Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1882-03-20
A Deadly Sorrow.

erpool from Galveston, Texas.
We were pacing the quarterback
when Captain Read made this re-
mark, and I had just taken my last
look at the shores of my native land,
that lay dimly in the distance, bathed
ina crimson and purple hue, under
the soft beauties of declining De-
cember sun.
This conversation led to personal
"reminiscences on my part, and one OF
them that | will relate made mark
ed impression on the mind of the cap
tain, as the scene itself, in stern re-
ality, made an everlasting one on
mine.
Some years ago, Cortina, then a.
/ general in the Mexican service on the
Rio Grande, in the Zona Libra, en-
couraged cattle-stealing from Texas.
His armed guerillas, in strong force,
would cross the river above Browns
| Vile, invade United States territory
fifty or sixty miles, and on their re-
turn drive before them all the cattle
and horses they could find on the un
protected ranges to designated
ford, where they would be crossed
into Mexico and sold to the highest
bidders in the small inferior towns.
To defeat the designs of these bold
raiders and protect the property of
American citizens, company of
Texas Rangers, under the command
of Captain McNelly, was put in ser
vice on the Rio Grande.
Having been ranger against Cor
tina in 1859, enlisted again to fight
my old enemy.
On July morning we were en-
] camped few miles north of Santa
Rita Ranch, in bend of the tcrtuous
Rio Grande. | had just finished
drinking a cup of coffee, and was
smoking a fragrant cigarette, look
ing through the chapparal toward the
Mexican side of the river, when |
heard the jingling of steel spurs, and
hastily returned. Captain McNelly
rode toward me. He spoke in quick
tones.
prepare three days rations; take
Fairfax with you. Skirt Palo Alto,
cross the Arroyo Colorado, above
Mesquite Spring, and rendezvous at
the Spanish dagger-tree, that is sur
rounded by cactus. Lose no time.
Twenty Mexicans have crossed the
Rio Grande. We must learn their
destination, and attempt to destroy
them. They are under command of
Pancha Barilla, Cortina's most des-
perate cattle thief. If they cross the
Arroyo Colorado at that point, gal
lop toward Los Indos on the eastern
bank of the stream. We will meet
you there
In a few minutes Fairfax and my
self were riding beneath the moss
covered trees, through which patches
of sunshine only stole at intervals,
en- route to the trail we were to fol-
low across the prairies to the rendez-
vous on the copper-colored Arroyo
Colorado, that during the summer
months lies sluggish and poisonous
under the rays of fierce southern
sun.
My companion was taciturn. He
had been with the command but six
months, but in that time he haC
shown himself to be man of cour.
age, education, and thorough sol
dier. His history was unknown. He
: met the company at Ranch Sants
l Rosa, and applied for membership
Being well armed and mounted, Cap
tain McNelly Immediately enrolled
him, and from that time on he gaineC
in the good opinion of the whole com
r mand.
d Fairfax was a man of slender form
about twenty-five years old, ant
nearly six feet high. His hair wa
= black, face pale and handsome, eye
dark and luminous, and head with
. width of ridge that Lavater said h
e was worth a kingdom.
a AS we crossed the Arroyo Colora
d do, and reached the designated ren
. devious, it was just sundown, an
. the prairie, as far as Palo Alto, wa
. covered with a light saffron tinge
and an xanthic beauty seemed to pei
t wade the air, even to the deep shaC
lie ows that lay slumbering under th
IS tall trees margining the old battle
:, ground.
:. With field glass we surveyed Pal
= Alto, and soon saw advancing frol
st its depths body of armed mel
er their guns and steel accoutrement
Se flashing as they emerged from tt
'u shadow of the wood.
They proved to be Cortina's rait
h' ers, under command of Pancha Ba
- rilla, and encamped at Mesqui
D. Spring, on the western side of tt
D. Arroyo Colorado, in dense chapp
y. raj, about two hundred yards fro
re our rendezvous.
=, = After the moon rose, they MAJ
80 small fires, and from their action
%, we knew they would not move un
of that luminary was high in the hea
IS ems. 1t was our duty to ascerta
,n' their route. After leaving the spril
= and dismounting, we spread our Me
lean blankets on the ground, L
10 down upon them, and, with lariats
- hand, let our horses Craze on t
short grass that Orow on fha almC