El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-09


of duty. He usually wears corduroy
coat, with reversible water proof lir ing,
heavy riding trousers and boots we'll
spurred, q flannel shirt, buckskin
gloves and big hat. For arms, he car
ries a short carbine, a bowie knife and
a Colts sixshooter, which is not strap
ped close to his body, but hangs almost
to his knee, it having been found that
thus suspended there is less risk of the
| weapon catching when drawn in a
hurry. In his belt are his cartridges.
And so accoutered, he is ready TO mount
and ride. I'VE live in the saddle, and
the sky is our roof" say the rangers,
and this is almost literally true, for the
greater part of their time is passed in
active pursuit of criminals. The raid
ing ranger takes horse where he will.
and may arrest or search in any part OF
| Texas,
A veteran ranger is held in deep re-
spect all over Texas. Every town that
| is the home of every old rapger--one
who fought under Sam Houston or
went through the rebellion--gives
first honor always to the aged ranger.
a veteran ranger is naturally the most
popular man in his precinct. His
foibles are overlooked and his old
may have almost anything that the
border counties have to bestow. and it
is from retired rangers that sheriffs
and other county officers are usually
chosen. In Waco there is q club of
rangers. and when the members as
semble and are in mood q visitor may
have some of the most thrilling
anecdotes and stories he ever deard or
read.
Active rangers when in camp employ
their time cleaning their arms and
training their horses. There is verv
little of what an army officer would call
military drill. A ranger is expected
simply to be good rider and quick
and accurate shot. Every one of them
is all that and more. No crack cavalry
man in any army in all Europe can
mount horse quicker and Cash in pur-
suit of an enemy. with greater celebrity
constant blaze of fire pouring out of
Winchester when his horse is going at
the top of his speed, and his bullets
will hit the mark nine times out OF ten.
His Winchester empty, he seizes the
bride reins between his teeth, and
with revolver in either hand, he can
rain bullets into q mans body at dis
lance of 100 yards. Should he drop
anything or see anything on the
ground that he wants, he does not even
check the speed of his horse, but, bend
ing from the saddle as if he were made
of India rubber, he picks the object
from the ground.
Though little suspicious of stran-
gers, the rangers are very clever and
to gentlemen who come into
their camp armed with the proper Gre
dentials. AT night around their camp
fires. they are constantly telling sto-
ries of their own or some comrades ad-
ventures. Many of them are men Of
superior education, aad since they are
constant readers of newspapers no class
OF frontier psOple are more entertain
ing. In listening to the history of
their many battles and hsrdships one
that they would continue in
such dangerous service for so little
pay. With them there is no such thing
as peace. Constant vigilance day and
night and war more than half the time
is demanded of them by the citizens of
the border
Out of hundreds of extraordinary
leeds of bravery two will give some |
ide a what the Texas rangers have been |
doing in smoothing the paths in the |
In July, 1870, the rangers were making
the last of many campaigns against |
the Comanches. Qusnah was the new |
chief then. and great warrior. He |
was living few years ago, when he |
described the last battle in 1870 with |
the rangers as follows:
Heap bunch of rangers rode out on |
the prairie, tied their horses to the
saddle horns by their brides and open
fired and tried to kill horses. Then the |
rangers leap behind their dead horses
and killed US like grass; we tried to
rush them; twice we tried and failed.
After much time they did not fire so
fast. We thought powder and bullets
all gone. Then, as we were going to
charge again, they all stood up. They
took off their hats and yelled. We were
much locoed (deceived.) At last we
charged, but you rangers don't fight
ike pale-faces, but like devils. We
Killed thirty-four, but you killed US
ike grass. Comanches had heap more
men in that battle than rangers had"
Several years ago the rangers &C
:omplished the capture OF the famous
band of outlaws and cut-throats known
Is the Bill Cook gang. For eleven
)illaged and had wrecked railroad
rains and burned the homes of set
lers. Detectives, sheriffs' posses and
,ands of outraged farmers and cowboys
lad pursued the bandits again and
gain. The Cook gang had always
ought shy of Texas, especially lOcali-
les where remnants of rangers were
'et in force. Captain Watson, former
Y OF company D, Of the rangers tells
# the final capture of the terrifying
.ang 10 the following words:
"The man that sent the call for help
net US, and saidthat he had located
ut in the country bunch of men that
lad been acting strangely. We waited
i'll dark, and sent to the livery stable
or horses. Then we rode off toward
he place where the strangers were.
I'VE lay near the house until day
light, and captured one of the despera-