Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-08-13


brain and tsmbled headlong into the
dust. At the same instant the guard
lurched and fell forward under the
horses with ball in his forehead. A
dozen men sprang from the under-
brush beside the road and showed the
muzzles of their rifles through the
stage door on either side.
Taken by surprise, not weapon was
drawn by the guards. The strong box
was lifted from the boot, the men in.
side were disarmed while the robbers
rifles stared them in the eyes, and the
merry company, with many jokes
about the dresses they would buy for
their senoritas, mounted the horses
that were led out of the woods and
rode away, he on the white steed hum
ming bit of some old Spanish love
song to the time of his horses stop.
1t was dreamy August afternoon in
Southern California when the mayor of
Los Angeles and fellow official were
driving along the old sand road through
the Arroyo Seco toward the town. Over
the brow of hill half mile in front
of them a group of horsemen appeared
at Eallop. They swept down the hill
and met the buggy of the mayor. The
galloping horses were yanked back
upon their launches and II swarthy
Mexican upon a white horse showed a
pistol in the mayors face and said,
with a show of his teeth in smilei
"Your money, senor."
The mayor thought it was joke and
laughed.
"Quickl quickr' SAID the horseman,
as his weapon clicked. 81 am Vas
quez."
The mayor laughed again.
"Ecf you don't believe me, senior,
look"
He pointed back to the hill, and there
appeared another group of horsemen
riding at full tilt from the town.
"Quicl1r' said Vasquez. 81 am no
fool"
The mayor looked down the pistol
barrel at the pair of black, glittering
eyes that lined the sights, and put up
his hands He was lightened of his
chamois bag of gold, as was his friend,
and the bold robbers wheeled and were
off at a run, the posse from the town
riding up five minutes too late to catch
them or to save the mayors coin. The
band escaped into the chapparal.
Vasquez made history in this way for
five years and then was caught like q
rat in trap in 'dobe house near the
scene of the robbery of the mayor, and
was shot down by a newspaper cor
respondent detailed to accompany the
search party He survived his wounds,
was taken to San Jose, where one OF
his earliest and most atrocious murders
had been committed and there met his
fate on the scaffold.
And now for the horse. Every time
the robbers appeared one of them, the
leader, would be mounted upon white
horse. That he had a world of speed
was shown in the way that he would
gallop away from the rest of the gang
when they were pursued. The horse
was hitched behind the house wher
Vasquez was shot. One of the captur
ing party tried to take him and was Sc
vcrely bitten for his cupidity. The
horse broke away, went careering of
toward the canyon where Vasquez hat
had his rendezvous and was lost t
sight. Most people say he died in thu
mountains of starvation, but the Mexi
cans say no. They saw him again.
The night after Vasquez was hanged
white horse galloped up the street t.
the Jail, stood a moment at the doc
and gave neigh. The Mexican
heard in it a call to the dead Vasquez
There came no answer to the horse
challenge and he wheeled about ant
went as suddenly as he came. Then hi
turned bandit and followed Vasquez
old trails. Once in awhile man woull
be found on the road with his bod,
frightfully mutilated and his flesh bear
ing the marks of hoofs. Sometimes il
the night white horse would appea
at the door of Mexican cabin in som
lonely spot and neigh. If no answe
came he would be off like the wind, bu
if any man dared to show himself tn
horse would attack him with hoof an
teeth and it was seldom that victir
) escaped. rIR
Time and again he was shot at an
one Mexican buck was foolhard
enough to try to rope him and met
horrible death, The horse bore
I. | I. 81,
) as great terror to the Mexicans a
Vasquez had been to the rich Amer
cans If by chance Mexican's pom
got out of the corral and wandered o.
J in search of grass the white hors
/ would find him and enlist him. Firs
: he had one follower, then two, the
: half dozen. No man could kill theI
and no man dared to attempt to cap
l ure them. With no loads upon thei
backs they were feet as the wind an
| could outstrip the best horse with
7 rider. The Mexicans named the leade
the "White Devil" and said ths
t Vasquez lived again in his horse.
g AS the years went by and Vasque
e became memory, and his exploits tn
g theme for children's stories, the Whit
1 Devil lost his companions His visit
a to the vicinity of the little towns b.
/ came less and less frequent and the
ceased altogether. At long intervals
a Mexican would ride in with repol
a that he had seen the White Devil
S some canyon among the hills Eve
n these reports ceased, and few Amer
e cans of the latter days in Californt
r had heard of him until the freight trai
h killed the white horse. The Mexican
: came for miles to look at him. All
= them knew him, at least they said S
Y and they respected him sufficiently
4 look at his dead body from distanc
: When he was dragged from beneat
e the engine by the trainmen a hor
doctor looked at him. He was ma
d nifcent animal even in death, and Il
a veterinary said that he had been sto1
e blind for years.
e Vasquez' deeds are history; the stol
y of the White Devil is a Mexican supe