The suburban citizen., 1900-04-14


and you will have some idea of the
nature of one part of the country
through which for two years the United
States regulars marched and secuted
in the attempt to kill or capture band
Of notorious bandits.
If you should ride some hours over
this desolate waste you would come
at length to a dense woodland of chap
arral, an almost impenetrable thorny
thicket which stretches for many
leagues along the Rio Grande River
and extends miles inland from either
bank. Since the time seven years
ago when Uncle Sans cavalrymen
finally succeeded in rounding up and
Furnishing the outlaws the face of that
southeastern Texas country has
changed Rain, which nature had
denied TO the spot for nearly two
years, has again visited the region
Verdure has again appeared and the
dried earth has drunk to its fill with
rejoicing.
There was man with Mexican
parentage, but a citizen of the United
States, Caterino E. Garza by name,
who it was thought intended to en-.
gage in an attempt looking TO the
driving of President Diaz of Mexico
from his office and to the establishing
of himself in the presidential chair,
CARA did not have enough followers
in his first raid to cause much anxiety
to the Mexican authorities. After a
fight on Mexican territory the leader,
with about two hundred men, re.
treated into Texas and thel for two
years hid in the dense thick cts along
the river, making occasional forays
and doing a great amount Of snug
Cling. Uncle Sam put number Of
regiments in the field to hunt down
the outlaws, bat owing to the nature
of the country and their familiarity
with the trails the hunt was a long
one. It was during this campaign
against the outlaws that Trooper
Thomas of D Troop Of the Third Cav
airy had the experience Of which this
story tells.
Captain George T. Chase, now
fighting insurgents in the Philippines,
was in command of d Troop in the
field against the bandits. The little
body Of troopers was encamped at a
ranch about thirteen miles from the
edge of the chaparral, through the
heart of which at distance of thirty
five miles lay the Rio Grande River.
One morning before the last star had
disappeared from the southern sky
scout rode hurriedly to camp. He
threw himself from his horse at the
challenge from the sentinel and said
he must see the commanding officer at
once. The ringing toned "Who comes
there" of the sentry as he checked
the progress of the rider at the point
Of his carbine reused Captain Chose,
and in a minute he was confronting
the scout, who reported that there
was q gathering of Garza's men Just
within the chaparral near the ranch
called st. Gertrude, something more
than twelve miles away. Within
ten minutes the commaning officer
ind two thirds of his troop we're gal.
looping in the direction indicated by
tho scout. At ST. Gertrude's ranch,
whose southern boundary was the
edge Of the Chaparral, the captain
dismounted his men and threw them
into skirmish line with an interval OF
about two yards between each skir-
misher. In this order the line went
forward into the chaparral. just as
the men entered the outlying edge OF
the thorny thicket a volley was poured
into them. but no one was hurt. They
advanced several hundred yards into
the dense tangle Of mesquite, prickly
pear ana other thorn growing south
ern vegetation, and finally found the
place where the enemy had camped
The bandits, however, had disap.
peared, and pursuit through that laby-
rinth was physical impossibility.
On the extreme right of the skir-
mish line was Trooper Thomas. So
thick was the underground that he
could not see, save at times, the skir-
misher on his left, only two yards dis
tant. Thomas lost his direction
little and managed to get farther away
from his nearest comrade than the
order for the skirmish line formation
demanded. Suddenly there came the
clear, ringing trumpet order; Gas
semble on the centre skirmisher.
This meant that the men at the right
aud left of the center should turn and
march directly toward the centre, thus
eventually bringing the command
to shoulder in close order.
Trooper Thomas turned and headed,
as he supposed, for the sound OF the
trumpet, He heard his nearest com
rade thrashing through the thicket
and supposed that he was following
close in his wake. He soon found
that he was getting farther and farther
away from the noise Of the cracking
underbrush. Then he turned in
new direction and Aoundered on. For
five minutes he kept up the pace as
we'll as he could and was astounded TO
find that he had not yet come up with
his comrades. He raised his voice
and shouted. There was no answer
ing cry. he cooked his carbine. put J