The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-14

of the outlaw dropped from the saddle and
6 6odv had o4e clS Sana - nf see a ea i1R OF for w SS6 - r rdhee
The ranchers corroborate the story of the
ranger, and they say that the arms and
iron. The limbs were so firm and rigid
that it would have been impossible to have
bent them in any direction without break
In camp the rangers employ their time in
cleaning their arms and training their
horses. There is very little of what an
army officer would call military drill, A
ranger is expected simply to be a good rider
and a quick and accurate shot. Every one
of them is all of that and more. No caval-
ryman in any army in all of Europe can
mount a horse quicker and dash IN pursuit
of an enemy with greater CELEBRITY than a
Texas ranger. He can keep a constant
blaze of fire pouring out of a Winchester
speed, and his bullets viii hit the mark nine
times out of ten. His Winchester empty.
he seizes the bride reins between his teeth
and with a revolver in either hand he cam
rain bullets into a mans body at a dis
lance of 100 yards. Should he drop any
thing or see anything lying on the ground
that he wants, he does not even check the
speed of his horse, but. bending from the
saddle as if he were made of India rubber
he picks the object from the ground
Though a little suspicious of strangers, the
rangers are very clever and hospltable 10
armed with the proper credentials. At
night, around their camp-ires, they are
constantly telling stories of their own or
some comrades adVer%flres. Many OF them
are men of superior education, and SINCE
they are constant readers OF newspapers
no class of frontier people are more enter
tanning. In listening to the history of their
many battles and hardships one, wonders
that they would continue in such dangerous
service for so little pay. With them there
is no such thing as peace. Constant Vigil.
ance day and night and war more than half
of the time is demanded of them by the
citizens of the border.
As illustrative of the desperate character
of the enemies that they have to meet. a
recent battle in which a noted cattleman or
Cotulla lost his life might be cited. Mr.,
Cauls had missed some of his cattle, ana
one day, while riding over his pasture in
company with a ranger, he happened upon
a camp where there were two MeXicans and
a woman. Sauls said politely. to the men,
addressing them in Spanish, II would like
to look into your wagon He never dreamed
of danger. The Mexicans were some dis
tance from their only gun. The woman
slipped around and got the old single-har-
relied rifle, and, carrying it behind her, she
though he knew that he had but one shot
and that his opponents had perhaps forty;
the desperate Mexican took all chances ana
instantly shot Sauls, mortally woundlng
him. A battle ensued. sauls, lying upon
his back and struggling in death. killed the
man who shot him. The other Mexican was
captured and hung.
A REAL BAD MAN.
Francisco Maxine, who was recently ar
rested by the rangers in Star county, and
afterward extradited to Mexico, was a des-
perate character, but the rangers daily
trail other men who would shoot as quick
l. as NldAliIO. us mat iS
had killed a hundred men. The Mexican
police were certainly afraid of him. He
was conspicuous in the Garcia revolution
which was stirred up here in the Rio
Grande country a few years ago and it is
said that upon one occasion he charged and
put to flight a whole company of Mexican
cavalry, such was the terror of his name.
The superstitious soldiers would say, while
they crossed themselves, 1T is no use to
breast" He killed Captain Fernandez and
three rurales, and, throwing their bodies
on his campfire, he calmly lay down within
a few feet of the burning bodies and went
to sleep. The two young rangers who cap
tqred him hin say that they, never think think OF q the n
if they are all there. The rangers had been
hunting the man for years, and finally two
The Mexfcan officers who came to San
Antonio after Maxine loaded him with
chains, and after that they were afraid Of
him, for they did not hesitate to say that
they firmly believed that he was on most
excellent terms with the devil:
The rangers hunted the famous OdeI
gang of outlaws in the 'Roughs" of the
Frios several years before they succeeded
a ranger pushed open 2 cabin door ana
there sat five of those desperadoes eating
breakfast. Fortunately for the lone ranger
not a man had a pistol within his reacn.
The outlaws evidently supposed that there
We're other rangers around the mousse rthuy
to shoot them through a crack II they
moved. The ranger instantly realized that
the moment these men discovered thar ne
was alone. they would spring 10 thelr ieet.
He wisely concluded to slaughter the whole
! gang. and he did. A blaze of fire poured
from the Winchester and man after man
upon the floor struggling in their blood in
less time than one could tel me story, A
steady hand. for the enemies that he has
to face are the most fearless and desperate
characters that the world ever saw.
A member of this same Odel gang was
shot from his horse by the rangers, ana
bullets in his body. he made a last effort
to raise his pistol. His trembling hand was
on me namm eoL a fnr s stTeengt n ~ nniI = that pf
trigger. / would die satisfied If | could
only kill a ranger 1t requires brave men
to pursue and right such characters.
The Rio Grande country. or at least that
scope of it guarded by the rangers, is un-
like any other portion Of the western
plains. Mesquite bushes grow thick and
rise a little above a horseman's head. Giant
cactus, brist1ng with sharp needles COW
often in such solid lunches as TO form "a
barrier that no horse can penetrate rms
makes q good hiding place for outlaws. ana
for an ambush nature has provided. hoth-
ing equal to it. Often as a column of rang
ers ride through this terrible region me
report of a Winchester echoes over tne
plains and a horse GALLONS away with an
empty saddle. The assassin, favored by me
dense undergrowth, often escapes rang
ers when marching in couples or squads
camp wherever night overtakes them, ana
here they encounter other enemies which
they dread more than the outlaws OF the
border. The ground Is often covered
with tarantulas, centipedes, and RAT.
2 -t - I aAf DOAE AaNE A+AA1A -
there is Il RATHER under every bunch or cac-
tus-and such %rattlersi They are certainly
the largest Of that species of reptiles 10 be
found in any part of the world. The rang
ers in dead earnest tell q story OF 2 mon
ster white RATHER they once roped ana
dragged into a corral, intending TO choke IL
to death and skin IT, but the curious reptile
in some way escaped. It had probably just
shed it's skin. but they declare that I was
as white as snow. These rangers tell q
story of a young girl in this country who
is a bold and daring rider. Some time ago
this little belle of the Rio Grande encoun-
tered a monster rattler in the cactus, and
having no weapons. she. threw a lasso
over the reptiles neck and dragged II into
camp at the heels of her frightened pony.
The Texas rangers are brave men. IL Is
doubtful whether there is another military
organization on earth that endures so many
hardships and faces so MANY dangers. old
soldiers familiar with campaigning say they
would rather serve in the ranks of any
army in Europe during actual war than to
be q Texas ranger Watchful and grave
enough while riding through the cactus. the
moment that they get out on the plains
where they can look about them they airs
! ready 10 tell a story or sing a song.