The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-12-02
A BOLD TEXAS RANGER
Smiling SiIas, the Pluckiest OF
Simmons Band.
HIS FIGHT WITH CAlOERONE.

the Pursuit OF the Mexican Terror
and the Remnant OF His Gang OF
Murderers Across the Rio Grsnde.
The pluckicst chap ever saw was
Young Texas ranger known us smll
ing si,as. one OF simmons band. on
the Rio Grandc border, and never
will forget the way that lad. single
handed. rounded mp Pantaieon Calde-
rome. n Mexican terror. and three Of
the grcaser's followers. l didn't zee
the sensational finish to the chase
across the plains-no: wish I had but
II was given To me by half breed boy
who'd looked ON from a safe distance.
at was back in the early eighties"
began the Texas cattleman. that Sim
mons rangers came down 20 the river
| TO round up Caldcronc aud his cut.
throats. The Mcxicaus made life on
the border miserable aud were capable
OF all sorts Of dark deeds. No. they
weren't brave in the same way that
American road agents were coura.
| geous, but they possessed certain
amount OF daring, which. combined
with the craftincss OF Satan himself.
made them dcsperadocs OF the worst
type.
"rhcy worked principally on the
American side. and after raiding n
lonely ranch and numbering every
man, woman and child in their way
they would swim their horses across
the river, gain Mexican territory and
laugh AT pursuit Simmons men struck
their trail and followed 1t for about ten
miles along the river. and they We're
| just In time 10 see the grcascrs walk
ing their dripping horses up the oppo
site bank of the yellowish stream.
"Calderonc had burned ranch, kill
ed the ranchcro man named Day
ton. from Michigan. and ruthlcssly
slaughtered about fifteen or twenty
head of cattle. and Simmons wanted
him the worst in the world hut Sim
mons wasn't for running a chancc of
international complications by crossing
that river and invading Mexican terri
tory. lie dispatched n messenger over
TO the alcalde OF little sun baked
. town, and the drowsy official assured
/ the Senor Americana that he would
send word TO III Captain Barrios. who
would soon get the murderers with his
rurales. That was all there was to It
though II IL true that lei Capitar
q Barrios. n little sallow faced, cigarctt,
smoking chap, did cross the river ant
= confer with Simmons, but despite th'
= fact that BarriDs made himself out {,
be hero of the Sir Galahad type III,
rurales never stirred from their com
Portable barracks in the shade OF th'
palm trees.
simmons and his rangers spent ;
few days In Looping back and fort
! along the border. keeping sharp look
out for Caldcronc and expecting ever!
hour TO receive some word from Bar
rios, but no sight OF the robbcr Ill,
they get, and never message cam
from the rurales.
while the rangers were in cam
one dark night Calderone and hl
band, numbering twenty, believe, RI
crossed the river with their horses an,
struck northward over sweep o
prairie land. 1t was late the next ia.
when the rangers were appriscd of In
bandits venture. and. saddling horses
they hit the trail with vengeance.
"The Mexicans looted "A small ranch
killed about half a dozen people ant
then, describing broad circle, heade'
back for the river. Late In the after
noon by cutting across the prairie tn
rangers closed In with the band, an,
Simmons. urging his ten sturdy fellow
forward. put his straining horse to II
best TO get within shooting distance o
the robbers.
I Just when the river was in sigh
y the greasers, apprcciatlng that thci
n horses were spent and that the Amci
leans were gaining on them. turned {
:, fight. They quickly dismounted an
fought Indian fashion, resting thci
carbines on their saddles and shootin
i from behind their horses. They on
numbered the rangers almost two
s one. but. then, they lacked the san
and fighting skill that simmons boy
had. The rangers, seeing the stan
the greasers had taken. drew up thci
horses out Of shooting range an,
springing from their saddles. advance
on foot through the long prairie gras
+ In crouching attitudes. Finally whc
?. within good pistol range Simmons ycI
ed u command TO his men, and dow
=. they fell on their faces. while fror
their elevated right hands cracked IL
deadly pistols. Nearly every shot tOl,
. and half a dozen kicking horses wen
10 the earth. and three or four bandit
h yielded up the ghost at the same tim'
;. The Mexicans had reserved their fir
too long-that Is a falling with then
you know. for they either shoot 10
soon or too late-and when they dI
blaze away at the enemy with thei
carbines and pistols their aim was ba
p and their bullets either few over th
heads OF the attacking party or plowe
r. up the soft soil In front OF them.