Rocky Ford enterprise., 1910-01-28

locked in a room in the hotel He broke
window before morning and promptly paio ior
II by McDonald's request 40
Removing to Hardeman county was tne
only thing that saved Bill Mcdonald from be-
ing drafted into official service where he was.
In the counties bordering on Indian territory
and up through the Panhandle man had 10
stand pat" whatever his hand and hoid MS
own by strength OF arm and quickness OF
trigger Cow thieves and cutthroats aboundeo.
OdiciaIs often worked in accord with them or
were afraid to prosecute. The man who would
neither cooperate with outlaws nor condone
their ofYenses was already on the ground and
would presently be in the held.
Hardeman county had lately been organ
lied and the settlers were cowmen. cowboys
and gamblers-lawless enough themselves
and another element. which pretended to be
these things. but in reality were outlaws. pure
and simple. The latter lived chiefly on the
herds. driving on horses and cattle and hiding
them in remote and inaccessible places often
the cattle were butchered. their hides. which
were marked with brand and earmarks. de-
stroyed to avoid Identification and the meat
sold. Men who did these things were known
well enough. but went unapprehended for the
reasons named. In certain sections OF the
territory itself and in No-man's Land Ia piece
of disputed ground lying to the north of the
Panhandle. now a part Of Oklahoma) matters
were even worse. In these places there was
hardly a semblance Of law.
II was in 1885 that Bill Mcdonald disposed
OF his lumber interests In Wichita Falls. re-
invested In cattle and set out once more Tor
the still farther west He had filed some
school land on Wanderers creek in Hardeman
county, about four miles from where the town
of Quanah now stands. the heart Of what was
then the wilderness. He did not go there I'm
mediately. however: he conducted for brief
time q lumber business at Harold. Willbarger
county-a circumstance hardly worth men
tfnninR Incident another
which occurred at this place and period. Nc
Donald. whose reputation as q man OF nerve
had travelled to Harold. was one night called
upon by Ranger Lieut.. Sam Platt to assist him
in handling a gang of outlaws. known as the
Brooken band. that infested that neighborhood.
The Brookens had ridden into Harold and
were running things pretty much in their own
way. Platt and Mcdonald promptly bore down
upon them and a running fight ensued as the
Brookens retreated. About 100 shots were
fred altogether but It was dark and the range
too great for accuracy. Nothing was accom-.
plished. but the event marked the beginning
OF a warfare between BIZ Mcdonald and a
band Of cutthroats. the end Of which would
be history. II soon after this first skir-
mish that Mcdonald sold out his business in
Harold and set out for his Hardeman county
ranch. As on his former migration. he drove
his cattle to the new land and after the first
hard days drive camped at nightfall in a
pleasant spot where grass was plentiful and
water was handy.
The next morning. when preparations for
an early start were under headway. It was
suddenly discovered that four OF the best
horses and a fine Newfoundland dog
missing. Two of the horses were found astray
evidently having broken loose from their cap
tors. II was further discovered that the
Broken band had a rendezvous In what
known as the Cedar Brakes. a stretch Of rough
country, densely covered with scrubby cedar.
located about 12 miles to the southwestward.
Mcdonald naturally felt that It now his
turn to move again In the Broken game. but
II did not seem expedient to stop the journey
with the herd and undertake the move Just
then. so biding his time. he pushed on to his
land on Wanderers creek, where he estnb
lshed his ranch. fenced his property. built a
habitation for himself and the wife who
always ready to follow him into the wilder.
ness. then promptly he rode over to Margaret.
at that time the county seat. and asked Sheriff
Jim Alley-a good man with his hands
ful-to appoint him deputy. that he might be-
gin the work which clearly must be done In
that country before II could become a proper
habitation for white men" The commission
was readily granted and from that appoint