Show BORDER MAN HUNT correspondent describes ride with texas rangers pursuit of mexican bandits who raided american ranch conducted in businesslike manner got five Is quiet report by JOHN W ROBERTS international news newa service brownsville Browns ville tox tex it takes more qualifications to be a texas ranger than to bo be a soldier in the united states army for one thing you must be able to shoot 90 per cent average very few soldiers can do that and then you have to be more than five feet ten inches tall you must know kanovi how to ride like a cowpuncher and be skillful in handling the lariat you must bo be a man of unqualified nerve and be ready at all times to f face ace danger without a flinch it was my good fortune to be one ol of a party of ten rangers who left brownsville Browns ville early one evening in pursuit of some mexican bandits who had recently raided an american ranch in the vicinity I 1 rode beside a tall quiet handsome boy of about twenty two years ot of age his face was as tanned as a Alexi mexicans cans but his steel blue eyes betrayed his anglo saxon nationality we had entered that part 0 of f the country which is covered with a network of mesquite brush ten feet in height as thick as any african jungle ever could be I 1 started to whistle an old familiar tune shut up said my partner quietly we came to a small clearing and halted the waters of the rio grande were dotted with reflections of the stars in the bright sky across the ri river ver was mexico and her vast silent prairies gleamed like silver in the starlight one of the rangers dismounted and examined the ground closely they have gone that way he pointed northward how does he know that it Is the men we are after I 1 asked of my companion by the footprints he replied greasers never take the trouble to shoo shoe their horses an americans american horse is always shod the difference and the hoot hoof prints point northward here we left the road and took up a trail through the chaparral single file the thud thud of our horses hoofs in the soft earth and the occasional squeak of a saddle were the only sounds which broke the stillness of the night suddenly without warning the crash of a body dashing through the dry mesquite to our left eft was heard in almost the same instant ten saddles adles were emptied and ten big strapping texans had dashed into the brush like so many rabbits the horses but tor 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 re mounted coyote explained my partner with a smile the damn critters are always fooling us because they sound just like a greaser trying to gat away we had ridden out a mile farther along this trail when the shrill whinny of a pony through the stillness it halted our small band like magic although no one said a word each man knew what the thought and they acted together each ranger dismounted and took his riho rifle from the scabbard its them I 1 guess my partner informed me you had better stay with the horses and keep your head under cover in case there is any shooting we will be back in a little while although every one of the ten rangers who took into the brush were big follows each wearing heavy boots yet when they had gone but ten paces from where I 1 stood I 1 could not hear a sound not even the breaking of a dry twig five minutes later the sound of a shot crack cracked ed through the air I 1 was in a state of feverish excitement never be before fore had I 1 been in a man hunt and this one staged in a still night on the prairies bordering the waters of the rio grande made me doubt even then that it was taking place on american soil the shot was follow followed ed by another one then a third then many all at once and in a few seconds more the air rang with the cracks of rilles I 1 heard an oath screamed in spanish a sharp voiced command to halt in english heard the phink of a 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 I 1 was trembling in my excitement the men quietly put their guns back into their scabbards mounted their horses turned around and started back to brownsville Browns ville again not a word was spoken and each mans mails face was as immobile as though nothing had happened did did did you get any ol of them I 1 whispered to my partner five he said quietly without looking I 1 n g u up P ten minutes passed before I 1 nerved myself to ask the second question what did you do wath them tte the question seemed to amuse him greasers Grea seis are like ers he answered let them rot where I 1 the hv diall dla |