VIII
AT COMANCHE FORD
"There's our ford," said Juan,--our half-blood trailer,--pointing tothe slightest sag in a low range of hills distant twenty miles.
We were Texas Rangers. It was nearly noon of a spring day, and wehad halted on sighting our destination,--Comanche Ford on the ConchoRiver. Less than three days before, we had been lounging around camp,near Tepee City, one hundred and seventy-five miles northeast of ourpresent destination. A courier had reached us with an emergency order,which put every man in the saddle within an hour after its receipt.
An outfit with eight hundred cattle had started west up the Concho.Their destination was believed to be New Mexico. Suspicion rested onthem, as they had failed to take out inspection papers for moving thecattle, and what few people had seen them declared that one half thecattle were brand burnt or blotched beyond recognition. Besides, theyhad an outfit of twenty heavily armed men, or twice as many as wererequired to manage a herd of that size.
Our instructions were to make this crossing with all possible haste,and if our numbers were too few, there to await assistance beforedropping down the river to meet the herd. When these courier ordersreached us at Tepee, they found only twelve men in camp, with not anofficer above a corporal. Fortunately we had Dad Root with us, a manwhom every man in our company would follow as though he had beenour captain. He had not the advantage in years that his name wouldindicate, but he was an exceedingly useful man in the service. Hecould resight a gun, shoe a horse, or empty a six-shooter into a treefrom the back of a running horse with admirable accuracy. In dressinga gun-shot wound, he had the delicate touch of a woman. Every manin the company went to him with his petty troubles, and came awaydelighted. Therefore there was no question as to who should be ourleader on this raid; no one but Dad was even considered.
Sending a brief note to the adjutant-general by this same courier,stating that we had started with twelve men, we broke camp, and inless than an hour were riding southwest. One thing which played intoour hands in making this forced ride was the fact that we had a numberof extra horses on hand. For a few months previous we had capturedquite a number of stolen horses, and having no chance to send into thesettlements where they belonged, we used them as extra riding horses.With our pack mules light and these extra saddlers for a change, wecovered the country rapidly. Sixteen hours a day in the saddle makescamp-fires far apart. Dad, too, could always imagine that a few milesfarther on we would find a fine camping spot, and his views were lawto us.
We had been riding hard for an hour across a tableland known asCibollo Mesa, and now for the first time had halted at sighting ourdestination, yet distant three hours' hard riding. "Boys," said Dad,"we'll make it early to-day. I know a fine camping spot near a bigpool in the river. After supper we'll all take a swim, and feel asfresh as pond-lilies."
"Oh, we swim this evening, do we?" inquired Orchard. "That's aChristian idea, Dad, cleanliness, you know. Do we look as though aswim would improve our good looks?" The fact that, after a ride likethe one we were near finishing, every man of us was saturated withfine alkaline dust, made the latter question ludicrous.
For this final ride we changed horses for the last time on the trip,and after a three hours' ride under a mid-day torrid sun, the shade ofConcho's timber and the companionship of running water were ours.We rode with a whoop into the camp which Dad had had in his mind allmorning, and found it a paradise. We fell out of our saddles, andtired horses were rolling and groaning all around us in a few minutes.The packs were unlashed with the same alacrity, while horses, mules,and men hurried to the water. With the exception of two horses onpicket, it was a loose camp in a few moments' time. There was nothought of eating now, with such inviting swimming pools as the springfreshets had made.
Dad soon located the big pool, for he had been there before, andshortly a dozen men floundered and thrashed around in it like a schoolof dolphins. On one side of the pool was a large sloping rock, fromwhich splendid diving could be had. On this rock we gathered like kidgoats on a stump, or sunned ourselves like lizards. To get the benefitof the deepest water, only one could dive at a time. We were sobronzed from the sun that when undressed the protected parts affordeda striking contrast to the brown bands about our necks. Orchard wassitting on the rock waiting for his turn to dive, when Long John,patting his naked shoulder, said admiringly,--
"Orchard, if I had as purty a plump shoulder as you have, I'd have mypicture taken kind of half careless like--like the girls do sometimes.Wear one of those far-away looks, roll up your eyes, and throw upyour head like you was listening for it to thunder. Then while in thatattitude, act as if you didn't notice and let all your clothing fallentirely off your shoulder. If you'll have your picture taken that wayand give me one, I'll promise you to set a heap of store by it, oldman."
Orchard looked over the edge of the rock at his reflection in thewater, and ventured, "Wouldn't I need a shave? and oughtn't I to havea string of beads around my swan-like neck, with a few spangles on itto glitter and sparkle? I'd have to hold my right hand over thisold gun scar in my left shoulder, so as not to mar the beauty of thepicture. Remind me of it, John, and I'll have some taken, and youshall have one."
A few minutes later Happy Jack took his place on the rim of the rockto make a dive, his magnificent physique of six feet and two hundredpounds looming up like a Numidian cavalryman, when Dad observed,"How comes it, Jack, that you are so pitted in the face and neck withpox-marks, and there's none on your body?"
"Just because they come that way, I reckon," was the answervouchsafed. "You may think I'm funning, lads, but I never felt sosupremely happy in all my life as when I got well of the smallpox. Ihad one hundred and ninety dollars in my pocket when I took down withthem, and only had eight left when I got up and was able to go towork." Here, as he poised on tiptoe, with his hands gracefully archedover his head for a dive, he was arrested in the movement by a commentof one of the boys, to the effect that he "couldn't see anything inthat to make a man so _supremely happy_."
He turned his head halfway round at the speaker, and never losing hispoise, remarked, "Well, but you must recollect that there was five ofus taken down at the same time, and the other four died," and he madea graceful spring, boring a hole in the water, which seethed aroundhim, arising a moment later throwing water like a porpoise, as thoughhe wouldn't exchange his position in life, humble as it was, with anyone of a thousand dead heroes.
After an hour in the water and a critical examination of all the oldgun-shot wounds of our whole squad, and the consequent verdict thatit was simply impossible to kill a man, we returned to camp and begangetting supper. There was no stomach so sensitive amongst us that itcouldn't assimilate bacon, beans, and black coffee.
When we had done justice to the supper, the twilight hours of theevening were spent in making camp snug for the night. Every horseor mule was either picketed or hobbled. Every man washed his saddleblankets, as the long continuous ride had made them rancid with sweat.The night air was so dry and warm that they would even dry at night.There was the usual target practice and the never-ending cleaning offirearms. As night settled over the camp, everything was in order. Theblankets were spread, and smoking and yarning occupied the time untilsleep claimed us.
"Talking about the tight places," said Orchard, "in which a man oftenfinds himself in this service, reminds me of a funny experience whichI once had, out on the head-waters of the Brazos. I've smelt powder atshort range, and I'm willing to admit there's nothing fascinating init. But this time I got buffaloed by a bear.
"There are a great many brakes on the head of the Brazos, and in themgrow cedar thickets. I forget now what the duty was that we were thereon, but there were about twenty of us in the detachment at the time.One morning, shortly after daybreak, another lad and myself walkedout to unhobble some extra horses which we had with us. The horseshad strayed nearly a mile from camp, and when we found them they werecutting up as if they had been eating loco weed for a month. When wecame up
to them, we saw that they were scared. These horses couldn'ttalk, but they told us that just over the hill was something they wereafraid of.
"We crept up the little hill, and there over in a draw was the causeof their fear,--a big old lank Cinnamon. He was feeding along, headingfor a thicket of about ten acres. The lad who was with me stayed andwatched him, while I hurried back, unhobbled the horses, and rushedthem into camp. I hustled out every man, and they cinched their hullson those horses rapidly. By the time we had reached the lad who hadstayed to watch him, the bear had entered the thicket, but unalarmed.Some fool suggested the idea that we could drive him out in the openand rope him. The lay of the land would suggest such an idea, forbeyond this motte of cedar lay an impenetrable thicket of over ahundred acres, which we thought he would head for if alarmed. Therewas a ridge of a divide between these cedar brakes, and if the bearshould attempt to cross over, he would make a fine mark for a rope.
"Well, I always was handy with a rope, and the boys knew it, so I andthree others who could twirl a rope were sent around on this divide,to rope him in case he came out. The others left their horses and madea half-circle drive through the grove, beating the brush and burningpowder as though it didn't cost anything. We ropers up on the dividescattered out, hiding ourselves as much as we could in the brokenplaces. We wanted to get him out in the clear in case he played nice.He must have been a sullen old fellow, for we were beginning to thinkthey had missed him or he had holed, when he suddenly lumbered outdirectly opposite me and ambled away towards the big thicket.
"I was riding a cream-colored horse, and he was as good a one as everwas built on four pegs, except that he was nervous. He had never seena bear, and when I gave him the rowel, he went after that bear like acat after a mouse. The first sniff he caught of the bear, he whirledquicker than lightning, but I had made my cast, and the loop settledover Mr. Bear's shoulders, with one of his fore feet through it. Ihad tied the rope in a hard knot to the pommel, and the way my horsechecked that bear was a caution. It must have made bruin mad. My horsesnorted and spun round like a top, and in less time than it takes totell it, there was a bear, a cream-colored horse, and a man sandwichedinto a pile on the ground, and securely tied with a three-eighths-inchrope. The horse had lashed me into the saddle by winding the rope, andat the same time windlassed the bear in on top of us. The horsecried with fear as though he was being burnt to death, while the beargrinned and blew his breath in my face. The running noose in the ropehad cut his wind so badly, he could hardly offer much resistance. Itwas a good thing he had his wind cut, or he would have made me sorry Ienlisted. I didn't know it at the time, but my six-shooter had fallenout of the holster, while the horse was lying on my carbine.
"The other three rode up and looked at me, and they all neededkilling. Horse, bear, and man were so badly mixed up, they dared notshoot. One laughed till he cried, another one was so near limphe looked like a ghost, while one finally found his senses and,dismounting, cut the rope in half a dozen places and untied thebundle. My horse floundered to his feet and ran off, but before thebear could free the noose, the boys got enough lead into him at closequarters to hold him down. The entire detachment came out of thethicket, and their hilarity knew no bounds. I was the only man in thecrowd who didn't enjoy the bear chase. Right then I made a resolvethat hereafter, when volunteers are called for to rope a bear, myaccomplishments in that line will remain unmentioned by me. I'll eatmy breakfast first, anyhow, and think it over carefully."
"Dogs and horses are very much alike about a bear," said one of theboys. "Take a dog that never saw a bear in his life, and let him geta sniff of one, and he'll get up his bristles like a javeline and tuckhis tail and look about for good backing or a clear field to run."
Long John showed symptoms that he had some yarn to relate, so wenaturally remained silent to give him a chance, in case the spiritmoved in him. Throwing a brand into the fare after lighting hiscigarette, he stretched himself on the ground, and the expectedhappened.
"A few years ago, while rangering down the country," said he, "fourof us had trailed some horse-thieves down on the Rio Grande, when theygave us the slip by crossing over into Mexico. We knew the thieveswere just across the river, so we hung around a few days, in the hopeof catching them, for if they should recross into Texas they were ourmeat. Our plans were completely upset the next morning, by thearrival of twenty United States cavalrymen on the cold trail of fourdeserters. The fact that these deserters were five days ahead and hadcrossed into Mexico promptly on reaching the river, did not preventthis squad of soldiers from notifying both villages on each side ofthe river as to their fruitless errand. They couldn't follow their ownany farther, and they managed to scare our quarry into hiding in theinterior. We waited until the soldiers returned to the post, when weconcluded we would take a little _pasear_ over into Mexico on our ownaccount.
"We called ourselves horse-buyers. The government was paying likethirty dollars for deserters, and in case we run across them, wefigured it would pay expenses to bring them out. These deserterswere distinguishable wherever they went by the size of their horses;besides, they had two fine big American mules for packs. They weremarked right for that country. Everything about them was _muy grande_.We were five days overtaking them, and then at a town one hundred andforty miles in the interior. They had celebrated their desertionthe day previous to our arrival by getting drunk, and when thehorse-buyers arrived they were in jail. This last condition ratherfrustrated our plans for their capture, as we expected to kidnap themout. But now we had red tape authorities to deal with.
"We found the horses, mules, and accoutrements in a corral. They wouldbe no trouble to get, as the bill for their keep was the only concernof the corral-keeper. Two of the boys who were in the party couldpalaver Spanish, so they concluded to visit the alcalde of the town,inquiring after horses in general and incidentally finding out whenour deserters would be released. The alcalde received the boys withgreat politeness, for Americans were rare visitors in his town, andafter giving them all the information available regarding horses,the subject innocently changed to the American prisoners in jail. Thealcalde informed them that he was satisfied they were deserters, andnot knowing just what to do with them he had sent a courier that verymorning to the governor for instructions in the matter. He estimatedit would require at least ten days to receive the governor's reply. Inthe mean time, much as he regretted it, they would remain prisoners.Before parting, those two innocents permitted their host to open abottle of wine as an evidence of the friendly feeling, and at thefinal leave-taking, they wasted enough politeness on each other to wina woman.
"When the boys returned to us other two, we were at our wits' end. Wewere getting disappointed too often. The result was that we made upour minds that rather than throw up, we would take those deserters outof jail and run the risk of getting away with them. We had everythingin readiness an hour before nightfall. We explained, to thesatisfaction of the Mexican hostler who had the stock in charge,that the owners of these animals were liable to be detained in jailpossibly a month, and to avoid the expense of their keeping, we wouldsettle the bill for our friends and take the stock with us. Whenthe time came every horse was saddled and the mules packed and inreadiness. We had even moved our own stock into the same corral, whichwas only a short distance from the jail.
"As night set in we approached the _carsel_. The turnkey answered ourquestions very politely through a grated iron door, and to our requestto speak with the prisoners, he regretted that they were being fed atthat moment, and we would have to wait a few minutes. He unbolted thedoor, however, and offered to show us into a side room, an invitationwe declined. Instead, we relieved him of his keys and made known ourerrand. When he discovered that we were armed and he was our prisoner,he was speechless with terror. It was short work to find the men wewanted and march them out, locking the gates behind us and takingjailer and keys with us. Once in the saddle, we bade the poor turnkeygood-by and returned him his keys.
"We rode
fast, but in less than a quarter of an hour there was aclanging of bells which convinced us that the alarm had been given.Our prisoners took kindly to the rescue and rode willingly, but wewere careful to conceal our identity or motive. We felt certainthere would be pursuit, if for no other purpose, to justify officialauthority. We felt easy, for we were well mounted, and if it came to apinch, we would burn powder with them, one round at least.
"Before half an hour had passed, we were aware that we were pursued.We threw off the road at right angles and rode for an hour. Then, withthe North Star for a guide, we put over fifty miles behind us beforesunrise. It was impossible to secrete ourselves the next day, for wewere compelled to have water for ourselves and stock. To conceal thefact that our friends were prisoners, we returned them their armsafter throwing away their ammunition. We had to enter several ranchesduring the day to secure food and water, but made no particular effortto travel.
"About four o'clock we set out, and to our surprise, too, a numberof horsemen followed us until nearly dark. Passing through a slightshelter, in which we were out of sight some little time, two of usdropped back and awaited our pursuers. As they came up within hailingdistance, we ordered them to halt, which they declined by whirlingtheir horses and burning the earth getting away. We threw a few roundsof lead after them, but they cut all desire for our acquaintance rightthere.
"We reached the river at a nearer point than the one at which we hadentered, and crossed to the Texas side early the next morning. Wemissed a good ford by two miles and swam the river. At this ford wasstationed a squad of regulars, and we turned our prizes over withinan hour after crossing. We took a receipt for the men, stock,and equipments, and when we turned it over to our captain a weekafterwards, we got the riot act read to us right. I noticed, however,the first time there was a division of prize money, one item was forthe capture of four deserters."
"I don't reckon that captain had any scruples about taking his shareof the prize money, did he?" inquired Gotch.
"No, I never knew anything like that to happen since I've been in theservice."
"There used to be a captain in one of the upper country companies thatheld religious services in his company, and the boys claimed thathe was equally good on a prayer, a fight, or holding aces in a pokergame," said Gotch, as he filled his pipe.
Amongst Dad's other accomplishments was his unfailing readiness totell of his experiences in the service. So after he had looked overthe camp in general, he joined the group of lounging smokers and toldus of an Indian fight in which he had participated.
"I can't imagine how this comes to be called Comanche Ford," said Dad."Now the Comanches crossed over into the Panhandle country annuallyfor the purpose of killing buffalo. For diversion and pastime,they were always willing to add horse-stealing and the murdering ofsettlers as a variation. They used to come over in big bands tohunt, and when ready to go back to their reservation in the IndianTerritory, they would send the squaws on ahead, while the bucks wouldsplit into small bands and steal all the good horses in sight.
"Our old company was ordered out on the border once, when theComanches were known to be south of Red River killing buffalo. Thismeant that on their return it would be advisable to look out for yourhorses or they would be missing. In order to cover as much territoryas possible, the company was cut in three detachments. Our squad hadtwenty men in it under a lieutenant. We were patrolling a countryknown as the Tallow Cache Hills, glades and black-jack cross timbersalternating. All kinds of rumors of Indian depredations were reachingus almost daily, yet so far we had failed to locate or see an Indian.
"One day at noon we packed up and were going to move our camp fartherwest, when a scout, who had gone on ahead, rushed back with the newsthat he had sighted a band of Indians with quite a herd of horsespushing north. We led our pack mules, and keeping the shelter of thetimber started to cut them off in their course. When we first sightedthem, they were just crossing a glade, and the last buck had just leftthe timber. He had in his mouth an arrow shaft, which he was turningbetween his teeth to remove the sap. All had guns. The first warningthe Indians received of our presence was a shot made by one of themen at this rear Indian. He rolled off his horse like a stone, andthe next morning when we came back over their trail, he had thatunfinished arrow in a death grip between his teeth. That first shotlet the cat out, and we went after them.
"We had two big piebald calico mules, and when we charged thoseIndians, those pack mules outran every saddle horse which we had, anddashing into their horse herd, scattered them like partridges. Nearlyevery buck was riding a stolen horse, and for some cause they couldn'tget any speed out of them. We just rode all around them. There provedto be twenty-two Indians in the band, and one of them was a squaw. Shewas killed by accident.
"The chase had covered about two miles, when the horse she was ridingfell from a shot by some of our crowd. The squaw recovered herself andcame to her feet in time to see several carbines in the act ofbeing leveled at her by our men. She instantly threw open the slightcovering about her shoulders and revealed her sex. Some one called outnot to shoot, that it was a squaw, and the carbines were lowered. Asthis squad passed on, she turned and ran for the protection of thenearest timber, and a second squad coming up and seeing the fleeingIndian, fired on her, killing her instantly. She had done the verything she should not have done.
"It was a running fight from start to finish. We got the last one inthe band about seven miles from the first one. The last one to fallwas mounted on a fine horse, and if he had only ridden intelligently,he ought to have escaped. The funny thing about it was he wasovertaken by the dullest, sleepiest horse in our command. The shootingand smell of powder must have put iron into him, for he died a hero.When this last Indian saw that he was going to be overtaken, his ownhorse being recently wounded, he hung on one side of the animaland returned the fire. At a range of ten yards he planted a bulletsquarely in the leader's forehead, his own horse falling at the sameinstant. Those two horses fell dead so near that you could have tiedtheir tails together. Our man was thrown so suddenly, that he came tohis feet dazed, his eyes filled with dirt. The Indian stood not twentysteps away and fired several shots at him. Our man, in his blindness,stood there and beat the air with his gun, expecting the Indian torush on him every moment. Had the buck used his gun for a club, itmight have been different, but as long as he kept shooting, his enemywas safe. Half a dozen of us, who were near enough to witness hisfinal fight, dashed up, and the Indian fell riddled with bullets.
"We went into camp after the fight was over with two wounded men andhalf a dozen dead or disabled horses. Those of us who had mounts ingood fix scoured back and gathered in our packs and all the Indian andstolen horses that were unwounded. It looked like a butchery, but ourminds were greatly relieved on that point the next day, when we foundamong their effects over a dozen fresh, bloody scalps, mostly womenand children. There's times and circumstances in this service thatmake the toughest of us gloomy."
"How long ago was that?" inquired Orchard.
"Quite a while ago," replied Dad. "I ought to be able to tell exactly.I was a youngster then. Well, I'll tell you; it was during thereconstruction days, when Davis was governor. Figure it out yourself."
"Speaking of the disagreeable side of this service," said Happy Jack,"reminds me of an incident that took all the nerve out of every oneconnected with it. When I first went into the service, there was awell-known horse-thief and smuggler down on the river, known as ElLobo. He operated on both sides of the Rio Grande, but generally stolehis horses from the Texas side. He was a night owl. It was nothing forhim to be seen at some ranch in the evening, and the next morningbe met seventy-five or eighty miles distant. He was a good judge ofhorse-flesh, and never stole any but the best. His market was well inthe interior of Mexico, and he supplied it liberally. He was a typicaldandy, and like a sailor had a wife in every port. That was his weakpoint, and there's where we attacked him.
"He had made all kinds of fun of this service,
and we concluded tohave him at any cost. Accordingly we located his women and worked onthem. Mexican beauty is always over-rated, but one of his conquestsin that line came as near being the ideal for a rustic beauty as thatnationality produces. This girl was about twenty, and lived with aquestionable mother at a ranchito back from the river about thirtymiles. In form and feature there was nothing lacking, while thesmouldering fire of her black eyes would win saint or thief alike.Born in poverty and ignorance, she was a child of circumstance, andfell an easy victim to El Lobo, who lavished every attention upon her.There was no present too costly for him, and on his periodical visitshe dazzled her with gifts. But infatuations of that class generallyhave an end, often a sad one.
"We had a half-blood in our company, who was used as a rival to ElLobo in gathering any information that might be afloat, and atthe same time, when opportunity offered, in sowing the wormwood ofjealousy. This was easy, for we collected every item in the form ofpresents he ever made her rival senoritas. When these forces wereworking, our half-blood pushed his claims for recognition. Our wagesand prize money were at his disposal, and in time they won. Theneglect shown her by El Lobo finally turned her against him,apparently, and she agreed to betray his whereabouts the firstopportunity--on one condition. And that was, that if we succeeded incapturing him, we were to bring him before her, that she might, in hishelplessness, taunt him for his perfidy towards her. We were willingto make any concession to get him, so this request was readilygranted.
"The deserted condition of the ranchito where the girl lived was toour advantage as well as his. The few families that dwelt there hadtheir flocks to look after, and the coming or going of a passer-by wasscarcely noticed. Our man on his visits carefully concealed the factthat he was connected with this service, for El Lobo's lavish useof money made him friends wherever he went, and afforded him all theseclusion he needed.
"It was over a month before the wolf made his appearance, and we wereinformed of the fact. He stayed at an outside pastor's camp, visitingthe ranch only after dark. A corral was mentioned, where within a fewdays' time, at the farthest, he would pen a bunch of saddle horses.There had once been wells at this branding pen, but on their failingto furnish water continuously they had been abandoned. El Lobo hadfriends at his command to assist him in securing the best horses inthe country. So accordingly we planned to pay our respects to him atthese deserted wells.
"The second night of our watch, we were rewarded by having three mendrive into these corrals about twenty saddle horses. They had barelytime to tie their mounts outside and enter the pen, when four of usslipped in behind them and changed the programme a trifle. El Lobo wasone of the men. He was very polite and nice, but that didn't preventus from ironing him securely, as we did his companions also.
"It was almost midnight when we reached the ranchito where the girllived. We asked him if he had any friends at this ranch whom he wishedto see. This he denied. When we informed him that by special requesta lady wished to bid him farewell, he lost some of his bluster andbravado. We all dismounted, leaving one man outside with the othertwo prisoners, and entered a small yard where the girl lived. Ourhalf-blood aroused her and called her out to meet her friend, El Lobo.The girl delayed us some minutes, and we apologized to him for thenecessity of irons and our presence in meeting his Dulce Corazon. Whenthe girl came out we were some distance from the jacal. There was justmoonlight enough to make her look beautiful.
"As she advanced, she called him by some pet name in their language,when he answered her gruffly, accusing her of treachery, and turnedhis back upon her. She approached within a few feet, when it wasnoticeable that she was racked with emotion, and asked him if he hadno kind word for her. Turning on her, he repeated the accusation oftreachery, and applied a vile expression to her. That moment thegirl flashed into a fiend, and throwing a shawl from her shoulders,revealed a pistol, firing it twice before a man could stop her. ElLobo sank in his tracks, and she begged us to let her trample hislifeless body. Later, when composed, she told us that we had not usedher any more than she had used us, in bringing him helpless to her. Asthings turned out it looked that way.
"We lashed the dead thief on his horse and rode until daybreak, whenwe buried him. We could have gotten a big reward for him dead oralive, and we had the evidence of his death, but the manner in whichwe got it made it undesirable. El Lobo was missed, but the manner ofhis going was a secret of four men and a Mexican girl. The other twoprisoners went over the road, and we even reported to them that he hadattempted to strangle her, and we shot him to save her. Something hadto be said."
The smoking and yarning had ended. Darkness had settled over the campbut a short while, when every one was sound asleep. It must havebeen near midnight when a number of us were aroused by the samedisturbance. The boys sat bolt upright and listened eagerly. We wereused to being awakened by shots, and the cause of our sudden awakeningwas believed to be the same,--a shot. While the exchange of opinionwas going the round, all anxiety on that point was dispelled by asecond shot, the flash of which could be distinctly seen across theriver below the ford.
As Dad stood up and answered it with a shrill whistle, every manreached for his carbine and flattened himself out on the ground. Thewhistle was answered, and shortly the splash of quite a cavalcadecould be heard fording the river. Several times they halted, our firehaving died out, and whistles were exchanged between them and Root.When they came within fifty yards of camp and their outlines could bedistinguished against the sky line in the darkness, they were orderedto halt, and a dozen carbines clicked an accompaniment to the order.
"Who are you?" demanded Root.
"A detachment from Company M, Texas Rangers," was the reply.
"If you are Rangers, give us a maxim of the service," said Dad.
"_Don't wait for the other man to shoot first_," came the response.
"Ride in, that passes here," was Dad's greeting and welcome.
They were a detachment of fifteen men, and had ridden from the Pecoson the south, nearly the same distance which we had come. They hadsimilar orders to ours, but were advised that they would meet ourdetachment at this ford. In less than an hour every man was asleepagain, and quiet reigned in the Ranger camp at Comanche Ford on theConcho.