The herald., 1893-07-13
A TEXAS NORTHER.

of the Concho, Lieutenant Ward of the
Tenth cavalry, Caswell, chief clerk at
the post suffers, and myself. We had
been out after antelope without success
and late in the afternoon found ourselves
some 20 miles from Fort Concho, men
and mounts tired with days pounding
over the plains. Private Rjlkins, whom
the lieutenant had taken along to spread
our MONDAY lunch and lead the pack
horse, rode at the rear, his big gray fol-
lowing with the faithfulness of troop
horse, while the pack animal bore no
heavier burden than pair of jack rab-
bits which Caswell had ignominiously
potted. W #n
A blast of air, so cold that it seemed
to almost freeze ones blood, rushed over
us just as the sun was hidden on the
horizon by the advancing cloud. A band
of cattle, 200 or more in compact mass,
plunged madly past, their heads near
the ground and their long horns shining
in the glow of the false twilight. Crash,
through the underbrush, splash, through
the stream, and then wildly on toward
the southwark tore the cattle.
Over swell of the plains came other
herds all running like race horses. An
telope, whose fleet feet and farreaching
vision had been their own protection and
the cause of our failure all the day,
skinned the ground, their white tails
bobbing with their nimble bounds. To
the southwark, always to the southwark
fed the creatures of the plains as if in
| flight lay safety from the blast, as if
flesh and blood could outspeed the ice
| wind
"She's coming!' exclaimed the lieuten-
ant. Inelegant, perhaps, but save in its
unwarranted designation Of meteoro-
logical gender entirely truthful. Turn
ing our horses sharply to the right and
restraining at the beginning their SYM
toms of desire to bolt, we rode into
the thickest Of the timber and then east
ward at gallop which lacked little of
lively run. Colder blew the north wind.
Blast driven drops Of rain began to slap
our cheeks with their stinging picket
warnings that the storm was nearly up
on us, and we were anxiously looking
for some embankment along the stream
which would partially shelter us under
| its lee when Bilkins wantonly broke the
rules and regulations of. the service by
treating his superior officer in most
fiippant and unmilitary manner. His
big gray bounded by, the packhorse
keeping noble time to giant leaps.
"Come on" yelled Bilkins. There's a
house,
az
but his words, like the cattle, went to
| the southwark Weovertook Bilkins in
80 yards and in 90 more ended wild
race to miserable shanty which the
sharp eyes of the soldier had seen.
Before we could dismount half doz-
en- men came out, and the CHEEKY voice
of Captain Hall was heard: "Just in
time, lieutenant! Boys, help the gentle
men with their horses"
Five minutes later the animals were
safe in corral near the shanty, from
which they could not escape during the
storm, and we were in the house, where
Captain Hall and detail Of state rangers
had taken refuge A fire was soon roar
ing in the old fireplace, for the fierce
wind without caused a magnificent draft.
Darkness and the storm. Men rolled
in saddle blankets and sleeping on the
dirt floor. The dreary drip of drops
which came through the leaking roof.
And the roar added to the blast, and the
ground trembles as herd of believing
cattle thunders past.
"What a night and what q storm"
said Captain Hall. 81 pity any cowboy
who is caught out tonight. . No man
could live through such norther un-
less he was muffied like an Eskimo"
We didn't know it then, but later we
learned that all alone a woman was rid
ing through the night, while we huddled
In the shanty. The bitter wind, rain
which froze where it fell, even death in
the darkness, were defed by love which
bore a woman to warn as worthless
scoundrel as lived in Texas.
A long time Captain Hall gazed at the
fire, his big eyes looking bigger in the
blaze. Very innocent eyes were his,
mild and liquid like maiden's. This
leader of the rangers, captain Of dar-
ing band of reckless riders whose mis-
sion was the capture of desperate out
laws, had the face of poet and the eyes
of q schoolgirl. At length he said, un-
consciously using the local vernacular:
"You all better see this thing out. We
are after a man who is wanted for some
score of crimes, big and little. Life at
Fort Concho must be rather dreary.
Get up, guard, mount, drill, the sunset
gun, taps, go to bed. Isn't that about
the routine? Come with us in the morn
ing and see us catch Jack Brown. He's
at ranch some four miles from johnson
station and about eight miles from here
Well surround the ranchhouse as soon
as it's light, and if there's any shooting
you can watch it from the timber. Then
we'll all go back to the fort together.
Well have breakfast at the ranch, and
that will be worth staying over for. See
us capture Brown and get your break
fast"
"You forget l am soldier" replied
Lieutenant Ward, somewhat nettled
"and would hardly hide behind tree
while dozen men captured single out
law"
"Pshaw," said Captain Hall. "It isn't
in the line of your duty to expose your
self to the bullets of any cattle thief the
rangers may arrest. l don't suppose
there will be any resistance, but never
could forgive myself if any of you gen.