The Project Gutenberg EBook of Crooked Trails, by Frederic Remington

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Title: Crooked Trails

Author: Frederic Remington

Release Date: April, 2005 [EBook #7867]
Posting Date: July 31, 2009

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CROOKED TRAILS ***

Produced by Eric Eldred

[Illustration: 01 TEXAS RANGERS HOLDING UP CHAPPARAL BANDITS]

CROOKED TRAILS

By Frederic Remington

Illustrated By Frederic Remington

Author Of "Pony Tracks"

First published in 1898

CONTENTS

HOW THE LAW GOT INTO THE CHAPARRAL

THE BLUE QUAIL OF THE CACTUS

A SERGEANT OF THE ORPHAN TROOP

THE SPIRIT OF MAHONGUI

THE ESSENTIALS AT FORT ADOBE

MASSAI'S CROOKED TRAIL

JOSHUA GOODENOUGH'S OLD LETTER

CRACKER COWBOYS OF FLORIDA

THE STRANGE DAYS THAT CAME TO JIMMIE FRIDAY

THE SOLEDAD GIRLS

CROOKED TRAILS

HOW THE LAW GOT INTO THE CHAPARRAL

"You have heard about the Texas Rangers?" said the Deacon to me one
night in the San Antonio Club. "Yes? Well, come up to my rooms, and I
will introduce you to one of the old originals--dates 'way back in the
'thirties'--there aren't many of them left now--and if we can get him to
talk, he will tell you stories that will make your eyes hang out on your
shirt front."

We entered the Deacon's cosey bachelor apartments, where I was
introduced to Colonel "Rip" Ford, of the old-time Texas Rangers. I found
him a very old man, with a wealth of snow-white hair and beard--bent,
but not withered. As he sunk on his stiffened limbs into the arm-chair,
we disposed ourselves quietly and almost reverentially, while we lighted
cigars. We began the approaches by which we hoped to loosen the history
of a wild past from one of the very few tongues which can still wag on
the days when the Texans, the Co-manches, and the Mexicans chased one
another over the plains of Texas, and shot and stabbed to find who
should inherit the land.

Through the veil of tobacco smoke the ancient warrior spoke his
sentences slowly, at intervals, as his mind gradually separated and
arranged the details of countless fights. His