The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-16
17[g[E Il ANTE [S[RM@[l0W
9W[lO92 E10HEVvAYN]AN]o
BY JOHN HEARD. JR.
wright, 1897. 8. 8. Mcclure Coz


Among the many old 'trifles which |
have brought from my travels is little
.o,d hell on the table before me now.
1t was given to me some years ago as
souvenir by the only highwayman it has
been my chance to meet, and often since
rben | have wondered what had become
Of the interesting rascal to whom it be-
iungeu.
A few days ago lreceiyed Il letter from
a friend in Mexico telling of his death.
How wildly it recalled our interview
In the spring OF 1884. ! was obliged to
take the tedious journey from Alamos
10 MaZattan. in the traditional stage
coach-a picturesque experience to re-
member, but an agony Of FIVE nights and
four days to endure. At the time,
chafed over the slow progress Of our
civilization, which forced me to travel III
restless, tin sheathed wooden box; but
to-day the perspective has changed, and
I look upon the geographical Limitations
of Yankee enterprise, with a decided
feeling of satisfaction. There are still
some things to do that everybody has not
done. some sights that cannot be had
for the price of a ticket, some men to
meet. outside of offices and clubs.
Eraclio Soils was one of these men. He
belonged to species unknown to the
railroad freighted Philistine, who naively
belives that he is travelling two genera
ton, hence the race Of such mel rs
Eraclio will be extinct.
| had heard much about him, for in
those years he was a more important fac
tor in the government Of northwestern
Mexico than all the state governors COM
bined. In spite of detachment Of cav
airy stationed in the neighborhoOd Of Soy
Hornitos, Eraclio held up every alternate
stage coach, within mile, more or less,
Of the same place. The soldiers always
arrived upon the scene a few minutes at
ter his band had disappeared, and when
ever they escorted the coach it was sure
to be attacked as soon as their protec-
ton was deemed no longer necessary.
When he left Alamis, Ben Hill, the
gambler, called out to me as we drove
past his house: Here's good luck to
EracEo; tell him I'm all right" where
upon my neighbor asked if I were going
beyond Fuertie. 1 answered that / in
tended to, and then he assured me that
1 should certainly make the bandits ac-
quaintance, as this was the regular mark
ed trip. Shortly after leaving Fuertie
my last companion got out, and I was
left alone. The certainty Of being stopped
by the brigand had gradually grown upon
me during the past 36 hours, and as /
sat there suspiciously scanning the cactus
brush on either side Of the coach, my rifle
between my knees, and my revolver ready
for immediate use, debated with myself
what course l ought to pursue.
Beyond my arms really had nothing
to lose. and it seemed foolhardy to at
tempt to resist, single-handed. the at
tacks of band of trained highwaymen
merely because my Anglo-Saxon preju-
dices forbade me to yield without a strug-
gle. l did not wish to risk my life
for the sake Of a mere prejudice, but
rebelled at the idea Of holding up my
hands without making use Of them.
While / was thus undecided, the driver
settled the question by calling to me to
take off my shooting irons and climb up
beside him. don JUAN" he said to
me as l braced myself to the box at his
side, you've got nerve enough, so may
as well tell you that Eraclio will stop
US in few minutes. When we reach the
top OF this grade you-wiH see the ar
royo hondO, and on the rise beyond pro-
baby the horsemen, too, but perhaps only
Eraclio himself. Now, for heavens sake.
don't 60 shooting. There will be 80 rife
shots leveled at us from behind the cac-
tus brush, and the minute you pull the
trigger we shall be riddled.
hnx
filled with lead? Well, I can tell you.
for was driving. Eraclio appeared in
the usual way, and stopped, of course.
as soon as he waved his rifle, but Hill
jumped out and fired. Whew! How the
bullets began to come in! A perfect
hailstorm. Two minutes later it was all
over. Three Of the mules were dead, be-
side the whipper and one Of the passen-
gers. AS for Hill, he was lying on the
road with six bullets under his skin
enough to kill any ordinary man-but
there he lay, firing away at the cactus,
with the blood running down over his
forehead, and as mad as though he had
been eating papashes all the morning.
Eraclio had a hard time preventing his
men from finishing them, but the gambler
was an old friend of his, and he kept the
Coyotes off.
"Ben," said he, "why did you shoot?
Are you drunkr"
"Quite safe?' the other answered, "Tm
picked now anyway. Look here, Eraclio.
be generous with me. There are 5000
pesos in my valise, and that ought to
satisfy you. But there's my wife, she
has all her jewelry along, and now that
am laid up. think you might look
after her. Can't you take her down to
Culiaean? 1 can scrape up couple of
thousand more when get home, and if
you'll do that I'll send them to you and
welcome. Is it bargain?
"Bah" the other answered, laughing.
"Friend Ben, between thieves, the short
est accounts are best. I'll take your
money for the men-but the sonora shall
reach Culiean safely. I'll see to that
myself" And he did it, don Juan. He
put three Of his men inside, made me do
the whipping, and drove himself, right
up to the hotel, though he knew well
enough that there was a big placard on