, 1897-03-27

SIShS esNi AZ NSP va q iiil, Nu.lH d.
eorded a good view of what had been tn
Ross place, Vas reached. Nothing re
manned but 4 pile OF ashes. Two blood,
corpses lay near by. Both were Stripe,
almost naked and scalped.
Damn their pesky skins" muttere,
Big Bill. They want satisfied to xii
and drive off the cattle, they robbed tn,
dead OF shirts an everything. They'll
pay for This" and then, turning TO hi.
companions. who We're silently gains
at the ruins about them, he asked: Sc,
any signs"
Big dust-cloud off to the right" sale
the s~torekeeper.
That's them" said Edwards. AN
they must have 500 head of cattle witt
EN-. Well. they cant get away with
en-"
They've got a 20-mile start" said the
storekeeper, al its only Il matter o
80 miles more TO the Grande.
We'll, if we don't ketch 'em on this
side we'll foller them on t'other." said
Edwards.
Ii was after shutdown when the caval-
cade set in motion again. Men and
horses were refreshed by food and drink
and the cool breeze which had sprung
up with the disappearance Of the sun.
They started off at a swinging six-mile-
an-hour clip. Occasionally Edwards
spoke and one Of the others answered
him in monOsyllables. The moon rose
along toward s O'Clock md the Texans
couldn't see the dust-cloud which guild
ed Them in daylight, but after eight
hours hard riding. they could hear the
thunder Of the feet of the cattle.
Guess they didn't calkerlate at Ned
I'D last til he got to Deaf Smith, 'er
they'd "a hurried a Bit said Edwards,
smiling grimly, as they reached the sum-
nit OF a low hill and could see the heard
galloping YEARLY along down the south
slope five miles away and hear the sharp
cuts OF the vaquerors as they prodded
the jaded beasts along. Well rest up
n biz and ketch 'em crossin' the Grande
at daylight
The Texans halted, and in a few mo-
ments the animals were picketed and
the cattlemen asleep in the thick grass.
They were in motion again before the
sun began TO redden the eastern sky,
and, refreshed by their short rest, they
made better time than they had the
uight before.
They came upon the flying MeXicans
as they were riding into the wide, shall
low stream. They were about forty
vaqueros in the party and twenty Pecos
River Indians. Most OF the Mexicans
were in The rear. The Texans dashed
into the rear party before they could
prepare for n defense. Their wild yells
stampeded the herd, and many OF the
vaqueros were trampled under the hoots
of the maddened cattle.
About twenty abandoned their horses
and took refuge in the shallow water
behind the powders. The Texans adopt
ed the same tactics and scattered among
the powders and timber on the river
bank.
Edwards was wounded in the cheek as
he got off his bronco, but the Mexicans
were good shots and no one else was
hurt. Every time a Mexican or an In
dian showed his head he got a bullet in
it. The fight lasted until midday, when
the Mexicans ran up a white flag.
Only eight Of them were left. Their
surrender was unconditional. They did
not ask for quarter. because they knew
they would gel none.
One by one, Mt the command OF Ed
wards, they marched sullenly from their
places of concealment. They left their
arms behind them. When they were
lined up in an open space, Edwards COM
manded the storekeeper to gather up
their lariats.
Ten minutes later the Mexicans stood
in a row, bound hand and foot with
halters about their necks.
Now, boys, we're off," cried Ed
wards, Selling a halter and springing
into his saddle. Seven other Texans fol-
lowed his example and the cavalcade
galloped back over the trail.-Evening
Sun.