The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-07-18
A TEXAS NORTHER.

Tenth cavalry, Caswell, chief clerk at
the post suffers, and myself. We had
been out after antelope without success
and late i'll the afternoon found ourselves
some go miles from Fort Concho, men
and mounts tired with days pounding
over the plains. Private Bilkins, whom
the lieutenant h;sl 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 Il burden than pair of jack rab-
bits which Caswell had ANONYMOUSLY
potted.
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 i'll 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 n swell of Die plains came other
herds all running like race horses. An
telope, whose feet 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 niInble bounds. To
the southwark, always to the southwark
fled 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 i'll its
unwarranted designation of meteoro-
logical gender entirely truthful. Turn
ing orr horses sharply to the right and
restraining at the beginning their SYN
toms of Il desire to bolt, we rode into
the thickest of the timber and then east
ward at gallop which lacked little of a
lively run. Colder blew the north wind
Blast driven drops of rain began to slap
our cheeks with their singing 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 Il most
fippant and unmilitary manner. His
big gray bounded by, the packhorse
keeping noble time to giant leaps
Come on" yelled Blllins. There's q
He doubtless added something more.
but his words, like the cattle. went to
the southwark. Weovertook Bilkins in
so yards and in so more ended a wild
race to n miserable shanty which the
sharp eyes of the soldier had seen.
Before we could dismount half doz-
Ell 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 i'll 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 i'll the old fireplace, for the fierce
wind without caused a magnificent draft.
Darkness and the storm. Men rolled
i'll 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 us herd of believing
cattle thunders past.
What a night and what Il Storm
said Captain Hall. Il pity any cowboy
who is caught out tonight No man
could live through such ii northcr I'M
less he was mutfied like an Eskimo"
We didn't know it incn, but later we
learned that all alone IL 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 deficd by q love which
bore woman to warn as worthless n
scoundrel as lived III Texas.
y long time Captain Hall gazcd ut the
fire, his big eyes looking bigger III the
blaze. Very innocent eyes were his.
mild and liquid like maiden's. This
leader of the rangers, captain of a dar-
ing band of reckless riders whose mis-
sion was the capture of desperate out
laws, had the face of IL poet and the ewes
of Il schoolgirl. AT length he said. I'M
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.
We'l have lreakfaSt at thn rnncl, o..a