The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-06-05
# From the Yankee Blade
Surprising the Camp!
or, THE IRISH RANGER IN QUEST OF THE
CAMANCHEs.

psS @f BY FALCoNBRIDGE.
Irish are everywhere. You may find Pal
where even live Yankee is unknown, and YET
the Yankees can be found wherever the sun rises
j and sets, and grass grows.
l know a few of the first settlers in Texas were
Irish, at least on the coast; the American army
u is nearly one fourth Irish, and when the Texan
revolution broke out, scores of Southern Irish
men enlisted in the Texan ranks; and no Drawer
quicker soldiers, for such warfare could be desir.
ed, than those .sready -to-fght" lrishmen
There was bullet-headed, square built Paddy
in the Ranger service, named Darby Kelly; and
an active and jolly, witty and brave fellow, who
never began to know what danger or fear looked
like, except they came at him in the shape OF
copper-heads or rattle snakes-and those reptiles
were about the only living sscritters' that could
& ever start hair on Darby's cocoa-nut In the
same company or squad. with Darby, was another
noted individual, named Ben Burns, but who
was more generally known as sBlack Hawk,
from the fact of his having presumed to assert
that he was one of the captors of the famous
] Indian chief Black Hawk, in the frontiers of the
United States, some years previous. 'Black
Hawk was none of your common men; he was
tall and straight as an Indian; an immense ium-
per, wrestler, horse breaker, and all those things
1 besides being an elegant marksman, and the
most dashing and fearless equestrian you ever
!, saw on horse. flesh. Black Hawk and Darby
4 We're messnIates, and thrice sworn friends
Il Darby was not by nature, or the force of art
y very well versed in Indian manners and customs
although he had some brushes with the red skins
For them he entertained the livelicst contempt
and hate, and he would no more have hestated
toride into regiment them, with good sl,ille-
4 Tan, than he would to have entered agrocery
with dime in his pocket. Darby's contempt
tor Camanches cost him some trouble, as the
sequel will prove.
. Towards sunset, one clear and bracing Octo-
Der day, small party of the Rangers, after a
long, toilsome scout in the Camanche country,
halted at spring, and dismounting, from the
pleasantness of the spot and the fatigue of the
party, they determined to bivouac there for
the night, and preparations were made accord
ingly. 10y
Darby Kelly was one of the party-his friend
Black Hawk was with another squad, who were
to join them the next day. After such repast
as Ranger might indulge in such place and
at such time, the horses being secured, the
Rangers took smoke, and throwing themselves
upon old Mother Earth, seven Of fhe nine
slept-leaving Darby and comrade to keep
guard. -. ~
Night had not far advanced when the nodding
sentinels were aroused by the snorting of the
horses, and the manner of their sscavorting''
around indicated that there was mischief in the
wind.
.,. aup, boys! up" says Darby, arousing his
= some ssa-shee or other about up! boys, and be
wide awake!' E.. ..s.lr as'
And Darby words of warning were hardly
from his lips when a body of those red, dare
devil horsemen, swift as the wirlwind, bounced
upon the little camp, knocking it into ssnext
week. stampeding the horses, severely wound
ing two of the Rangers, and carrying off Darby
kellys beautiful red Mexican blanket, which
tYnpN - L H.
Z OF the Indians horses, to keep him from Jump
ing on to him, while he pulled fast and strong
the trigger of his revolver, materially altering
some of the notes of the assailants.
tHu-u-o-ep Whoo-o-o-eprt
The performance was all over, and the assail
ants mile off, before Darby could say
did ye es liver see the like othat in yer travel:
aforee
f.1 The wounded were attended to, and two O
the little party despatched to certain point
where the other party of the Rangers-some ter
mounted and well-equipped men-were suppo.
sed to be camped Darby, for his fast-travelline
qualities, and devotion to danger, was one of tn
messengers, and about day light he and his com
rade found the camp of their friends, and the,
they all made break for the scene of the disas
ter, where council of war was held, CAM
was decided upon for the wounded and endorsed
and ten of the best men, including Black Hawl
the thieying Camanches.
They kept the trail of the Indians faithfully
all day, and towards shutdown struck a tributary
of the Trinity river, and then the trail divided
the stolen horses evidently being taken by
small portion of the Indians to remote spot, t.
escape re-capture should pursuit be made. The
Rangers were very anxious to have "firt
with their copper-colored enemies, but just Their
the capture of their horses was a more importan
- I'D; f,,, l,ho
night, under the brow of a small mountain, anc
Black Hawk took reconnaissance and returned
to the party in the course Of an hour, reporting
that ten or twelve Of the redskins were encam-
ped, with over twenty horses.
"And did ye spy anything like my ould
grey, amongs' 'em9' says Darby in whis-
per.
aCouldn't make ont the critters Black
Hawk replies, 'but, Darby one of the copper
the fire?
"His-s-she-e, says Black Hawk, raising his
great bony hand for Darby to keep quiet 'Now,
boys, look sharp! There's to be mighty tight
scrimmage here poorly darned sudden. Some
body TO be hart, but we've got to take them
critters, and the red devils won't like it, nuther
Now you Bill Brown and Dick Mackfee, take
care Of these critters; hold on to sem like life tc
a possum; eight of us will fix the flint Of tha
thieving gang, in short metre. Bill and Dick
you hang by the critters. So, boys, look sharp
and crawl down upon the camp; look sharp, an
keep yonr tools handy; quite, look sharp.
An hours crawling and feeling along through
the brush and grass, finally brought the India
camp in view. The horses were all tight
picketed; dull fire exhibited some ten or twelv
Indians stretched out, or sitting around, an
eight were selected as targets by the Rangers
rifles; but before they let drive at them, the war
Indians smelt rat, and quicker than though
they jumped---hew to their horses, and snappin
the lariats with their knives, they dashed ava
like lightning, with yell and small shower
bullets after them.
Darby's whole mind and energies had bee
fixed upon the copper-headed gentleman VIII
was reposing on his much loved red blanket, an
when that individual took the cue to fly, he di
not forget the blanket, which he stuck to, an
Darby after him. "Bang!" went Darby's riff
slightly scathing the Indians hide, and :
he mounted one horse, Darby leaped like
double-strung cat upon another, and away wer
the Indian and the red blanket, and away wer
Darby and his charger, furious as the tornado
after the Indian, who was yelling like blue blaze
and Darby peppering him with his revolver
Before Black and his COMPANIONS could mour