The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-11-28
4 TALE OF The AUSTIN GANG.

saddle until daylight
On this evening the stalking fell to
Smith and Carter, and later on il was OBJ
served that they had picketed two of the
best horses much farther away thar
usual. and c,ose to the belt Of timber
| along the creek. They were ordered to
| BRING them in nearer the wagons.
The order was obeyed in such a sur.y,
| reluctant manner that it was noticed by
! every man IN camp, most of whom, how
| ever. attributed 1t at the time TO pure
! cussedness." But it was soon forgotten,
I and every man was presently busy with
his own affairs, preparing for guard duty
on the next days drive The days were
still long, and it was probably after 8
| O'Clock before al the tired men were
asleep. AT midnight when the relief was
aroused, the astounding discovery was
made that Smith and Carter were both
| missing
The whole camp was aroused, and it
was found that they had decamped, TAX
| ing with them two pairs of blankets
| owned by the men on guard, two Spencer
| repeating carbines and cartridge bets,
| TWO reviewers, two fine Spanish saddles.
having on them the only saddie-bags in
| the outfit, with lariats and rations for
| several days; finishing off 10y going
| through the pockets of all the garments
removed by the s.eepers, and stracting
| money, tobacco and other valuables.
| The affair had evidently been managed
| NtAg Shi.Iuliys ana QdQ only
| IN regard 10 the two horses. They were
obliged to take two which, although a
| little inferior to the first. were picketed
| a little farther away.
How all this was accomplished with
! out arousfng any Of the men created con-
Siderable surprise, as they must have
| taken several trips between the camp
and the timber on the creek.
COffey and Taylor were the two last
| TO come in. having stayed with the herd
until the second relief had arrived, and
I rs soon as they learned the particulars
| the latter exlaimed Its Just as | ex-
! peeted; they belong to the Austin gang
and this accounts for the heavy loss Of
cattle on that stormy night"
The Austin gang was band Of ruff
mans VINO had established themselves near
| that city soon after the war, and made
| u specially of plundering n0rtnern men
who came into the state to buy cattle, re-
| lying upon confederate sympathy for i'm
munity when detected. One of their
methods was based upon a knowledge of
| the fact thai cattle. when separated from
the herd during a drive. will sooner or
later return to their old ranges, even
when several hundred miles away.
Two or three of the sang would hire
out rs cowboys and trust to luck for IA
N0rAble opportunities to occur to run the
cattle at night, as they had done in this
case. IT successful they stayed long
enough TO avert suspicion. and then, de-
ssrtlng, would return TO the ranges and
gather Of all that brand that they could
ind and either run them into Mexico or
dispose Of them to local butchers. If cir
cum-tances failed to render this program
available they generally deserted the out
mt with what booty they could secure
before the state line was crossed. 1t is
but justice 10 say that there were few
If any Texans in the gang.
The excitement in camp at these dis
closures ran very high. Various plans for
recovering the property were being dis
cussed. when Tay.or and Coffey came to
the front and offered TO start in pursuit
al once.
No one knew better than they the peril
Gus nature Of the undertaking for which
they prepared so cOolly 1t fOreshadowed
an evenly matched conflict with two men,
Ders of the most despcabe band of rene
Gades that ever infested the Southwest
men VINO if warned in time would not
hesitate TO lie in ambush and shoot GEwn
pursuer with the same delight with
which an Apache murders a lone pros
pectOr.
Tay,or and Coffey were not even
actuated by the hope of pecuniary reward.
The stain It had inflicted upon the fair
name Of their native state and the injury
done 70 the enterprise with which they
We're so prominently identified appeared
u be the principal incentives. aided by
that love for adventure which made to
50 many of their class the most fascinat-
Ing feature OF border life.
Il was a beautiful night; the moon rode
full and glorious IN a c.oud,ess sky, and
threw its mellow light over the landscape,
revealing the rO.-ing prairie for miles
around when the two men vau,ted into
their sadd IS. ready TO depart upon Gleir
dangerous mission less than an hour after
midnight.
The trail was taken up where the stolen
horses had been staked. Through the
timber and down the bed Of the creek they
had been led, until a turn arOuEd a small
knoll hid the camp from view, and enabled
them TO come out on the prairie without
being seen by the herders. There they
had evidently stopped ,ong enough to ad-
just their packs and prepare for the long
ride. ere they struck out for the nearest
settlement, which was at least 200 miles
away.
Two hours later. out Of that same thick
ct rode the avengers, the leader mounted
upon a pale horse whose sagacity subse
quently proved most fatal TO the outlaws.
Legibie as the pages OF a printed book
lay the trail before The eyes of those ex-
perienced men. the tall grass. heavy with
dew, still PROSTATE from the tread of
flying hOOfs and fecked with dust. For
miles they were able to follow il with
their horses on a lope. Bunglers in a mat
ter Of trail hiding were the fugitives,
and had il not been for the serpentine
course they pursued, crossing and re-
crossing the cattle trail, but never keep
ing it for any considerable distance Il
would have seemed as if they were de-
flying pursuit. Now and again they de-
scended into the creek bottoms where the
pale moonbeams filtered through the
leaves Of the tall costOn-woOds in a dim
uncertain light; but the tracks at the
edge Of the ford were still wet, and the
slOping banks revealed the fresh earth
torn away in the ascent.
Up they went over the plateau and
through a dog-village. miles in length
were the little yellOw-eyed owls bowed
and tee.ered or a dssipated rodent gave
a yelp Of alright and disappeared in a
summersaule down the nearest burrOw.
Now and then band of antelope dashed
across their pathway and huddled to-
gether upon some distant knoll. where
probation at this unwonted intrusion Of
their domain, or a gaunt gray wolf,
startled In his predatory excursion,
sprang from the long grass and Sunk
away in long gallop over the plain.
But the riders drew rein only at the de-
mand OF "A faulty trail or a slackened
cinCh. Naturally reticent, and made still
more so by long familiarity with border
life, they said little. A word, a gesture
CT even a glance, usually answered every
purpose. The eyes OF both were fixed upon
the trail which lay between them or
eagerly scanned the country beyond.
1t was evident that they were gaining
in the chase, as tia outlaws, not dream
ing Of pursuit before morning. If at ALL
had slowed down to quite a leisurely gait
after the first few miles. and 1t appeared
very possible that daylight would bring
important factor that forced itself into
notice Ofpbf Wannd-tha TnAo,,