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Romero; Raines March 21, 1936
SPANISH PIONEER
Escaoe from the Indians
Cut off from the outer world by her blindness, Urs. Tafoya, aged
nearly 100, lives in her little adobe house back from the highway near
Cleveland, New Mexico. When the boys and girls went to her for reminis—
cences her old face lighted. She had been living in the past for so
many years that she was glad to have an audience for the thoughts that
ordinarily surge through her mind.
"Yes, my brother Jose, he was captured by Indians. bhall I tell
you that?"
"Yes, yes, please do."
"Nell, one day Jose was at El Rio del Pueblo when he was surrounded
by a band of Indians who took him captive. But Jose, he watch close so
as to find nis way home again. The Indiene were good to my brother,
treated him kindly, and kept him for a year and a half to take care of
their horses.
"One day, however, he saw the savages put up two poles on which they
tied a ceptive and built a fire under him. Jose was so frightened that
he wanted to escape right away. lie had been so long with the Indians that
they did not watch him any more. He knew their habits 30 well that when
he saw they were starting out to hunt he knew they would be gone sev ral
days; and as all the horses were away he would be left to help the squaws
in the fields. Soon after the men left he took his wooden hoe and left
the scluaws around the camp. Once out of sight he threw down the hoe
and started for home.
"Back at camp his escape was discovered ana an Indian runner sped to
the hunters, who came in prompt pursuit. A long stretch of plain lay
before Juan. He could hear the whoo?s of the Indians in the forest behind.
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MORA COUNTY S-241
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There was no shelter for the boy except a large rook about 100 yards away
'Oh, Saint Anthony, help met' cried Jose. He hurried forward and crept
under the rock. The fleet horses of the Indians were soon heard approaching.
Around and around they rode, then went away a little distance, returned
and rode around again, but they did not see Jose. At last they rode away.
Jose waited until dusk, then calling on his Saint Anthony again he ran
toward home.
"The next morning after my mother had gone to a neighbor's house,
my sister and I were very much frightened to see an Indian standing at
our door. He 11.A long bone earrings and was very dirty. Then Jose spoke
and asked us if we did not know him. We were so happy. I ran for my
mother but did not tell her why I wanted her. She did not know my brother
either. When he spoke, she knew his voice and cried for joy. nen he had
cleaned himself, she took the old bone earrings and gave nim a pair of
silver ones, which we wore the rest of his life."