The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-02-18

have you see
"'What is there about it that makes
it different from other pistols?' asked
Col. Hays.
"'Wcll, this, for one thing. It
shoots six times without %reloading.'
"Col. Hays's interest was imme-
diatcly aroused. Indeed, I'd like
very much to see it, said he.
Every we'll, then, I'll have him in
here with it tomorrow about this
time responded the dealer. So the
next day, about l or 2 o'clock, the
man came in. lie was about 30 years
old and chiefly a gunsmith by trade,
though he did all sorts Of work in fine
s'ccl. lie said he had just concluded
an order Of sabrcs for officers Of the
regiment Of Dragons just then being
raised.
"'This is my pistol, colonel said
he, opening a case and handing the
weapon to the Texas colonel, The
instant | looked at it I said it was
just what wanted, said Hays to his
brother, Gen. Harry Hays, of New
Orleans. There was a sixty-foot gall
lery in the rear of the store for the
testing of arms. They took the mod
ern pistol, which was about like the
Colts pocket arm of to-day in size,
calibrc and weight, and the expert
fired all six barrels off in less than a
minute. The penetration was good.
as was the accuracy.
Now, | want q pistol Of this pat
tern, but with a longer cylinder, an
eight-inch long barrel, taking a bullet
OF about fifty grains weight, made as
soon as you can make it. I will ad-
7arce you $50 on it now to enable
you to purchase the material and have
the barrels riied. If the pistol shoots
as we'll as [ think it will 1 will talk to
you about q contract for 100 of them
and also about a rife on the same
principle
I'm two weeks the pistol was ready
to be tested. 1t shot very we'll, with
sufficient force to kill if it hit a man
at from 100 to $50 yards distance. At
the same time a rife was constructed
on the same principle. It was about
O.44 calibre, with a cylinder that
would contain about eighty grains of
powder and carried a round and an
oblong bullet. The arm came IN to
Hays's expectation in all respects.
lie took the model to Texas with him
and submitted it to his Rangers.
When it had been thoroughly tested
they ordered 100 of the pistols and so
of tho rifles. The latter were SO con-
structed that when the cylinder was
tired it could be slipped out, and an
other cylinder, already loaded, put
into the arm in one time and two mo-
tons; that is, in thirty seconds.
Shortly after the troop had been
armed with these new weapons they
were tried in a sharp fight that settled
the question Of their superiority over
those of their Indian and Mexican an
tagonists once and for all. About
600 or 700 Mexicans and Comanche
and Lipan Indians crossed over into
Texas, under the leadership of Can
ales, q noted raider from the other
side of the Rio Grande, and with a
herd of about a thousand head of fat
beef cattle, and perhaps 500 head of
mples, were making their way back
into chihuahua, where Canales had a
fine ranch and lived in princely style.
He was one of the richest men IN
Northern Mexico and the ablest soldier
in that section.
THE 200 ~lancers with him charged
Hays men fearlessly. Hays let them
come on until they were in good, easy
range, and then opened up on them
with his fifty rifles. After the first
volley Canales thought he had the
Americans foul. 'Meuran las Ameri-
canosl' he shouted, as he dashed at
the little band of intrepid Rangers,
commanded by Ned Burleson, one of
Hays's most trusted lieutenants.
Crash, crash, crash, went the rifles.
"'Por Dios, what sort of q rife have
these devils Of Americaus.' thew
shouted to one another, as, leaving
the stolen cattle and about ona-sixth
of their command dead or badly
wounded on tho ground in she hands
of the dreaded Americans. they struck
out for The Rio Grande and the other
side. Hays had captured q priest,
and he sent him after his comrades
with orders to tell Canales to send an
escort and wagons enough to carry
away all the wounded that were able