I was working near the White Mountain Apache Indian Res about 10 years ago. I'd worked hard all week and thought I would just take a night off and chill out.

I drove for miles down a dirt road and far away from the nearest city. At About 10 at night I pulled to the edge of a rut in the road just to kick back. I climbed out of the cab of my truck, lit a smoke and started walking around. I could hear birds and little animals scurrying about. The desert seemed to come alive that night.

I ended up laying on the hood of my truck sucking down a beer and taking in the beautiful stars. Coming from Southern California, I was amazed at the massive and wonderful Milky Way Galaxy. It was great to behold.

I was nearing the end of my first beer and wanting to roll off the cab and grab another one so I propped myself up on one elbow. Then I heard them. The sound of unshod ponies striking rocks as they walked.

At this point I stood up on the hood to see where the noise was coming from. I still couldn't see anything but knew they were coming from my right. I could feel my heart beat rapidly when the first one broke bush.

He was the most proud person I ever saw. His entire body and horse all had a weird glow about them. He wore a full head dress with feathers that touched the horses rump. The ends of the feathers were lit with a reddish glow.

Being scared to death, I didn't know what to do. I froze. I waited as he rode near the front of my truck. Once there, he stopped and stared directly in my eyes. He had deep lines that crisscrossed his face. I could tell that this man was important and held power. He was extremely strong looking, well built for his age and his face shown the worry of many years trying to keep his people alive.

With a slight kick to his horses flank, he pushed on. Six other warriors followed him. Each dressed differently but all glowing as the first. None of them looked at me. They just rode by.

When I could no longer see them or hear them I jumped off the truck and grabbed a .45 and a flashlight. I was still pretty shook up. I flashed the light across the path they'd taken but could find no tracks. Yet I know I heard the hooves striking stones and the horses breaking against the bush.

I ran to the clearing to see if the edges might have broken or twisted branches. Everything looked normal as far as I could tell. Then I heard the sounds.

It was as if they were coming back but now there were dozens of them. My legs became feeble as I chamber a round in the .45. Soon I could not only hear them 50 yards abreast of me but I began to see their faint glows.

I have to admit, I lost it at this point. I ran back to my truck to get away but realized the doors were locked and keys inside. I must have bumped the auto lock when I grabbed my gun and flashlight! I thought about shooting out the window or breaking it with a rock but that might incite them in some way. I was scared.

With my brain in panic mode I ran off the road, deeper and deeper into the brush. I ran until I could run no more than I walked and ran some more. Finally, not seeing or hearing them anymore, I stopped and looked for shelter.

It was cold that night and I had little in the way of supplies with me. All I could think of doing was staying hidden and keeping warm. I didn't dare use my flashlight for fear of being seen. So I reached down and scooped pine needles all around my body.

I must have fell asleep during the night because when I awoke the sky was black with dark clouds and it began to rain heavily. Once again, I felt my life was in danger and knew I had to do something. I used the flashlight to find better cover but even under big trees, little streams of water would fall. After about 10 minutes I found a very small cave. Not a big one like you see on tv. I ran up there to check it out and found it to be suitable enough to completely shield my body with extra room to spare.

By this time, I was soaked! Everything I wore including my underware was wet. I decided to make a fire at the mouth of the cave for warmth and to dry my clothes. So, I gathered fallen wood from under the trees and pine needles. I tried to light the pine needles but they wouldn't catch. Finally, I pulled off one of my socks, found a dry patch near the top and used it to start a fire with my lighter. The fire felt good but smoke filled my small cave. I ended up grabbing a small log and used it to push the fire away from the entrance. It worked and now the cave was clearing but the fire was going out because of the rain. Naked, I left the cave site to look for long branches. I found a handful of large ones and placed them tepee style around the fire. Now, as the rain hit these green sticks, the water clung to the sticks and was displaced around the fire. I dug a small ditch around my tepee waterbreak and watched as the water pooled around it and spilled over in safe direction.

I was very scared that night and couldn't sleep for many hours. When I awoke, I was freezing. My fire was completely out but my clothing was nearly dry. My plan that day was to retraced my footprints, get back to my truck, break the damn window, get the hell out of there and never come back.

I didn't take long for me to realize the rain had washed away my tracks. I had run for hours the previous night and had no clue as to where I was. I could see no landmarks in any direction. I walked around for a while looking for the biggest nearby hill. Once on top, perhaps I could spot something and find a way out.

As I neared the crest of the hill, my heart sank. I couldn't see anything I recognized from my vantage point. As I sat down, trying to collect my self, I saw strange indian symbols hanging in the tree near me or stuck in the ground. There were no footprints in this area as well but I knew it had been done recently. Sticks were used to make the symbols and they were twisted and broken. The wood inside was completely green. I know I had walked into some sort of religious site and I'd better get the hell out.

I backtracked to the best of my knowledge the way I'd come the night before. I fell twice and hurt my right leg in the process. I had to stop for a break. I sat there thinking how crazy the night had been. and tried to rationalize the experience. Finally I just got up and kept walking in a westernly direction. I came to a small pool of water in some rocks and wanted a drink but the water looked filthy and animal and bird dropping were all around the water. I just lay my head on the rock and almost cried. Alright, I cried a little.

After a time, I got up and pushed onward. I saw a fairly large clearing ahead and made haste. When I reached the clearing I froze in my tracks. A wooden indian spear with the blunt end pushed in the ground stood before me. A single white feather with a painted red tip hung loosly near the top. A large rabbit was impaled on the tip. Its guts on the ground and its blood still slowly dripping like small rivers down the length of the spear.

I'll have to finish my story tomorrow. It's getting way late and I have to work tomorrow.