▁the ▁two ▁women ▁n ortheast , ▁who ▁walked ▁roughly ▁along ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁Santa ▁R ita ▁Mountains , ▁toward ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁strong holds ▁along ▁the ▁San ▁Pedro ▁River . ▁ ▁They ▁stopped ▁a ▁short ▁distance ▁from ▁the ▁camp ▁to ▁take ▁apart ▁a ▁fe ather ▁bed ▁they ▁had ▁been ▁trying ▁to ▁carry ▁off . ▁L arc ena ▁sc ream ed ▁and ▁again ▁was ▁told ▁to ▁be ▁quiet ▁or ▁be ▁killed . ▁Robert ▁H . ▁For bes , ▁author ▁of ▁Pen ning tons : ▁P ione ers ▁of ▁Early ▁Arizona , ▁wrote ▁that ▁up ▁to ▁that ▁time , ▁neither ▁of ▁the ▁capt ives ▁had ▁been ▁mol ested ▁in ▁any ▁way , ▁but ▁L arc ena ▁later ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁Apache ▁" pre - t ended ▁to ▁amb ush ▁them ▁from ▁behind ▁trees ▁or ▁play - fully ▁pointed ▁the ▁captured ▁p istol ▁at ▁them ." ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁Apache ▁rec ount ed ▁that ▁all ▁the ▁land ▁in ▁that ▁area ▁was ▁once ▁part ▁of ▁their ▁domain ▁until ▁the ▁white ▁man ▁came . ▁The ▁journey ▁to ▁the ▁San ▁Pedro ▁was ▁rough , ▁but ▁both ▁L arc ena ▁and ▁Mer cedes ▁t ore ▁off ▁pieces ▁of ▁their ▁cl othing ▁and ▁bent ▁tw igs ▁to ▁make ▁an ▁easily ▁recogn izable ▁trail . ▁For bes ▁says , ▁" One ▁of ▁the ▁Ap aches ▁m elt ed ▁snow ▁in ▁his ▁hands ▁for ▁them ▁[ the ▁capt ives ] ▁to ▁drink . ▁Mrs . ▁Page ▁was ▁pushed ▁or ▁pulled ▁up ▁ste ep ▁places ▁in ▁the ▁trail ▁and ▁Mer cedes ▁was ▁carried