Gilpin observer., 1915-10-07
BORDER man HUNT
Correspondent Describes Ride
With Texas Rangers.
Pursuit Of Mexican Bandits Who
Raided American Ranch Conducted
In BusinessIike Mannes-"Got
Five" 10 Quiet Report.
BY JOHN W. ROBERTS.
international News Service.l

| tnan TO De BOlQleT III tQe OulIcu
States army. For one thing, you must
be able to shoot 80 per cent average
very few soldiers can do that. And
then, you have to be more than five
feet ten inches tall. You must know
how to ride like a cowpuncher and be
skillful in handling the lariat. You
must be man of unqualified nerve.
ger without a finch.
1t was my good fortune to be one Of
party of ten rangers who left
Brownsville early one evening in pur-
suit of some Mexican bandits who had
recently raided an American ranch in
the vicinity.
rode beside tall, quiet, handsome
boy of about twenty-five years OF
age. His face was as tanned as a
Mexicans, but his steel-blue eyes be-
trayed his Anglo-Saxon nationality.
We had entered that part of the
country which is covered with a net
work of mesquite brush, ten feet in
height, as thick as any African jungle
| ever could be.
started to whistle an old familiar
tune.
Shut up" said my partner quietly.
We came to a small clearing and
halted The waters of the Rio Grande
were dotted with reflections of the
stars in the bright sky. Across the
river was Mexico, and her vast. ST.
lent prairies cleaned like silver in
the starlight. One of the rangers dis
mounted and examined the ground
closely.
They have gone that way" he point
ed northward
How does he know that it is the
men we are after?" l asked of my COM
panion.
by the footprints he replied.
"Greasers never take the trouble to
shoe their horses. An American s
horse is always shod-that's the diff
ference. and the hoof prints point
northward."
Here we left the road and took up
trail through the chaparral. single
file. The thud. thud fof our horses
hoofs in the soft earth, and the occa.
sional squeak of a saddle were the
only sounds which broke the stiffness
OF the night.
Suddenly, without warning, the
crash of body dashing through the
dry mesquite to our eft was heard
In almost the same instant ten sad
dies were emptied and ten big, strap
ping Texans had dashed into the
brush like so many rabbits. The horses
but for turning curious eyes toward
the brush in which their masters had
disappeared, remained absolutely still
A minute later, however. the ten meu
returned and remounted
Coyote" explained my partner
with a smile. The damn critters are
always fooling us. because they sound
Just like greaser trying to get away
We had ridden Ilt a mile farther
along this trail. when the shril
whinny of a pony broke through the
stiffness. II halted our small bant
like magic. Although no one said 6
word. each man knew what the other
thought, and they ,cted together
Each ranger dismounted and took his
rifle from the scabbard.
Its them, | guess" my partner in
formed me. You had better stay
with the horses and keep your hecc
under cover in case there is any shoot
ing. We will be back in a little
while"
Although every one of the ter
rangers who took into the brush wer,
big fellows, each wearing heavy boots
| Ia knI t~,,k
from where stood l could not hear {
sound-not even the breaking ot &
dry twig.
Five minutes later the sound of
shot cracked through the air. | wal
in state of feverish excitement
Never before had been In a mar
hunt. and this one, staged in still
night on the prairies bordering the
waters OF the Rio Grande, made m.
doubt. even then. that 1t was takinf
place ON American soil. The sho
was followed by another one. then s
third, then many. all at once. and in 6
few seconds more the air rang will
the cracks OF rifles. heard an oatt
screamed in Spanish; sharp.voicec
command to halt, in English. Hearc
4
the pink Of body jumping into the
Rio Grnnde. then another and another
one. Someone was crashing madly
through the mesquite brush to m,
right. then all was silence again. A
few minutes later. the ten ranger.
returned unhurt. While was trem
bling in my excitement. the men qui
etly put their guns back into theil
scabbards. mounte' their horses
turned around. anc started back te
brownsville again Not word wa,
spoken and each mans face was a.
immobile us though nothing had hap
pened.
"Did-did-did you get any o.
them?" | whispered to my partner.
Five" he SAIL quietly. without look
ing up