Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-01-21


country which is covered with q 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 q 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. 81
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 1t IL the
men we are after?" asked Of my COM
panion.
by the footprints" he replied.
"Greasers never take the trouble to
shoe their horses. An Americans
horse Is always shod-that's the diff
ference, and the hoof prints point
northward."
Here we left the road and took up
q trail through the chaparral. single
file. The thud. thud Of our horses
hoofs in the soft earth, and the occa-
sional squeak of q saddle were. the
only sounds which broke the stiffness
of the night.
Suddenly, without warning. the
crash of q 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 men
returned and remounted.
Coyote" explained my partner.
with q smile. The damn critters are
always fooling us, because they sound
just like greaser trying to get away"
We had ridden OUT q mile farther
along this trail, when the shrill
whinny of a pony broke through the
stiffness It halted our small band
like magic. Although no one said
word, each man knew what the other
thought. and they acted together.
Each ranger dismounted and took his
rifle from the scabbard.
Its them, I guess" my partner in
formed me. You had better stay
with the horses and keep your head
under cover in case there is any shoot
ing. We will be back in q little
WHILE"
Although every one of the ten
rangers who took into the brush were
big fellows, each wearing heavy boots,
yet, when hey had gone but ten PAGES
from where I stood could not hear q
sound-pot even the breaking of q
dry twig.
Five minutes later the sound Of q
shot cracked through the air. l was
in q state of feverish excitement.
Never before had been in q man
hunt, and this one, staged in q still
night on the prairies bordering the
waters of the Rio Grande. made me
doubt, even then. that 1t was taking
place on American soil The shot
was followed by another one. then .
third, then many, all at once, and in q
few seconds more the air rang with
the cracks of rifles. l heard an oath
screamed In Spanish: q sharp-voiced
command to halt, in English. Heard
the pink of body jumping into the
Rio Grande, then another and another
one Someone was crashing madly
through the mesquite brush to my
right, then all was silence again. A
few minutes later. the ten rangers
returned unhurt. While l was trem-
bling in my excitement, the men quiz
city put their guns back into their
| scabbards, mounted their horses.
turned around. and started back to
Brownsville again. Not q word was
spoken and each mans face was a.
immobile as though nothing had hap
pened.
"Did-did-di1 you get any Of
them?" whispered to my partner.
Five" he said quietly. without look
ing up.
Ten minutes passed before l nerved
myself to ask the second question.
What did you do with them?" TIE
question seemed to amuse him.
''Greasers are like dogs" he an
swered. Let them rot where they
die"