie Linooln county '4iar broke out my fathkr did cot want
to get into it so he made ae quit workizz for Le )66ween's
and oome home and stay there. y fatter did not tuke any
part. in the war. I was married to Creaancin alLts In 1831
et Lincoln. 4e never het. Lay children. or our in but we a-
dopted two 6irls. Ons is married and the other lives with
me now at Lincoln. lity wife died about ten ye ors age..
father and mother both died at Lincoln aria. t.re buried there.
still live on the ola place that my father-settica on so
many years ago. I hav been frusticc or the illuce of Lincoln
county fur about twenty pars et different times ana was Pro-
bate Judge from about li00 li0O4. I got so old that I
would not serve au Justice of tLe ;Iloco Lay more.
Lave lived all of my life in New ge-co and have been in
Licoola County fur seventy-five years. I do not speak akailth,
but understand it r irly well.
7.-ARRA.TOR: Francine° Gomez, Lincoln, New Mexico. Aged 84 years.