The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-08-15

The Secret Service OF the government
contains men who have had many thrilling
adventures. They come from all over the
country, and are chosen for their skin IN
running down malefactOrs and their cour-
age in the face OF a foe. Probably 20 one
who has ever acted as sleuth Cor Uncle
Sam has had a more varied career
than George T. Bell. late Of the Secret
Service. His early life, up 20 the age Of
nineteen. was spent on his fathers ranch.
in Southwestern Texas. While there he
had many q mix-up with the Mexican and
Indian cattle thieves. who used . come
and Try 10 run his fathers stock across
the Rio Grande.
At the age Of nineteen he Joined the
Texas Rangers, that fearless band OF
men which contains the best h0rzemen
and rife shots in the world. Although
bat youngster, he seemed cut ont for
this rough, hazardous work, and soon his
exploits brought him to the attention OF
the government officials. and he was ap-
pointed to the Secret Service During the
ten years he was thus employed he
rOamed all over the Western country.
rOunding-up counterfeters, highway rob
bers. and criminals OF all sorts. lie was
acquainted with many of those wild, IN
tanned characters who gave the West its
reputation for lawlessness and courage
Among them were such men rs john
Wesley Hardin, King Fisher. Manuel E.
trada, BIZ Longley and Ben Thompson.
all OF whom are now under the -oH.
1t is hard to pick out lhe most thrilling
incident OF your life" said Mr. Bell the
other day. In the first place the things
that happen early in ones career are apt
70 leave more lasting impression than
something more hazardous which occurs
after you have become Injured 10 scenes
OF danger. | believe the situation requir-
ing the NOSE nerve took place in "A, short
~ after l had Joined the Rangers. l
have been in several tight places since.
that time, but / doubt whether / was
ever closer TO death.
In Danger of Cattle Thieves
AT that time ! was staying with my
father on the ranch, though always held
myself ready 10 go out on call with the
Rangers at moments notice. | was
away from home a good deal during the
daytime, but l usually made IL a point
10 stay there at night whenever / could
We had good many men on the ranch.
NAA4NA "as 1btNl lpltS VI MY niles from
the Rio. The nearest town was CueVitas,
where our men went when they wanted
10 have good time and spend their pay.
AT that time we had about 10 head of
fine cattle in the stockade. They were
Of better grade than the ones we kept
out on the range, and at this particular
time we were trying 10 fattcn them I'D
for the market, as they brought q better
price than those which were allowed to
Craze where they pleased. We watched
them carefully, for ii was impossible to
tell when the cattle thieves would take a
notion TO pay us a nocturnal visit. | had
very little 10 do with the ranch for we
had enough men 10 look after our inter-
ests if any trouble came up. | was get
ting more money than / could make by
herdins cattle.
lone night | came home and went to
bed. | had left my horse at a neighbor-
ing ranch and tramped the four miles
home When 1 arrived I found that there
was not soul at the place. They had
all gone out to the roundup | ex-
petted this and was not surprised There
was not horse up about the place We
usually kept one or two nags in the cor
raj, but this time it happened that every
thing that could carry a saddle had been
taken 10 the roundup My father was
away, but | expected him to return at
any moment, so did not waste any time
about getting TO bed. / was tired with
the work of the day, for l had been in
the saddle since morning, After | had /
gone around and got something 10 eat /
turned in and was soon sound asleep
Dinner Bell Gives Alarm.
About 10 o'clock l was awakened by
the ringing of our big dinner bell. II was
attached to the cupola of the house, but
il had a long rope which was tied to a
stake, about sixty feet away. | Jumped
out of bed just in time To see all our
choice cattle, which we had been keeping
in the stockade, being driven across the
prairie by a band OF fifteen or twenty men
on horses. The cattle had stumbled across
the rope. and that was what made the
bell ring.
1T took me no time 10 get on my
clothes, but when ! rushed out to the
barn / remembered that | had 10 horse.
] did not know what to do, but while |
was waiting l heard the sound of hoofs
on the hard road leading up to the house
Presently my father came in sight. / lost
no time in telling him what had happen
ed. and | took his horse and rode off TO
alarm the neighborhood. In those days
w al SNDoA AOStAntIs anu every one
was willing 10 turn out and help a friend
in such an emergency as this. / had to
ride off TO Cuevitas which was several
miles away, and at that time there were
not so many ranches on the road as there
are now. My father struck off across
country on foot and got TO the nearest
ranch, where he also obtained a mount.
Il rode like the wind, for the horse |
had was one that could DO his ninety
miles day and be ready for a race AT
The finish. Ii was fully IL O'Clock before
] had two-scOre men in the saddle with
their weapons, and each ready for an all
night ride. We knew that the thieves
were Indians and Mexicans, and we fig
ured that they would make for the Rio.
where they would drive the cattle over
into Mexico and be safe from pursuit.
They had probably come I'D to the ranch
about the time / had retired and seen
mat there was no one 10 interfere with
their depredations.
Hard Riding by Night.
There were no fences to obstruct our
way. and We soon struck the trail and
spread out till we had semi-circle a mile
IN width. / suppose the Greasers must
have had ful! TWO hours start, bur they
were hampered by driving the cattle. Bur
let me tell you. those steers were not al
lowed TO take their time, and 30 along in
gentle bovine fashion. Any one who has
seen those lOnghorned cattle Of the West
knows that when they are pressed they
can wear out COED pony in a long
chase. But our horses were fresh. ana we
swept along through the grass, with the
fun moon lighting our way. tin II seemed
a. II we could catch a railroad train.
Il was d yOungster. and the edge had
not worn on adventures. This was the
FIRST real tilt ! had had since / had be
come a ranger We made very little noise.
and To one spoke. This was not because
We were afraid 10 alarm the fugitives
bat because We wanted 10 hear them
whenever We came within earshOt OF
them. There Was never a time when We
got OF the trail. even In the night for
there were men in the party who had
been long on the frontier, ana knew every
sign indicated by a trampled bunch of
prairie grass even in the meager light OF
the moon. We rode in this style for four