El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-22


returned by the scouts. Madero grant
ed my request and apologized that ne
could not send me in a carriage.
Back With the Scouts.
BY that time the rain was pouring.
but there was no hesitation. None or
US had slept for nearly 48 hours. and
after the first big meal, 1t is always
hard to move. But we moved Ihe
scouting party was peculiar in person
mel. Those chosen were Roy Kelly
my friend of the supply wagon, VINO
had served as army scout in some
Spanish war campaigns, and later driven
J. A. Smiths auto; a young Mexican
cowboy who was supposed to know
the roads. and Oscar Creighton, a young
New Yorker, and altogether fine EEL
low. Creighton had taken up with the
revolution at Guadalupe, having be-
come interested while visiting the
camps about Ciudad Juarez from FL
Paso IN his automobile. He had traV-
eled over many parts of the globe
being a man Of some means ana
former New York broker His only
soldier experience was with a crack
New York company during the Spaaish-
American war, his company never
reaching any of the islands But
Creighton already had proved himself
a sure and daring scout, and L was 10
see actual proof of his nerve.
On the Trail in the Rain.
We hit the trail at shutdown, and, for
the first five miles kept up a RAPID
pace Then the light died, and the ram
began to drive beating against our
faces until the skin burned. every
drop of rain was needle
The horses were good as to stay
ing ability. but one after another lost
the trail. We were lost dozen times
but each time found the road again.
or rather the road found US Inc
night was absolutely black, and many
times we could only judge direction
by the direction of the wind with It's
shower Of blistering rain. How we
ever made that distance am sure
we travelled 25 miles-is a mystery TO
me. Toward the last. the rain was so
heavy that the water filled the deep
ruts made by the wagons, showing
strips of white along the road Then
we followed those two ribbons OF
white. barely visible from the saddle.
Until then, we had often TO dlsmOun'
to feel OF the road.
Nearing Guadalupe.
Tt seemed that dawn would never
break. so long had we been moving,
sometimes jogging. often breaking our
| horses into that swinging lope OF the
! range. We heard the voices of dogs
! through a sudden lull of the storm l
looked at my watch and it was after
o'clock. We knew that the dogs
barked from a ranch only half a mile
from Guadalupe We pulled Up our
horses and whispered consultation:
! Then we rode on down the road, and
ND to the ranch house. The dogs con-
tinued their barking and we knew, that
they were barking at us. We passed
(; the ranch. and a flock Of goats nud-
died up to it's adobe walls, and we
walked our horses down the road to-
ward Guadalupe. The road was low
and was a river OF white water our
horses fIoundered about making mueh
noise and we swore-yes swore- At
every splash At last-it seemed an
hour-we drew up within sight Of the
town. dark mass of adobe buildings
There were no lights and no SOUND
save the barking Of dogs.
Completely gagged Out"
Up to that time we had only feared
for the federals but somebody don't
remember who-spoke of the bandit
captain Setoa. whom Madero had court
rnartiaIed before he quit Guadai upe-
We knew that he had stayed behind
with a dozen men. That was another
. danger for we knew that he now hated
the organization which had robbed
him of his commission as a result OF
his alleged banditry. we had intended
10 make a circuit Of the town, coming
! to the river to the north, where l was
to be dropped at some point five miles
from the nearest station in the United
States But all of us we're, too near
exhausted to make the distance
Kelly was silent in his saddle, and we
knew from his breathing that he was
"aII in The Mexican was swear
ing softly in Spanish and slapping his
arms against his ~shcker' to create 4
circulation. Creighton and-I both wore
J South American ponchos, and our ex-
! tremities were soaked. Ny spine
( seemed to wriggle as a snake, and I
| heard the rattle of the others teeth.
Creighton Takes = Town.
| Then Kelly. in his military way. sug-
| gested that one of US must dismount
/ and scout the town afoot- 1t was up
7 to somebody. Kelly dropped into his
/ former coma, the Mexican appeared not
| TO understand. and I was out OF the
/ question, since 1 carried no arms, not
! even "a pocket pistol Creighton said
that he would go. And he went He
| tried to dismount, but, failing, rode his
! horse toward town. AS he disappeared
in the night. Kelly followed slowly,
the Mexican and I bringing up the
rear. I believe that none OF US would
have gone had it been a fine night.
But our suffering and the presence of