The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-02-17
THE LIFE OF A RANGER.
MONOToNOUS IN CAMP, BUT LIVELY
ENOUGH ON THE TRAILS.
An Existence of Hardship, Privation and
Danger-When an Alarm Is Given-FaII-
ing Into Lamentations and Camp Equip
age-Chasing the Enemy.

| their ranks. Many of them are trained and
! practiced plainsmen. sThe pay of a private
| IS $50 per month, rations and medical attend
! ance for himself and forage for his horse A
! corporal gets $50 per month, u second SER
/ geant $40, first sergeant $50, lieutenant
| SO and captain 500. The men are re-
| quired TO furnish their own horse saddle,
bride, blankets, clothing, a Winchester rifle,
| q Colts revolver, hunting knife and the nee
essary belts and equipments. The state fur
nishes tents, pack-animals and ammunition
The men enlist for the term of one wear, but
they can usually obtain a discharge at any
time if they can give a good and sufficient
reason therefor TO the commanding officer.
= RANGERS UNRoMAYrIC LIFE
There is absolutely no romance in the life
OF a ranger. His existence is one Of dull
routine in camp, hardship, privation and dan
ger on the trail. The rangers are not bound
down by such strict disciplineos prevails in
tine regular army, for the men are too indie
pendent and risk their lives too unselfishly to
be hampered by the stilted martinetism
which makes the life of a private in the regu-
lar army little better than slavery The
scouts are held together by mutual depend
ence each upon the other, and when in camp
rarely have quarreiS among themselves or
break the few rules that are laid down for
their guidance When l was connected with
tho rangers our principal employment was
hunting Indians, and when in an Indian
country 10 man was allowed to leave camp
night or day without permission from the
commanding officer, and no one was allowed
to fire gun or pistol within one mile of camp
without permission The men are frequently
granted furloughs from reveille to retreat
but they can come in later if they give good
excuse for their absence
No card playing is allowed in camp, and
drunkenness Is punished by a dishonorable
discharge. y discharge for the violation OF
these two rules, hOweter, does not debar n
man from re-enlistnent in the service, but if
he IS discharged for cowardice he can never
become n rarger again. The men have no
drills to attend, and there is only one inspec-
ton year. They are divided into messes
and do their own cooking There are two
guards detailed every morning The first or
principal guard, consisting of four men, has
charge OF the horses during the day when
they are turned loose to Craze. Two men
circle the herd in the morning and two in
the afternoon. They are not allowed to take
the horses more than mile from camp and
at the first intimatiOn of danger are required
to round up the animals and stampede
them back to the corral, at the same time
discharging their rifles to alarm their com
panions in camp.
When en- alarm Of this sort is given the
entire force turns out under arms and
as soon as the herd reaches the corral each
man is expected to catch saddle and mount
his horse. If the cause OF the stampede
proves to be an Indian attack, the men sally
forth to meet the red men. The night guard
is camp patrol of four men, who stand re-
hefs of two and one-half hours each. In case
OF danger the camp is alarmed as when at
tackled by day. So nicely trained is the ear
OF 4 ranger that, matter how soundly he
may be sleeping single shot from the guard
will arouse him, and have known a COM
pany of seventy-five scouts to be in line
dressed and armed for a fight, two minutes
fter the alarm shot was fired.
~ SEARCH OF INDIAN SIGNS.
The ranger IS rarely happy in camp and
longs 20 be on the trail, despite the dangers
and privationS which he knows he VIII meet
Suddenly a scout, who has been coursing the
country in search of Indian signs, comes rid
ing into camp at a galiop and hastily dis
mounts in front of the commanding officers
tent. The APaches are on the war path. He
makes his report TO the commanding officer
and the men fall into line. A detail is made
to pursue the red enemy. Rations for five,
ten, twenty, or thirty days scout, as the case
may be, are issued, and the men break ranks
to prepare for the coming campaign In the
meantime man has been dispatched to the
herd, and soon the animals come galloping
into camp. The men who have been detailed
for the scout catch their horses and a suffi-
cient number OF pack mules. The balance of
the herd goes slowly back to the feeding
ground, and the men who are to remain in
camp return to their letter-writing or reading
with signs of regret.
The detailed scouts are very busy The
rations are placed in sacks together with a
sufficient number of siillets, frying pans and
coffee-pots, and are packed on the mules
Each man carries tin cup on his saddle and
hunting knife in his belt. On the trail the
ranger carries sixty rounds of ammunition
for his rifle and thirty rounds for his revolver
He places one pair of blankets and his over
coat ON the pack mule. His "slicker," a long
coat made OF oiled canvas, is tied behind his
saddle On the right side of the saddle-horn
be sings his Winchester rifle scabbard, and
from the left side hangs his canteen and stake
rope. In his saddle-pockets he carries a sup
ply of tobacco, occasionally a book or news
paper, some hcrSe shoe nails, pack thread and
a little case containing absorbent cotton,
handases, u torniquet, level, some adhesive
plaster and few simple remedies.
In Il half hour after the alarm Is sounded
the scouting party is ready to take up the
trail Led - tile man who first discovered
the In.,-'4 -.=- they ride rapidly to the place
where the reimen have passed and the scout
begins During the daytime no halt is
mad With the tireIess persistence of sleuth
bounds they follow the trail of the enemy
acrC~S iiano and mesa, over mountain and
fh--uEh canyon, until finally, after days Of
weary search, the haunt OF the redmen is
reached. their camp IS quietly surrounded,
and uhen all is ready the scouts dash down
upo5i tbs Unsuspecting e with a loud cheer
T--1.e wild - terrified screams a
.leGie;.-;.7 crash Of firearms, means OF pain
AMI despIiriag death-cries. High above all
IS hoard wild cheer of victory, as the dar-
ing men. s--I'.sc-begriIned and bloodstained
count the bottles OF The s'ain and prepare to
tear from the heads of the dead foe those
CHASTITY trophies of ranger conquest-scalps.-
New Mexico Cor. Philadelphia Times