ARMY APACHE SCOUT (The Apache Kid Chronicles-Volume 1)
Fiction / Indigenous / Historical Fiction / Native American
Date Published: 06-03-2015
Publisher: Hat Creek
From Army Scout to Outlaw, from Hero to Legend.
He survived the embers of the fires and murders at the Camp Grant Massacre of the Apache. Young Has-kay-bay-nay-ntayl ("brave and tall and will come to a mysterious end"), a child known by many names but later feared and revered as the Apache Kid-grows up in two cultures where survival means choosing between loyalty and betrayal, his people and their overseers. Trained by the legendary Al Sieber and other former military officers, the Kid makes a meteoric rise to prominence as a First Sergeant of scouts, a warrior whose skill and leadership helps win the U.S. Army's fight against renegades and maintain peace between Apache bands at San Carlos Reservation.
But neither war nor peace are ever simple. When forced to make an impossible choice between his own People or the Army, he chooses his People. His choice leads the Army to imprison him at Alcatraz. Released early by the Army, Arizona Territory tries to imprison him again but he, with seven other Apache on the way to Yuma Penitentiary, escape and become the object of the greatest manhunt in Arizona history. The only one to survive the manhunt, Kid becomes both a ghost and a legend, the most feared border outlaw for the next ten years before vanishing into Mexico.
Seen through Kid's eyes, The Apache Kid: Army Apache Scout brings to life the thrilling and tragic journey of Apache Kid as a young man and the best of the Army's Apache scouts.
Interview with W. Michael Farmer
What is your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of the book is when the Arivaipa chief, Hashke Bahnzin, decides Kid is the man for his young daughter, Chita. He invites Kid to supper to tell the story of his stopping rustlers from stealing his boss’s cattle and for Kid to learn how well Chita and her mother cook. After they eat, Hashke Bahnzin offers not to let Chita marry until Kid and the daughter, not yet a woman, are ready. Kid accepts the offer with honor and delight, beginning a long courtship.
Does your book have a lesson? Moral?
The book’s lesson is: life often is not fair. The book’s moral: grit, courage, determination, and a clear eye for the facts always help balance the fairness scales.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Nearly every character in the book is based on a real person and their involvement in historic events.
Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?
I’ve written a trilogy about the history of the Mescalero Apaches as seen by a young man and highly respected warrior, Yellow Boy who plays a significant role in another trilogy about the Fountain murders in 1896 New Mexico. Yellow Boy serves as a savior and mentor to a young white boy who wants to avenge his father’s murder after seeing him killed. Yellow Boy is my favorite character for his devotion to his family, band, and the white child. As a mentor he teaches the boy the lessons young Apache boys learn in order to survive and the expectation of him to do the right thing in supporting his band.
For the Apache Kid books, my favorite is Kid. He was a phenomenal athlete, had great visual acuity, was a crack shot, and nearly always tried to do the right thing.
What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?
As a boy, Nneez ishkiin, who was called Gonshayee as a man, and who replaced Toga-de-chuz (Kid’s father) after he was killed, was big for his age and a bully. He would be at the top of my list as a character I wouldn’t get along with.
What would the main character in your book have to say about you?
I think Kid would say I treated him and his people fairly in my work, but spend too much time making black water tracks on paper telling their stories.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Each book should stand on its own, but for the stories I tell about historical and ethnological events, my readers will find characters in one book appearing in others. We all know, that’s the way of life is sometimes.
About the Author
W. MICHAEL FARMER blends over fifteen years of research into 19th-century Apache history and Southwest living to create richly authentic stories. A retired PhD physicist, his scientific work included laser-based measurements of atmospheric aerosols, and he authored a two-volume reference on atmospheric effects.
His fiction and essays have earned numerous honors, including three Will Rogers Gold and six Silver Medallions, multiple New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards, and a Spur Finalist Award. His novels include The Life and Times of Yellow Boy, Legends of the Desert, and the award-winning Geronimo duology. His latest novels include Trini! Come! and the Chato Duology, featuring Desperate Warrior and Proud Outcast.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
https://mybook.to/TheApacheKid
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