, 1897-04-23
THE LAST OF THE TRAILERs,

l Aa'S nv" pul Two. oue WdS I'LL |
named Smith. 1t was said OF
him that he would swing from his sad
die in the blacklist Of moonless nights,
and, by feeling a bush, tell within a half
mile OF where he stood in all the wide
stretch of country between Bar c ranch,
in the Panhandle, and Holy-Mary-ot |
Observation-Disclosures, just above Browns
vile. or course, Smith did not feel any |
bushes. He had the sense of place, as
any wild animal has it, and he found his
way by a sixth sense, just as the birds
do. He was a strong man, and loved
whisky and Mexican girls. He was sent
to do trailing in the land where all the
buffalo are owned by one Gregorio, who
stepped behind him in a crowded drink
between his shoulders. Gregorio was
not a trailer, and he had not the bird
instinct. He was only a Mexican rough
rider, but he was a wise man, for re and
Smith both liked Jocosa, who came
from Matamoras. and was Il light-o'-
love.
My other trailer was Pedro. Pedro's
mother was a woman of ~Tamaulipas, his
father was a Kickapoo. The Tamauli-
pan is a mixture of the original Aztec,
the runaway slave, and the domineering
Spaniard. The result is about what you
would get from an emulsion Of Medford
rum, nitro-glycerine, arsenic, and VOLTS
blood. | came upon Pedro in this way:
Shannonhouse, the North Carolina
long-limbed, loose-jointed, awkward,
powerful and Observation-Disclosures and
| left Laredo of an afternoon, and rid
ing northward 80 miles, by sunset camp
ed upon the Arroyo Blanca, where there
was a little sheep-tainted water and less
grass. At 10 o'clock next morning we
reached the Saos ranch, an estate OF co.
900 acres, which grew only broncos.
longhorns, cactus, mesquite, Mexican
babies. and thorns. We turned in to-
ward the ranch-house for a cup OF coffee
and the little light cakes which the yell
low bakers call by 20 pei Plain
ly something had happened. The open
space in front of the abode house was
filed with excited men. Among them
stood Sanchez, the owner. giving rapid
commands. Between soft Spanish oaths.
ripped out as violently as if they meant
something, he explained. One of his men
had been sent out that morning TO drive
up a herd OF 30-odd stock horses or
those used in working cattle. He had
gone to their range. They were not
there, but in their stead was a broad
trail leading away from the Saos neigh
borhood. Sanchez was then making up
his party OF pursuit. He would take Is
men, since there could not be less han
a half-dozen driving the stolen stock.
They would not make any speed with
less. Would we join? Sure, WI would.
Where was Pedro?
He came up, well mounted. More than
six feet tall: meagre almost to ghastli-
ness; his naturally dark skin burned al
most to African blackness; his eyes
small. deep-set, and close together; his
most aquiline; his lips thin and compress
sed. His snaky black hair fell upon
his shoulders. His manner had the re-
pressed gravity of his Indian race.
Around him, where it chung in some
mysterious manner, was a gaudy blank
ct. It had no fastening that | could see.
TFnlAr ltN rinbt Irpnn rn,t1rl th, ,r,.,
Winchester. Evidently a capable and
dangerous "All ready?" asked
Sanchez; " come on" 1t was as wild a
troop as ever swept over a Tartar steppe.
The swarthy faces were set and the eyes
glittered angrily. A whisper ran from
m man to man as they clattered on
King Feesh.' Fisher was n noted des-
perado who lived on the Nueces river.
He had killed some of them and robbed
them more than once. They were salts
fed that the last theft was his work.
Moreover. the horses, 80 in all, were the
best on the ranch, especially broken and
trained.
Full so miles to the northward ran
that trail, but when they struck it they
struck it as the eagle strikes homeward
to her nest upon the crag when the way
is far and the sun is low and talons are
heavy. 1t was as broad and plain as a
country road. More than $50 hoofs had
made it so. 1t ran straight away across
the open country. Pedro was in front
and by his side rode Sanchez. Shannon
house and l followed. Behind me were
said Pedro. We We're riding at the
sharp, steady trot that the ranch horse
develops. Mile after mile was put be-
hind us. I'VE can't afford to go more
slowly said Sanchez in courteous eX-
PLANTATION. They have had more h
IL hours start" IF o come up with
them. what then?" l asked. "Ah!' he
said. We had ridden 80 miles and the
dark was coming down when the broad
trail disappeared. 1t was wiped out as
a boy swabs a wet sponge across a slate.
I'VE will eat said Sanchez; the noon
will be up soon One of the men had
Mot n peccary. Another had a small
package of salt in a pocket OF his sad
de-, We roasted and ate the wild hog
without bread. THE trail Is gone"
said Pedro. because they have scatter
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