Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-21
BORDER LIFE.
A Narrative OF Texas and Mexlco-The
Career Of Bent McCIane,
the Desperate.
A Cattle stealing Ekpedition-Hatred %
Texans FOR oreasers, and the
Chances for War.

els her"
eyes; I was talkiog TO HIM In Nolsn's
saloon last night"
"1'd like to see him. What is he doing
here2"
"well, as usual, he has half a dozen
schemes 10 his brain. He has an eye on
the show business, and is also giving out
big talk about what he int nds doing
1 n THE OF WAR
being declared between Texas and Mexi-
co. He has been all through Texas and
the biggest Part OF Mexico, and knows
every foot Of the Rio Grande bottoms"
"Well, he ought to. He's run enough
stolen horses across 10 know every ford
from Fl Paso to the gulf"
"You bet he has. Bent has been a hard
case, and what he don't know about his
particular line OF business amt worth
springing."
eyes, Bent has served his time, you
know
The speakers were nicely dressed, I'M
obtrusive-looking men, seated at a side
table at Kissell's beer.hall Tuesday night,
sampling a quart bottle of beer and ap.
parently taking no notice OF the surround
ings or that a listener sat at an adjoining
table.
The Enquirer man, thinking not so
much OF getting an item, but to be
sociable and confidential to all who know
anything they'll tell, created an excuse
for moving TO their table andinvIted them
TO make friends with a stranger who was
taking In the city.
After discussing the principal topics OF
the day,
II MEXICAN TROUBLE
was preached, with a thought of getting
them back on the original question.
care you in a position TO be able to
state anything authentic concerning the
Mexican trouble7n was asked OF them.
"Were you ever In Texas?" they in
CURED in return, instead of answering the
question.
The reporter confessed that he had
been engaged In journalism both in Lam.
pasas and San Angelo, in that state.
when was thatY" eagerly inquired one
"During 18S3-4.h
The you must remember the numer.
Gus stage robberies that occurred In that
part OF the state about that time,p
"Distinctly. | wrote up several OF
them that happened on the Abilene and
Fort Concho route, as on one or two oc-
friends Of mine had been made TO
suffer from these attacks. The write-ups
were published in the Fort Worth GA.
zETTE.n
PECULIAR LOOK
between the friends, and the ex-
clamation 81 re%membern escaped the
lips of one Of them, unconsolousiy, no
Concerning the trouble between the
United States and Mexico" said one of
them, 81 can say nothing myself, as
been away from there for a long
now but a particular friend Of
mine, who has Just come from the from
tier, n who Is capable of judging the
public sentiments by the condition Of the
public pulse, Is strong in condemnation OF
Inc actions OF the greasers, and says that
Iexas, II given half q chance, will harrow
up the earth with them 80 quick that IL
Will make their heads swim.n
"That feeling, Of course, Is universal
throughout Texas. 1t Is as
FOR A TEXAN TO HATE
GREAsER
As O. cat to hate a mouse,n we ventured.
and there is feud existing between them
hat would inclte them to war with half a
)rovocation.n
''Ihat's true enough, and unless DiaZ
axes Immediate action In this matter the
determination that so promptly quelled
ne wire-tence cutting difficulties q few
lears ago Will again show itself IN Gov.
Ireland's movements.n
"fou think, then, that the newspaper
ak about Ireland having blood In his
eyes Is not all guft, do you2n
"You can gamble on IL. NV friend.
Bent MoClaRe, and a queer character he
Is, too, Is just from there, and he intends
returning ut the first sign of an outbreak.
there is no doubt but what he would
render the state valuable assistance II he
uttered its service, for he knows Texas
Mexico like q book, and a SCRAP ON
me banks OF the Rio Grande would be
nothing new to him, as he has had a
hundred, more or less, OF them on his
)wn account with the rangers ana ON
"Who is this, you say2"
"bent McClane. AS good-hearted a
10Y as ever breathed, although he has al.
ways been crooked"
"Did you know
thN THOMPSON, THE AUSTIN DEsPERAno.
Who was murdered In San Antoniop %
Ibid II Me and my friend here and
were IN the variety dive the NIGHT
Sen was shot. That was a sad night for
Sent, for he and Ben ha6 been quite
yood friends, and he mourned in his
ileeve all that night, and barreled up to
over II quicker. AS | said, Bent was /.
good-hearted boy, aud when he took a
king to anybody they could count ON
Inn for a solid friend, Bent served A
erm OF Ave years in the Joliet, ILL.,, pen {
or some dirty work In Southern /
illinois, where he had a wife and ,
wo or three children. His parents {
we're at one time quite well-to. do I
and his father made Bent study /
rugs when a boy, This knowledge has l
'een the means Of relieving many a poor {
Ieytl In distress, and has also been used I
. netarious ways, the modus operandi OF i
Vhlch l could now no more explain than q
could at that time understand, for Won '
aust know have worked with Bent IN a
avs gone by, although | have paid for all &
ny folly, and am now a %law.abiding clti- a
he added by way OF explanation, d
lancing about to see that no one was oh
him, he placed one OF his fingers y
cross a ridge on the left side OF his head, /
here a bullet had plainly furrowed his n
kull, he said, 'tBent's knowledge Of !
lrgery and medicines saved me once d
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