The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1888-10-25

beyond the servants description OF a
certain suspicious-looking character
seen around the stables, Foster renewed
the hunt, and, before the time had ex-
lpired, he had tie satisfaction Of pre-
senting 10 Palatios the thief and the
papersl
Then he was privately informed that
Ne had been seenin close company with
some of Cortina's 3Hfcers, while Colonel
Palacios told him that he had dupli:
Gated the stolen dispatches, which, with
serious charges against our courier, he
had sent, by. exit prdinary EXPRESS"
to their destina,ionii
BY these occurrences Colonel Fos.
Ter found himself delayed some thirty.
six hours, and while he still remained
in Matamoras, the special courier was
well on his way to San Luis Potosi.
He knew that life and reputation were
at stake, and, with the nerve of true
American, he resolved to outride the
Mexican dispatch bearer or skill every
| horse on the road"
| Colonel Palacios and his officers
! thought | would not attempt to dis
tance the courier" laughed Colonel
Foster at this etage of his narrative;
'hut they did not know that l used to
ride pony express on our plains, nor
that an American sets a very high value
on his life"
1t was ten clock on Friday morn.
| ing, when the resolute Foster, we'll
mounted and equipped, galloped out
OF Matamoras, One can almost follow
him by the map, for he kept to the
main roads as much a possible, though
some detours lad to be made,
BY sunlight and stars Colonel Eos.
ter rode like the wind. Being a regu.
lar dispatch bearer, he had authority
to impress fresh horses when needed,
and he was often called upon TO do so.
Dashing through Victoria and Tula,
he turned aside to find General Rocha,
but that officer had gone to the CAPT
tai.
By the afternoon of the second day
the American trooper had covered five
hundred and twenty five miles. Horses
had fallen dead under him at various
points, and slow relays had cost him
many precious minutes. But it was
''on! still onr'
After reporting briefly to the officer
in command of General tocha's forces,
he dashed for San Luis Potosi. He
had heard nothing of the courier ex-
trnordinairo" who carried his life In
his hands, yet he could not claim the
victory.
He rested al few moments in San Luis
Potosi, and then was off like a cannon
shot for Queretaro. At one of the re-
lays he learned that General Escobedo
was advancing under orders, and. as
he had dispatches for that officer, he
was obliged to find him by detour
which took up much time. At last he
rode up to an ambulance in a cloud OF
dust and presented his dispatches to a
decorated officer inside. This officer
proved to be the hunted General, and
while he wrote some dispatches for the
war office, Foster and his horse had
time to blow.
Away he went again, making up for
lost time over the wel-traversed ma
tional highway. The swarthy inhab.
itants of the adobe huts along the way
saw him fit past like a flying lance;
but they did not dream, poor ignorant
souls, that the man in the saddle was
riding for life and reputation.
The landscape sped away behind
Like an ocean flying before the wind,
And the steed, like bark fed with fumaceire, |
Swept On with his wild eye full OF IRE.
Colonel Foster found Queretaro and
Tepejo Del Rio in rapid succession, and
at midnight of the fourth day he gal
loped into Cuantitlan, rousing the
drowsy people with the hoof beats of
his painting steed.
II want a horse-a good fresh ami
mall" cried the American to the mas
ter of posts, to whom he presented
The official shook his head. Not a
horse to be had.
The passage through the town OF
fifty express riders during the day had
completely exhausted the relay sta
ton, and not an animal could be OBJ
tained at any price.
Thus circumstanced twenty-four
miles from the city of Mexico, Colonel
Foster was obliged to take the dill
gence, which left at Eve o'clock the
next morning; and, late in the after
noon, he presented himself and his
at the War Department.
When his ride became known, he
found himself the lion of the hour. In
four days and eight hours he had rid
den fifteen hundred miles in the sad
die, over all conditions Of country, and
had thereby saved his reputation, if
not his life.
Such had been his speed that he was
five days ahead of the "extraordinary
express" and when the poor courier
reported, he was put under arrest and
dismissed from the service "for not
how to ride"
"Were you tired, Colonelp" l asked
The hero of this remarkable ride when
he finished his story.
mot very tired. reckon that the
horses l did not kill outright were
more tired than was." he answered.
There have been many famous rides,
OF me say in conclusion, but, with tho
exception Of Sheridan's, I know Of
lone which deserves more praise than