A Ranger Grown (Lone Star Ranger Book 8) Page 3

  “There’s a reason for that,” Spalding continued. “As always, Texas has far more lawbreakers on the loose than there are lawmen to hunt them down. That applies to the entire state. However, right now, I am looking at two areas of particular concern. One is that usual trouble spot, all along the Rio Grande and the Mexican border. I know some of you have served down that way, and realize how difficult it is to even find the outlaws in that region, let alone keep them in check. Captain Quincy, and the company under his command, are doing as good a job as anyone can possibly do to try’n stop the renegade whites, and Mexicans, who ride back and forth across the border with impunity.”

  “Are we headed back down there, to join up with Captain Quincy again, along with the new men?” Jeb asked.

  “I wish we could spare you and these boys to do that, Lieutenant,” Spalding replied. “Unfortunately, as I mentioned, there are two areas where the outlaws have pretty much taken over total control. The second is up along the New Mexico Territory border, between the Panhandle and almost as far west as El Paso. That’s where you’re being sent. Colonel Morton will explain further.”

  “Thanks, General. Men, if you’ll take a look at this map on the wall behind my desk,” Morton began. “As you can see, it shows west Texas, more specifically the area of the state just south of New Mexico Territory, and west of the state line between the Panhandle and New Mexico.”

  He picked up a pointer from his desk and indicated a spot on the map.

  “These are the Guadalupe Mountains, and over here…” he moved the pointer a few inches to the left, “about fifty miles to the west of the Guadalupes, are the Cornudas Mountains. These are the two highest mountain ranges in Texas, and every bit as rugged as any you’ll find in this state, or most any other. San Antonio in the Cornudas is over seven thousand feet high, and Guadalupe Peak, the highest in the Guadalupes, is well over eight thousand feet. In between them is nothing but desert and salt flats. It’s the most barren, dusty, driest, and isolated part of Texas. Yet, despite that, some ranchers have begun to settle there, along with a few others. And as you all know, where honest folks go, the dishonest fellers are certain to follow.”

  Morton paused to take another puff on his pipe, then continued.

  “There are at least three outlaw bands that we know of, plaguing the area. Unfortunately, we don’t have any information as to who might be leading them, how many hombres are in each outfit, and where they hole up between raids. It’s likely they have some sort of headquarters in either the Guadalupes, Cornudas, or both.

  “In addition, there are always the lone renegades to deal with. Then, on top of those, there’s still a band of Mescalero Apaches who live somewhere in the Guadalupes. They raid out of there, and no one’s ever been able to roust them out of those mountains. They know them like y’all know the backs of your horses’ ears. They hit hard and fast, and are back in the mountains almost before anyone even knew they were on the warpath. The few men who have tried to follow ’em back to wherever their village is have either given up, or have never been seen again.”

  “The Mescaleros used to have a lot more land, until the Comanches moved south and drove ’em off the Llano Estacodo,” Spalding added. “And of course, us whites have been squeezin’ ’em even more. Losin’ all the territory makes ’em that much more dangerous.”

  “General Spalding is absolutely correct,” Morton said. He indicated a squiggly line on the map. “You see this, here? This is the Butterfield Overland Stage Line mail route. It was originally planned to run farther north, closer to the Guadalupes, but the Mescaleros’ continuous attacks on the stages changed the company’s mind. They moved the route more to the south, makin’ it harder for the Mescaleros to attack a stage, then get back to their home. There’s so little water in that territory even the Indians have trouble findin’ any, and we all know that Indians can locate a water hole that a white man would never discover. In addition, many of the waterholes that do exist aren’t fit to drink. They’re either too full of alkali, or poisoned with other minerals.”

  “Are there any settlements out that way, Colonel?” Jeb asked.

  “No,” Morton answered. “Once you get past Fort Stockton and cross the Pecos River, there’s no other town until you reach El Paso. Unfortunately for you and your men, you won’t be going that far. It’s still another seventy-five miles or so from the Cornudas to El Paso, so unless there’s some urgent reason to get to a town, you won’t be headed there. I’m afraid, Jeb, once you leave Fort Stockton, you and your men will be completely on your own. There will be no help from the Rangers, nor any other law enforcement.

  “That’s why, before I continue, I am going to ask each and every one of you if you are willing to take on this assignment, or would rather decline it, and resign from the Rangers. If any of you don’t want to take this on, there will be no repercussions, and no hard feelings. You’ll be given an honorable discharge, and a recommendation if needed. So, does anyone want out?”

  Morton’s question was answered with complete silence.

  “I reckon that’s your answer, Colonel,” Jeb said. “We’ll see this assignment through, and stick it out until it’s finished. After all, you and General Spalding are only askin’ me and these men to take on a few bunches of desperadoes, some lone wolf outlaws, and a tribe of renegade Apaches. It sounds pretty routine.”

  If he was expecting a laugh from Morton or Spalding, he didn’t receive one. Instead, their expressions grew even more clouded.

  “That’s not all, Jeb,” Morton said.

  “Colonel Morton is right,” Spalding picked up. “Besides everything we’ve just mentioned, there’s been off and on trouble over the salt flats. As you may know, Mexicans have been takin’ salt from those flats for generations, for free. They believe that right was put into law and granted to them under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended our war with Mexico back in 1848.

  “Now, however, there are some Anglos, a man named Charles Howard chief among them, who are tryin’ to file on the flats, and claim ownership. That’s really riled up the Mexicans, and the Texas Mexicans on this side of the border. I have an awful feelin’ the whole mess is goin’ to explode into a full scale war, sooner or later. I just hope it doesn’t happen while you boys are out there.”

  He paused, then continued.

  “Another issue is the New Mexico Territory authorities, and particularly the Army. We asked permission to continue chasing any outlaws or Indians you might encounter, who fled back into New Mexico, over the Territorial line. They turned our request down, flat. You won’t get any help from them. In fact, they made it very plain that any Rangers found chasin’ someone into the Territory would be arrested. That being said, I don’t expect you to stop if you’re on the trail of any renegades, red, white, or Mexican, who flee into New Mexico. There’s no real landmarks out that way, so it’s hard to determine exactly where the Territory line is. If you have any owlhoots in your sights, you are to keep after ’em, and to blazes with jurisdiction. If any of the New Mexican authorities, the Army, or a United States Marshal stops you, just play dumb. Tell ’em you thought you were still in Texas. They’d be hard pressed to prove you didn’t. These raids, robberies, and killings must be stopped, and they will be. I’m counting on you men to do just that.”

  Spalding frowned and sighed, then went on.

  “I’m not gonna paint a rosy picture of the job we’re handin’ you boys. There are two main reasons Colonel Morton, with my agreement, chose only young men for this job, except for Lieutenant Rollins.”

  “Gee, thanks, General,” Jeb broke in. “You make it sound like I’m ready for the rockin’ chair, on the front porch of the Old Rangers’ Home…if there was an Old Rangers’ Home.”

  The room erupted in laughter, helping to break the tension which had been building.

  “You’re not quite ready for that yet, Lieutenant,” Spalding said. “Now, if I may continue, the first reason Colonel Morton and I picked this partic
ular group from all the Rangers is we wanted to keep the veterans down along the Mexican border, since most of them know that territory so well.

  “The second, and more important reason, is what the colonel has already touched upon. You’ll be heading into the most unforgiving region of Texas, and I’m not even talkin’ about the outlaws. Nature will throw everythin’ at you she can, and then some. While almost any Ranger could handle those conditions, Colonel Morton and I felt that a company of younger men would be able to handle the harsh climate and desert terrain better, and be able to move faster and longer.

  “But I do have to warn y’all, between the outlaws, the Indians, and the desert and mountains, it’s quite likely some of you, perhaps most or even all of you, won’t come back alive. In fact, some of you may die all alone out there, either from bullets and arrows, or thirst and hunger. That means you’ll have no grave, no one will ever know for certain what happened to you, and you’ll most likely be forgotten after a few months, or even less. For that reason, you might have noticed the colonel and I chose only single men.

  “I had a wife, once,” Jeb broke in. “Until she decided she was tired of bein’ married to a fiddle-footed, tumbleweedin’ Ranger, who was hardly ever home. She got tired of bein’ alone so much, in addition to worryin’ about whether I’d come home alive, or in a pine box, every time I rode out. So she divorced me and married a store owner. I reckon I can’t really blame her.”

  “I know that’s still eatin’ at you, Jeb,” Spalding said. “Ellen was a good woman. We don’t want anyone who would leave a grievin’ widow or orphaned children behind handlin’ this assignment. As he mentioned, even Lieutenant Rollins is single, although he did have a wife, until she came to her senses and left him for a store owner—a man she didn’t have to worry about day in and day out, and who made a lot more money. So, that being made clear, I’m givin’ all of you one last chance to change your minds. If any of you want to back out of this job, say so right now. If not, then may God ride with you.”

  Again, the only answer was silence. To Nate, it seemed as if his heart swelled with pride, when not one man asked permission to resign.

  “Like I said before, you’ve got your answer, sir,” Jeb said.

  “Good. I’m obliged to each and every man here,” Spalding said. “Not that I really expected any of you to back out. Now, I’m goin’ to get into more specifics, not that there are very many. You’ll be on your own, with no help available, so you’ll be making your own decisions out there, and will bear all of the consequences and responsibilities for those decisions. You might stick together as a company, or you might break up, perhaps even a single man, or a pair of men, being sent out on their own, if circumstances warrant. That’s where Lieutenant Rollins’s years of experience will be important, in deciding the necessary procedures to get this job done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Are there any questions so far?”

  The men all shook their heads.

  “Good. Since you’ll be traveling fast and hard, you won’t be allowed any supplies, except what you can carry in your own saddlebags or on your backs. That means no tents, no pack mules, and especially no chuck wagon and company cook. You’ll be living entirely off the land, except for what you can purchase or barter for at any ranch or trading post you might come across. Each of you will be advanced two months’ pay. Clearly, you are not to blow through it at saloons or gambling halls. Keep that money, unless you absolutely need to spend it on something essential.”

  “Will we be leavin’ as soon as this meetin’ is over, General Spalding, sir?” Hoot asked.

  “No,” Spalding answered. “You’re all to take the rest of the day to buy whatever supplies you need, see to your horses, make certain they have new shoes if they need them, and are ready to travel, then get a good supper and a full night’s rest. You’ll be leaving as soon as the sun is up. Colonel Morton and I will see you off.

  “While you’re here in Austin, you are to tell no one, and I emphasize no one, where you are headed. We can’t afford any possible chance of word the Texas Rangers are heading to the Guadalupes and Cornudas to reach the outlaws you’ll be after. We don’t want to alert them, and give them the chance to pull out for parts unknown before you arrive.

  “When you leave here, you will go to your destination by way of Fort Stockton and Pecos. En route, if anyone should ask where you’re headed, just tell them out to west Texas.

  “Jeb, you’ll probably have to speak with someone at the Army post at Fort Stockton, most likely the commanding officer. If he presses you for more information, just tell him you’ll be scouting the trans-Pecos for cattle rustlers and horse thieves. The Army knows their duty is to keep the Indians in check, not chase after white or Mexican renegades, so whoever is in charge shouldn’t give you any trouble. When you leave Fort Stockton, ride due west, as if you’re headed directly for El Paso, but once you’re far enough away from town, cut northwest. You’ll be riding through unsettled land, so you probably won’t run into anyone, but if you do, the odds are they’ll be outlaws. Of course, I don’t have to warn you to be careful.”

  “I reckon not, sir,” Jeb said. “Is there anything else?”

  “There is just one more item,” Spalding answered. “Private Greco, Private Ellesio, Private Donovan, if you would kindly get off those crates you are seated on, and carry them to the center of the room.”

  “Yessir, General,” Anthony Greco answered. He and the two other men stood up, Anthony and Zack Ellesio picked up the longer crate, while Trace Donovan took the smaller. They placed them in the middle of Morton’s office. Morton took a hammer from his middle desk drawer, and used it to pry the tops off the crates. He removed some of the excelsior packing material from the smaller one, and tool out a shiny new Colt pistol.

  “Gentlemen, because this assignment is so extremely dangerous, we have arranged to provide you with the latest, most modern firearms available. You will not be heading out with the old cap and ball Navies you’ve been using, with the exception of a few of you, like the Smith and Wesson American I see on Private Stewart’s hip. Like his S&W American, these new Colts, called the Colt Army, or the Colt Peacemaker, are cartridge revolvers. They are single action, chambered in .45 caliber.

  “You’ll each be issued one of these, along with plenty of cartridges to make certain you don’t run short. You may keep your old weapons for backups. In fact, both General Spalding and I recommend you do just that, since these are some of the first Colt Armies to go into production. They have held up well in government testing, but we all know you can’t be certain how reliable a weapon will be until it’s used under actual battle conditions. However, as I’m sure most of you are aware, and I’m certain Private Stewart will attest, you can load, fire until it’s empty, then reload a cartridge revolver much more quickly than any cap and ball weapon. Am I right, Private Stewart?”

  “Yessir, Colonel. Havin’ this here cartridge gun has saved my hide more’n once.”

  “Thank you, Private. However, even though you already have a cartridge revolver, I want it to be clear you also will be issued one of these new Colts. We are going to try and standardize the weapons the Rangers use, so each man will have the same model gun, in the same caliber,” Morton said. “To that end, General Spalding…”

  Spalding reached into the other crate, and pulled out a Winchester repeating rifle.

  “Men, this is the latest model Winchester available, the Model 1873. Unfortunately, it’s not chambered for .45 caliber shells, but for 44.40s, which means you’ll need two sizes of bullets. However, it should prove to be even more reliable, and more accurate, than the Model 1866 Winchesters most of you are using.

  “We have ordered two of the three barrel lengths this weapon comes in, either the twenty-four-inch rifle, or the twenty-inch carbine. Once this meeting is concluded, you’ll all have the opportunity to try each out, and choose the one which best suits you. Of course, the rifle will give you more muzzle velocity, distance, and acc
uracy, but the difference between it and the carbine should be relatively negligible. Does anyone have any questions about either of these guns, before you try them out?”

  “General, you said we will be issued these weapons,” Jeb answered. “Does that mean the state will be paying for them?”

  Spalding chuckled before replying.

  “That’s just what we needed, Lieutenant, a little humor to lighten things up,” he said, adding, sarcastically, “Of course not. We’re lucky the state legislature is still funding the Rangers, let along paying for supplies. As always, Texas will provide all the ammunition you need, but I’m afraid you boys will have to pay for these weapons out of your own pockets.

  “Of course, since these guns may well save your lives, I would say they are a worthwhile investment. And, while the state won’t pay for them, it will advance you the money, which will be taken out of your pay at the rate of five dollars per month, until the balance is paid. We were able to negotiate a good price, twenty-seven dollars and fifty cents for the Colts, and forty-five dollars for the Winchesters.

  “In addition, both manufacturers agreed to absorb the shipping charges, which as you know, since Colt is way up in Hartford, Connecticut, and Winchester in New Haven, is a considerable amount. All in all, for weapons this fine, you’re receiving quite a good deal. Corporal Harrison, you have a question?”

  “Yes, sir,” Hoot answered. “What happens if a man gets killed before he pays what he owes for his guns?”

  “Then the state of Texas will be out of luck,” Spalding answered.