The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-14

the memories Of some old encounters
cine over his mind.
"And now, God bless you, Lieutenant,
and good'by u
| rode on at rapid gait, without meet
Ing or seeing living thing, until near
two in the morning, when j came TO the
remains OF o small fire that had been built
on the side ofthe road, aud TINT threw out
no little light from ia embets of lnesquit
wood, that, when il first caught my eye
It was not four yards distant. | knew ut
once, from the small quantity Of iue used
TINT Mexican teamSter had kindled 1t
and that DO and bis team were not lar
oG. Nor WaSI mistaken. II proved 10
be one Of my wagons which Robertson
had sent down on special service, md
had stopped here for the night while on
It's way 10 Brownsville, lltook adSant.
age of this lOtGunatel meeting 70 give my
horse some much needed feBt tot be had
been on the road nearly the whole oil the
previous day. Rousiug the Mexican, he
was dispatched 10 feed and picket him at
such distance from tho road as TO pre-
vent his hearing, and neighipg back to
taAy horses that might possibly pAss down
during the night, and by SO doing betrAy
my presence. After giving the Mexican
directions to watch the road, slept sound
~ until daybreak, albeit ! had the saddle
for q pillow, and tok my mattress stiff,
undressed, Unframed OK hide, that the
faithful driver insisted on loaning me
while he passed the rest Of The GIT on
the bare ground by the roadside.
The driver awoke inc at five. A cup
Of hot coffee and gu inch or two ofjerE.
cd beef from the poor fellows sCanty
store considerably refreshed me. Then,
slowing in my saddlebags enough corn
for q couple Of feeds, mounted, waved
4 90 alioS 10 the 1lind. heated MANUEL, as
he handed me lighted cigafitta, and, in
a moment was once more going over the
road at an easy lope. All that, day | kept
sleadilytpn, stopping but tWicesSlo water
my nninhi, and once ut an oul. the.
way rancho for corn cake Tor torilla) for
myself Soon after nightfall ! entered
the ch9pparal, and threading my, way for
over 4 quatter of mile IL & direction Of
right angles to the road, | tied the horse
and placed his corn before him: then, tax
ing the valise, saddle and equipments
lbaek on my shoulders TO near the edge OIL
Ethe road whereof conld conveniently
hear il any one passed, | lay down, roll
ed in the saddle blanket, with my head
on the sub.treasnry, and shiVered and
slept until morning.
Tired, hungry, and with stillened limbs
| rose with the dawn, fed my poor, worn
out steed again, and then threw myself
once more YEARLY into the saddle. But
my spirits rose with the Frightening day,
aud when evening came ! had made such
good progress that fatigue was forgotten
IN the prospect Of being at Fort Brown
on the morrow. The SUI went down rs
approached the Rancho Rosario, the
worst place for crime on the river; but
passed on without stopping, rode through
the hamlet, and as | left it behind me, re-
tected that there remained but thirty'6yC
miles ofmy journey. The next day was
the one on which the bimohthly mai
from the north arrived at BrazOs, and The
morrow's sunset would see me in the safe
shadow Of my office porch, reading fresh
letters from the dear ones at homc. The
stars came out and twinkled merriIJ
through the mesquiet branches, while !,
yielding to pleasing reviries, slackenet
the gpit 10 q walk, and looSng the reins
rested my hands thoughtfully on the pom
mel.
But my agreeable musings were mol
destined to be Of long duration, for in 4
moment was startled by q noise thai
quickly recalled 10 mind the dangers o.
the situation. 1t was the sound ofhorses
feet in rapid gallop on the hard road
and coming from the rear. Aninsteht
atterthey ceased at the village. Quick
rs thought dismounted, penetrated the
chapparel with difficulty, led my horse
to a tree and securely tied him. Then
jerking the blanketffom beneath the sad
die, I'muftled' his ears, and winding the
lariet tightly about the blanket and hit
jaws, ! put it out of his power TO neigt
and thus attract attention. Return.
ing TO the road secretcd myself in the
bushes, and pistolin hand awaited events
The party had apparently stopped at
the rancho | had just left, and I supposed
for the purpose OF making inquiries. They
must have been sure of their prey, for il
was quite ten minutes before they came
up. I thought could distinguish Eng
liah mixed with Mexican words, and
had not much doubt that the patty ftpm
'Ringgold; having discovered ny absence,
was already at my heels. YeSI there they
were, led by the American, the three anx.
ious inquirers | had seen in my Office two
days before. The American was laughing
as The rode by at aslow trot, and'itwas q
laugh that chilled me to the bone. They
were quite sure that ! was Just ahead, and
in few minutes would befn their power.
felt wonderfully like shooting and stand
ing my chance, but, at that time, the
Great Rebellion had not been fought and
officers had q habit Of always waiting for
an covert" act. But even now cannot
think of the time when l lay there with
my revolver pointing toward that scoun.
Dire g, without Q feeling Of almost ferocity,
and an voluntary tEiteling Of the fingers
ofmy pistol hand. A moment more, the
temptation was removed and they we're
out Of hearing. s.l7H!11Has.af.
What was Ito do nowP Under the cir.
cumstances to return and seek shelter at
the Rosario was equivalent to ordering
my own funeral. To strike out into the
chapparat and attempt to reach Browns.
vile without going by the road, was al.
most certain to result in starvation, for I
was too poor woodsmau to find nv way
without q chart and compass, and 1 had
neither. About two miles below, the road
forked, and tie left branch led out 10 San.
To Gertrudes, Captain Kings ranch. /
determined to follow on behind my rob.
Der friends until / cana 10 the, fork. then
tAke,t efoad'to th6tleft, andlbefofe liooh
Of the morrow would DO safe at Kings
ranch, where | could refresh myself and
horse, and whence Igeould t6ke one of
his vaqueros to guide me into town.
| mounted and started again. Let me
tell you here, that the two miles of coun.
tEy had yet toF ride through before leay.
iag4he main EtoAd, 4 &kaaS Notorious Ite
whole length Of the river for the numbe r
OF mndrers that had been committed there,
some Of which, indeed, had been perpe!
trated within the preceding two years. In
the Roman Catholic community scattered
along the Rio Grahde it is a custom, borrow
edtrom old Spain, to erect a rough wooden
cross on the spot where has taken place a