Although TG (second from the left) was somewhat concerned and WestCoastBPgramps (third from left) was dozing again , Musketman even as a baby was not intimidated by those new cartridge guns!
Years later he said "If it had been a Bess, I would have filled my basket." I don't think he was talking about picking berries.
As Claude and a few others were curious about this picture, I thought I would explain it a little.
It was drawn by my father for a book called "NO PLACE FOR ANGELS" by Roscoe G Willson.
Around Prescott Ariz. the Apache raided a ranch in the 1770s.
The ranchers led by John Townsend, a noted Arizona indian fighter, caught up with them several days later and killed a number of the them. After the smoke cleared, they noticed 7 babies in woven baskets lined up against a rock wall.
They decided that because the indians often killed their women and children, turn about was fair play. No one volunteered so they drew straws. John lost.
As he drew a bead on the first baby, it smiled at him. He lowered his gun and walked away. The rest decided that killing the babys wasn't such a good idea after all.
Later, they hung all of the baskets with the babys from a rope between two trees. The next morning the babys and baskets were gone.
Two years later, John was ambushed by Apache indians while deer hunting.
At his funeral, one speaker said of John, "John was a hard man in many ways, and I never saw him weaken but once; and that was the time he couldn't kill those Apache babies."