Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-02-20
CORPORAL NICK brown.

49, oSA-1kO VIM S1P1. OOuu
Wood-the title being one of courtesy
--shoud have sent for his daughter
Ethel to JOIN him in camp on the Rio
Grande, where he was hard at work
as q contractor on the Sunset exten-
sion Of the Southern Pacific railroad /;
but be did, and when the fact became
known, the captain of the Ranger
company at Murderville detailed three
OF his best men to escort the young
lady from the 'end of the track at
Del Rio to he: fathers camp.
Renegade Indians from Mexico
Tonkawas, Lipans, ComaIches, Kio-
was, Kickapoos and some few Mes
calero Apaches, the remnant of Vic
torio's band-had been making occa-
siona. predatory raids upon the camps
OF the contractors from the time that
they crossed the Pecos river AID
entered upon the heavy work that
makes this portion of the Southern
Pacific road SO grandly picturesque.
These thieving Indians would dash
across the river in the dark of the
moon, steal all the horses and mules
they could conveniently drive, and be
back again across the river before the
Rangers could be notified and scout
ordered out to pursue the rascals.
The Mexican Rangers, or surales
were never on hand when these raids
took place, and the indians, embold-
ened by success In escaping capture or
or battle even, attacked travellers 60
ing to and from the construction
camp.
This fact more than any other in
duced the Ranger captain to tender
an escort to his friend, Capt. Wood,
and when Miss Ethel, barely II and
fresh from an eastern boarding school,
alighted from the train at Del Rio, she
was considerably surprised, and not a
little alarmed, at being greeted by a
tall, handsomely proportloned man,
with dropping mustache and dark
eyes, who was clad In the picturesque
garb of the Ranger service. booted,
spirred and girdled with a cartridge
belt. from which depended scabbard
containing an ivory handled six shoot
er.
you are Miss Ethel Wood?' lnouir-
ed the stranger.
Yes faltered the maiden, shrink
ing back at sight of his pistol and
Winchester rifle.
4 am Corporal Nick Brown, of the
Texas Rangers, continued the barbar-
ously accoutered young man, lifting
his sombrero politely, and with new
light IN his eyes at sight of Ethel's
wondrous beauty. The captain sent
me and my men down to escort YOU to
your fathers camp, which, if we travel
by ambulance, is a good two days
march from here. If you could ride
horseback, though, he continued,
'and we make an early start to-mor-
row, we might make it by night.
4 just dote on horseback riding
answered Ethel, and her cheeks grow
ing roster with anticipation. AT
school was considered an excellent
horsewoman. I am dying to gallop
over one of your prairies-'
I'VE have no prairies out here, cor
rected the corporal. 'Our course lies
across an ARID alkali plain
At this Ethel laughed, and con.
fessed that she was only an ignorant
girl from the States
She had caught the latter express
sion from her farther's letters.
The corporal laughed also al her
naivete, and they instantly became
good friends.
1t was early in the afternoon, and
securing Accommodations for Ethel at
the Sunset hotel, an edifce part adobe,
part wood and part stone, with a can
vas roof, he went into camp with
his own little squad, purchased fodder
and corn for the horses, aud took such
an interest in securing comfort for
Ethel that the latter dreamed of him
all night, and when the Mexican girl
who was the general factotum of the
Sunset called her, while the night
shadows still clung to the earth, she
arose without murmur, although or.
dinarily she loved to lie in bed late.
At early dawn the party was in the
saddle, and trotted off up the gov
ernment road to the Pecos and be-
yond.
As commander Of the scout Cor
poral Brown rode beside Ethel, while
the escort and the single pack mule
followed behind.
They were five all told, and as there
had been DO Indian depreciation lately
committed, Corporal Brown felt re-
markably sure Of turning Miss Ethel
over to her father without accident.
In his secret heart, however, he |
wished that the Indians might attack
them; not that he wanted to jeopar-
die his fair charges safety, but sim
ply to show her how Rangers could
fight.
They camped for dinner at Moxon's
Springs, and Corporal Brown began to |
regret that the journey would be SO
onnss nuor