The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-15
THE LAST TRAILERS.
PEDRO, THE MAN OF MIXED RACES
AND DYNAMIC CHARACTERISTICS.
How the Trail of the Horse Thieves Was
Followed-King Fisher, the Leader OF
the Band, Proves Himself n Very suave
Gentleman.


Gentleman.
Save in the widest parts of the now
tame west, the trailer, or tracker, Is no |.
more. He was never very plentiful, be-
ing, like the crack shot, "a work of Cod. L
have known but two. One was an Amer
lean named Smith. 1t was said of him
that he would swing from his saddle in
the blacklist of moonless nights, and by
feeling IA bush tell within half mile of
where he stood in all the wide stretch
of country between Bar @ ranch in the
Panhandle and Holy Mary of the-Salt-
Marshes, just above Brownsville. or
course Smith did not feel any bushes. He
| had the sense Of place, us any wild animal
has it, and he found his way by a sixth
sense, just as the birds do
| NV other trailer was Pedro. Pedro's |
| mother was a woman of Tamaulipas. HIS |
father was II Kickapoo. The Tamaulipan !
| Is mixture of the original Aztec, the |
runaway slave and the domineering Span
| lard. The result is about what you would |
| get from an emulsion of Medford rum,
nitroglycerin, arsenic and VOLTS blood.
1 came upon Pedro in this way:
Shannonhouse, the North Carolinian-
long limbed, loose jointed, awkward, pow
erful and brave Shannonhouse-and left
|
ward 30 miles, by sunset camped upon the
Arroyo Blanca, where there was little
sheep tainted water and less grass. At 10
O'Clock next morning we reached the Saos
ranch, an estate of 10000 acres, which
grew only bronchos, longhorns, cactus,
MESQUITE Mexican babies and thorns.
We turned in toward the ranchhouse for
a cup of coffee and the little light cakes
which the yellow bakers call by 20 pet
names. Plainly something had happened.
The omen space in front of the adobe house
WAS filled with excited men. Among
them stood Sanchez, the owner, giving
rapid commands Between soft Spanish
oaths ripped out us violently as If they
meant something, he explained. One OF
his men had been sent out that morning
to drive up herd of thirty odd stock
horses. " or those used in working cattle
He had gone to their range. They were
not there, but i'm their stead was broad
trail leading away from the Saos neigh
borhood. Sanchez was then making mp
his marty of pursuit. He would take 10
men. since there could not be less than
half dozen driving the stolen stock. They
would not make any speeu with less
Would we ioinY Surely we would Where
was Pedro?
He came I'D well mounted-more than
feet tall: meager almost to ghastliness
his naturally dark skin burned almost to
African backness; his eyes small, deep set
and close together; his nose aquiline; his
lips thin and compressed; his snaky black
hair fell upon his shoulders; his manner
had tho repressed gravity OF his indian
race. Around him, where it chung in some
mysterious manner, was gaudy blanket.
Y It had no fastening that 1 could see. Un-
- 4 L ~,
Il chester, evidently capable and danger
d Gus man. "All ready" asked Sanchez.
"Come on" 1t was as wild u troop as
ever swept over u Tartar steppe. The
swarthy faces were set, and the eyes gilt
tered angrily. whisper ran from
man to man as they clattered on" KING
70 Feeshp' Fisher was noted desperate
d who lived on the Nueces river. he hat
c. killed some of them and robbed then
c. more than once. They were satisfied thai
c. tho last theft was his work Moreover
"a the horses, 32 in all, were the best on th'
g ranch, especially broken and trained.
i Full so miles to the northward ran tina
ID trail, but when they struck it they struci
ID it as the eagle strikes homeward TO ne
ID nest upon the crag when the way Is Ia
ID and the SIM is low and talons are heavy
ID It was as broad and plain as countr
ed road. More than $50 hoofs had made it SO
:. "They were going fast" said PEDRO
=, We were riding at the sharp, steady tro
al that the ranch horse develops. Mile ate
= mile was put behind us. 1--WE can amor
C; to 90 more slowly said Sanchez in coul
"a icons exclamation. "They have had NOR
% than 10 hours start "If you come u
= with them, what them" asked. "Ah!
he said. We had ridden 30 miles and tn
dark was coming down when the proa
trail disappeared. 1t was wiped out as
~ boy swabs wet sponge across siat'
sytb "We will eat" said Sanchez. 1.-The moo
OK will be M soon." One of the men ha
ne shot peccary Another had small paci
he AGE of salt i'm pocket of his saddle.
90 roasted and alto the wild hog without brea'
RS, "Tbe trail is gone,' said Pedro, "becau'
81 thew have scattered the horses. No ma
=. ter"
We Once more in the saddle, with the VIII
so moon streaming over all the wide countr
80 Pedro rode, now leaning far over
es borse,s shoulders He was following
pts single track. The gait was fast wal
AT The character of the country had ohange
ns' II had become rocky and billy, but WI
U.s. ot;ll hare. So we rode and rode. Su
denly before us again stretched the VII
road made by the fugitives sipiia
;, hiss of satisfaction greeted 1t. NOW tro
v UP hill and down, while loose peppics oi'
$50 tered from under the horses hoofs. On
to n startled herd of antelope bounded ammo
ok; from beneath our feet and scurried ava
md Dawn found us steadily riding. A cup
$50 coffee and two hours sodden sleep, tn
to the relentless pursuit. Again the tr'
, cS vanished, and again Pedro, casting apo
o"d like a hound, signaled Sanchez to col
s5: on. Three miles farther, and the SINS
and track disappeared. Instead, crossing
1855 almost at right angles, was trail vic
ais. even than that which left the ranch, fe -
80. was at fault hcrea half hour, hunting II
lrIy n sIeutb for his "sign." "They have r
200, ,oS wild cattle across the trail, explain
rs; Sanchez
$50. Late that afternoon heavy cloud
hrs: smoke rose on the far horizon. rec
lbs: smiled for the first time THAT Is IN
5o@ last trick" he said in his patois. 1T
10 are burning the grass behind them IN ,
-, / x.,,ll