Year: 1866

My word for it, reader, should
never have ventured to construct q
Iproiessed romance out of incidents
so wild and strange as those of this
narration. 1t is only with hope
that you will accept in good faith the
assurance given in the same spirit
that these things really did occur
while j was in the country, and most
of them within my personal knowl.
edge-that l venture to relate them
at all. Remember that the scene is
laid in frontier county of Texas
and IL you have even q remote con-
ception of the history of that Repub.
lie, and the general character of its
social elements, you will he prepared
for good deal. But though you
might even have visited its cities and
other settlements, you would still
find it difficult TO realize all that is
true of frontier life, unless by extend
ed travel and experience your faith
should be fortified. When you can
have to say, as | can, "What mine
eyes have seen and my cars heard'-
on that ground alone you will be "iit
audience, though few," to receive, as
matters of course, relations which
would, doubtless, for moment, shock
others as monstrous in improbability,
if not, indeed, impossibility. The
man of high civilization will find
great difficulty Misunderstanding how
such deed as | am about to relate,
requiring months to consummate,
would have been carried through in
the open face of law and local author.
ities-but the man who knows this
frontier will tell him that the rifle
and the bowie knife are all the law
and local authority recognized. Wit
ness tho answer President Houston
gave when. application was first made
to him tor his interposition with the
civil force to quell the bloody REG.
ulators Wars" which afterwards
broke out in this very same country
Flight 1t out among yourselves
and be id to you" A speech
entirely characteristic of the man and
country, as it then was. 1t was in
the earlier stages of the organization
of the same Regulator association
that our story commences.


Shelby county, lying in western
Texas, on the border of the "rcd
lands" was rather thinly settled in
the latter part of 80. What popula
ton it had was generally the worst
cast of--boracr line. The bad and
desperate men who had been driven
lover our frontier, formed a rallying
ground and headquarters here seem.
lngly with the determination 10 hold
The country good against the inlru.
sion of all honest persons, and rs a
sort of "AlSatia' OF the west for the
lprctcction OF outlaws and villains Of
every grade. And, indeed, TO such
an extent had the prescription been
carried, that it had become notori
ously us much as q nan's life or con
science was worth who settled among
them, with any worthy purpose in
view; for he must either fall into
their conicderacy-lcavc or die!


This was perfectly understood and
the objects OF this conlcderacy may
be readily appreciated, when 1t is
known that every now and then q
party OF men would sally out from
the settlement, painted and equipped
like Comanchcs, with the view OF
carrying of the horses, plundcring or
numbering some marked men OF a
noighboring county; then returning
with great speed they would rebrand
their plunder, resume their accus.
toned appearance, and defy pursuit
or investigation. Not only did they
band together for their operations in
this way, but single man would
carry oil a fine horse or commit
murder with the most open audacity,
and if he only succeeded in escaping
here, was publicly protected. ] do
not mean to have 1t understood that
The whole population were men OF
such stamp avowedly. There were
some few whose wealth to degree,
protected them in the obscryances Of
more seemly liie--though they
were compelled TO, at least, wink at
the doings of their ruGlanly and nu-
merous neighbors; while there is yet
another, but not large class Of stur
dy, straight forward emigrants, who,
attracted solely by the beauty OF the
country, had come intoit and settled
themselves where ever they took a
fancy-with characteristic careless
ness, neither caring or inquiriug who
were their ncighLors, but trusting in
their own stout arms and hearts to
keep footing. OF course all such
were soon engaged in desperate feuds
with the horse thieves and plunder
ers around them; and as they were
not yet strong enough 10 make head
efficiently - were finally ousted or
shot.


1t was to exterminate this honest
class, that the more lawless and bru.
tai OF the other associated themselves
and assumed the name of "Regula.
tors" They numbered from eight
to twelve--and Under the organiza-
tion of rangers, commanded by q
beas,ly wretch named Hinch, they
lprofessed to undertake the task OF
! purifying the country limits Of all
bad and suspicious characters; or in
other words, all men who dared re


fuse to be as vile as they were, who
)chose to act independently of them
land thair sohemaa Thia nraninug