Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-03-25
BY ALBERT A. HoRNER

BY ALBERT A. HORNER
The use OF the "back-door" for the
furtive importation OF aliens, liquors
narcotics, and contraband merchan-
disc has afforded many exciting ex-
ploits for the members of Uncle Sam S
border patrol.
Defeat is thing unknown in the
category of these olive-drab clad,
stern-faced men whose daily toll is to
solitarily face death if necessary; to
go in search OF dangerous adventure
much in the same manner as knights
OF old went in quest of the Grail, with
faith in oneself, in horse and in
weapon, for these fearless, Self-reliant
hard-fiSted and hard-fighting olive
drab clad men are the pick OF the
southwest : the Royal Northwest
Mounted of the United StateS-en-
rolled, in many instances, from dis
banded Texas Rangers, in all events
from hardy sons Of the desert, fully
cognizant Of the trails message, the
ways and wiles of immigration, liquor
and customs smugglerS, and capable
of going out and getting their men
regardless the cost.
There are approximately 200 in the
southwestern division that day anc
night maintain close, infleXible anc
virtually impossible vigilance alont
the highways and byways leading tx
and from Mexico. 1t is this organlza.
ton that boasts many catches tha
cast into the shadows, in many in
stances, the old brave deeds OF the
Canadian Northwest Mounted police
and whose deeds will sometime be Sc
forth in graphic books and novels, anc
whose actions will flash across TIT
silver sheet, for their lives are live
of romance, adventure and the super
| lative in manhood.
The following episode recited to th'
writer by Walter Miller, former chic
of the Arizona subdistrict, but sinct
promoted to the district headquarter
| at Ell Paso, clearly describes the cali
ber of men in the border service
Lon Parker had been in the bor
der service less than a month ant
was working in the vicinity OF tn
/ Wills ranch, at the, foot Of the Hua
chucas, and a short distance iron
the international line. Upon pickin
up the tracks of a trio Of rum-run
ners, he set out alone after them.
after tracking them to Tombstone
a distance of II miles, over a serle
Of small, rocky hills covered with or
grass and short brush, where evel
horses leave only occasional hoo
prints, he encountered the band in
corral in rear of one OF the dob
shacks The smugglers directed
! steady stream of rifle fire at hin
After he had emptied his pistol, h
charged the Mexicans. Knocking on
down and taking his rifle away, n
shot the other two.
tombstone is town IN Whlcl
many horses are still ridden an
driven. and Parker's following thl
trail through the tracks OF local trat
tic constitutes no mean accomplish
ment."
asked the chief how his me
knew what they were trailing and hoy
they went about the job.
"Well," he explained, when 1ol
lowing trails one never knows VIVA
to expect. The party may be SNUG
glers of aliens, liquors, narcotics, Q
contraband merchandise. Smugglel
are of the worst type of outlaw
ready and able to fight, with tn
Mexican border and safety only fe'
hours of forced riding.
Usually one officer trails while tn
other watches for an ambush. In
, work of following trails on any boz
, der is difficult. The Smuggler use
every conceivable ruse to disguise an
! hide the tracks of his animals. OE
OF the tricks they practice most ofte
is that of reversing the shoes OF the
! mounts
: .'Oftimes it is necessary to dis
: mount and follow the tracks on 100
/ The signs LETT are. so dim as 10
almost invisible, unless one be CLOS
S to the ground. This is particular
t true when the sun is at the officer
2 back; whereas, the easiest tracking
directly toward the sun.
+ When the trail is lost the office
, cut sign by following the general d
. rection of the smuggler, search, oat
y ana forth, for tracks until one or u
9 other RECEIVERS the trail. Sometlm
9, hours are lost in rocky country, or
water holes where cattle have oblte
, ated the smugglers' trail. In suC
9 cases, it is necessary to retrace al
4 work out the trail time after tim
4 before it can be picked up and to
lowed.