Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-09-05
A TEXAS NORTHER.

!
 the post sutler's. 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 Bilkins. whom the lieutenant had taken along to spread our noonday lunch and lead the pack horse, rode at the rear. lis big gray fol- l lowing with the fdithfulnesS of troop
 horse. while the pack animal bore no
 heavier burden than pair of jack rab- | bits which Caswcn hal ignominiOusly | potted,
 A blast of air, so coll that it seemed | to almost frccZ" ones blood. rushed over
 us just as the sun was hidden on the
 horizon by the advancing cloud. X band of cattle, 200 or more in compact mass.
 plunged madly past. their heads near
 the ground and their long hur.s shining
 in the glow of the fAlsr twilight. Crash.
 through the undrrlrpsh, srl ~l. through
 the stream, and then vii .,.I toward
 the southwark tu"r t,.,.,..
 Over a swell of tine l,...5. a,.r:Lrr
 herds all running L,l,. r,...s.i .....:, An
 telope, whose fleet fc,t a.i t.rr aching
 vision had been t!"}r uN.n !r";o..tlun and
 tine cause of "ur fallur,. all th, day.
 skinned the ground. their white tails
 bobhing with their nimhle bounds. To the southward. always to the Southward fled the creatures nf the plains as if in
 flight lay safety from the blast, as if flesh and hlV"d could outSpned the ice wind.
 Shes coming" exclaimed the lieuten- ant. lnelcgant. perhaps, but save in its unwarranted designation of q mctcuru- logical gender entirely truthful. Turn ing our horses sharply to the right and restraining at the beginning their sym toms of a desire to bolt. We rode into the thickest of the timber and then east ward at a 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 anxiuu>ly looking for some embankment along the stream which would partially shelter us under its lee when BilkinS wantonlv broke. the rules and regulations of the service bv treating his superior officer ill a most hlppant and unmilltary manner. His big gray bounded by. the luckhorse keeping noble time tu giant leaps. Come on" yelled Bilkins. There's d house.
 He doubtless added >ulIethiu- more. but his words. like the cattle. went to the southward. We eovertook BiIkins in 50 yards and in 50 more ended a wild race to a miserable shanty which the sharp eyes of the soldier had seen.
 RpfOr.a HI-.A r,1,11 en men came out, and the chrerv voice. of Captain Hall Was heard: Just in time. lieutenant. Bows. help the gentle men with their horses"
 Five minutes later the animals were safe in a corral near the Shantv. 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 magnificent draft.
 Darkness and the storm. Men rolled ill saddle blankets and sleeping on the dirt floor. The drrary drip of drop, which came through the leaking roof. And the roar added to the blast and the ground tremhlcs as Il herd of hcllowin. cattle thundcrS past.
 What a night and N hat storm" said Captain Hall II pity any cowboy who is caught out tonight. No man could live through surh a m"rthcr un less he Was mutll'I lia,'. .ru Eskimo"
 We didn't know it thcn hut later ", | learned that all al"u" woman was rid ing through tho night. while we huddlod | in the shantv. I'll" bitter wind. rain which fruzC where II fell. cv"n death in the darkness. w rH q, ti.rl hva love which | bore a woman f" Virn 4- N"rthl,~S < scOundrel d.. liv"d Tn :T.-> H.
 A long tim, Clptalu Hl1l .i. I II tho | fire. his hiS eyes I"otin- l,-Ssc ,o the | blaze. Very innorenr rv-a vrrA his mild and liquid l2s- 2 lna,d:r z. Fms | ing band of reckl=S: rid--s uh-s- r,;s sion was the capture of desperate out laws, had the face of l.net and the eyes of schoolgirl At length hc said. m | using thr local vrrnacular:
 You all better see this thing out. We | are after a man who k wanted for some | score of crimes. big and little. Life at | Fort COncho must be rather drearv. Get up, guard. mount. drill. the sunset | gun. taps, go to bed. Isn't that about the routine: Come with us ill the morn ing and see uS catch Jack Brown. Ills at ranch some four miles from Johnson station and about eight miles from here. We'll surround the rauchhous,. 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. We'll have breakfast ;.t the ranch. and that will be worth staying over for. See us capture Brown and get your break fast
 You forget l am a soldier" replied Lieutenant Ward, somewhat nettled. and would hardly hile behind tree while dozen men captured single out law"
 "Pshaw,' said Captain Hall Ut isn't n the line of your duty to expose vour- Ielf to the bullets of any cattle thief the rangers may arrest. I don't suppose here will be any resistance. but never could forgive myself if any of vou> gen .lemen came to harm. 1 reckon was thinking as much of your breakfast as