The Delta independent., 1898-10-28
CHAPTER ".


heralded advent Of department in
spector in those days meant something
ominona. and from Frazier down TO the
drum boys the garrison scented mischief
the moment that familiar old black
hooded. dust covered spring wagon.
drawn by the famous six mule team.
came spinning in across the mesa just
after retreat no escort Whatever being
In sight. CavnlryrIcn had trotted along
side, snid Riggs. from two Of the camps
on the way. but they had made that
long days drive from Crockett Springs
all alone. trusting to luck that the Fri
day gang. so called. would not get wind
Of 1t. Just who aad ho.y many consti-
tuted that array o. outlaws no man. in
cluding its own membership, could ac-
curately say. Two paymastcrs, two
wagon trains and no end Of mail stages
had been dumped" by those enterpris-
ing road agents in tho course Of the dyo
years that followed the war. mud not
once had . conviction occurred. Arrests
had BEEN made BY niarslals. sheriffs
aud officers in command Of detach-
Inents, bus . more innocent lot OF vic
tims according to the testimony Of
friends and fellow citizens, mover dwclt
In Dixie. Three only OF their number
had been killed aud left for recognition
in the course Of thosc thrcc years Cue
only Of these was known. and tho no
called Friday .ans managed to surround
its haunts. its movements and its nlenl-
bership with . mystery that deiicd civil
officials and bufticd tho military. Es-
oorts the sizs Of q cavalry platoon had
been needed every time =. disbursing
0ficer went to aud fro. and sizzible
squad accompanied the stage whenever
IL carried even moderate amount Of
treasure At three points along the road
from the old Mexican capital to the
outlying posts strong detachmcnts Of
cavalry had tcrn placed in camp. hi
that relays OF escorts might be ON hand
when needed.
Al three different times within tho
past two years strong posses had gous
with the civil officials far into the foot
but NO occupied haunt was ever found.
no band Of any size or consequence ever
encountered. yet depredxtious were in
'cessane The mail stage came and went
with guarded deliberasion. The quar-
tesmaxter's trains were accom- panied by
as lsast . company IT infantry. The
-sutlse's wagons Travelled with the quar-
termaseer's train. and tho sutler's mon
-ey went n San Antonio only when the
QuarteGmaster and commissary sent
tbeirs, and then whole squadron had
beea known to ride in charge Anything
from . wagon train down to . buck.
board was game for the gang, and sol.
dicrs, ranchmen and prospectors told
stories Of having been halteti. overhaul.
cd and searched by its magssed nicllbert
at various times aud whether found
plethoric or poor having beUn hospita-
bly, entertained - soou rs robbed Of all
they posscssed. Only four days before
Riggs made his ventnresome dash three
discharged soldiers. filled with impa-
thence and whisky. had sought to run
the gantlet to the camp at Crockett't
and came back in tho robbers cast OF
clothing 70 take on" for another term,
having parted with their uniforms and
the savings Of several years at the so-
licitatiou OF courteous strangers they
met along the route Nothing but an
emergency could have brought Riggs
full tilt. for he was Eetting along in
years and loved the comforts Of his Ar
my home
Emergency Il was. ~ he explained &c
FfAxier instantly OH his arrival. The
general had iudubitablc information
that ranches TO the south had long been
buying government stores, bacoo. feed.
6our, coffee. etc. The source q their
supply could only be the warehouses Al
Worth. aud Marsden WAS ''sWell'
sergeant, whH~e airs aud affiuence had
made him the object OF suspicion.
Those were the days when cavalry reg
iments had commissary, but congress
did away with the Office. and Winn.
whom an indul9eut colonel had detail
ed to that supposedly soft snap when
regimeutal headquarters were stationed
at Worth. had been left there with his
bulky array Of boxes and barrels when
the colonel and staff were transferred
TO more southern post. the understand
ing being that he was to turn over ev.
erything to Frazier . new quarteTmastes
as soon as that official should arrive.
Frazier's appOiutce. however. was .
Lieutenant fr0r d distant station.
The war department had not approved
the appointment when made Core
spoDdence had been gam: cn. and only
within the week WIS I'irafinn rcgriv
ed that the choice ally ,apiirue
and that Lieutcnaui ....t went, -
arrive Meantime ~ ,..., renal.
the stores were gting sn.., bamv
money enough to britc Tie sntrs
nightly posted xt the siorriio1~e at
northern corner Of the b,2 r, clan.
and wagon load after wagon lead in.
have been driven way. Outwar.lly. l.
developed BY the count niatr early u
the morning following Riggs coming
all was right. bat . veteran cavalry sr
~,~ut ~v,-,Sssswlv ks,rrkod TN ehs, i,s..afIx ali