The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1902-09-27
Bv H. S. CANFIELD

away by now and looking for them In
Mexico would be equivalent to looking
for needle in a haystack, with the
difference that in this case the needle
has a Winchester carbine under it's
right knee and there are good many
needles. Where did you say that those
cattle crossed?"
"'Bout TO- nile up de bank f'om de
ar-rroya."
But there is no ford near that
point"
"Yass; dey ees fod. I deed not know
Get till I see de TRACKS. but dey ees
fo'd; shot,
"A secret ford, Ell? That explains a
good many things in the loss of cattle
that we have never been able to I'M
derstand. That will do, Juan. Go
back to your work and don't say any
thing to the other hands. Well have
to fix things with Senior Vavara,
guess"
Glynn's indolent eyes were blazing.
He cared little about the value of the
lost cattle, though it was of consider
able amount, but for the fourth time
within year the noted Mexican
0muggler and bandit had outwitted
him and his associates and he was
growing FESTIVE under it. The white
men held council of war; In their
talk these facts developed:
Ramon Vavara, supposedly former
officer Of tho Mexican army, had ap-
peared upon the Rio Grande two years
before, coming from no one could say
where, further than that it was some
place in the far interior of the strange
republic. He was not more than
thirty years old, handsome, an expert
horseman, seemingly immune to IA
tigue and of great daring and indus
try. He had gathered abut a band of
some fifty frontier Mexicans, men with
no consciences, no fear and intimately
acquainted with every road, path, hill.
prairie and cactus thicket in all that
section of Mexico and Texas. So
armed, he had begun his career as a
smuggler, laughing at the few customs
In fact, protected in his wrong-doing
by Americans and Mexicans alike.
They got from him cheaper goods and
salved their consciences with the
thought that they were only doing as
their betters do in every port of the
world. Had Vavara stuck to SNUG
CLING he would have met with little
opposition. 1t was, however, too slow
a method Of getting rich and he be-
gan cattle-lifting. For a hundred miles
up and down the river he kept the
ranchmen in state of dread He stole
always from the American side, in
stantly crossing the beeves into Mex
leo. Once there he was safe from pur-
suit, as neither state rangers nor
United States regulars dared to ira
verse that steam into foreign terri
tory for fear Of international complica-
lions. Time and again they had re-
ceived inform alton Of an intended
raid and rushed to the scene of opera
lions, only to find a broad trail lead
ing to the river, ending on this side
Once two rangers, made reckless by
chagrin, had followed into Mexican
territory. They disappeared into the
line of hills and they did not come
back. Members Of Vavara's band were
scattered in twos and threes among
the ranches on either side of the Rio
Grande. They hired themselves as cow
hands and it was impossible to identify
them until the harm had been done
He kept with him always, however, a
force of twenty to twenty-five picked
fighters, sufficient to repel any ordin-
airy attack by customs guards or SOL
d1ers
In the conference on the rancho gal
lery it was noticeable that both Glynt
and Allyn, having vented their spleen
IN string of vigorous oaths, waited to
hear what Maude had to say. They
knew-although he did not know that
they knew-that he was an expert in
the kind Of war they had in contempla-
ton. He remained silent for five min
utes, thinking deeply.
Come. old man." said Glynn at last
"*Let us know what you havs in your
head. Can't you think Of any way to
get at this devil and fix him so that he
will let other folks property alone %
WELL Maude answered slowly,
"there is but one way to fight a man
like that. You must use the same
weapons. If he were in love with a
woman. now. and trusted her we might
accomplish his ruin easily. ! have
heard Of such things being done.''
mo use," said Allyn. "He hasn't
enough soul in him to love anybody
He cares only for money and the cloth
ing and food and drink that money will
buy" 49,. ...... .-'
Then" Maude went on, "get after
him in the way he gets after us. You
say that he has a man on pretty nearly
every rancho within hundred miles
ayhave one on this rancho for all you
know; very likely has one. Send him
man to enlist with him. Have you a
Mexican you can tApst?" Il
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