When Hardin's Ranch, 16 miles from Fort R----, was reached, I bivouacked
my men and taking Charlton proceeded to reconnoitre-- I found two tall,
gaunt, leathery, bony, unprepossessing, sour-looking females-- With
some hesitation, I approached my delicate mission or undertaking and
began to interview them, using all of the engaging manners and suave (?)
diplomacy I was capable of--which, as a soldier--so I have been
told--has never been of a very pronounced character. It availed me
nothing-- To the inquiry as to whether any of the men were at home, and
if any carbines had been left at the ranch by these soldiers when going
down the country, the reply was curtly snapped out--"No"!-- They 'lowed
they hadn't never seen no carbines; the "old man" wasn't home-- I
_politely_ asked if I might "look about the ranch and premises"-- That
stirred the gall of these specimens of the gentle, tender sex-- "No! you
can't"!-- Then I began a mild form of the "Third Degree"--and bringing
up the man who had--under pressure--"Squealed"--to identify the
women--and to make an even stronger statement as to the disposal of
their carbines--we were met with nothing but repulses, followed by foul
abuse--such as: "You blue-bellied Yankees better go away from here--if
the "old man" was here he would lick you uns outen yer boots", etc.-- I
was not, at this point, inclined to spoil the reputation I had already
acquired or sacrifice my good name, or make any slip by any "Violation
of the Civil Law" now in full force in all parts of Texas--in view of
Mackenzie's explicit instructions on that point-- Neither did I feel
inclined to be beaten just at this stage of the game--the end of this
frightfully exhausting and most momentous trip, or to be balked and
bluffed by these two raw bone, belligerent termagants, and lose the
fruits of my thus far assured success-- I wanted to make a clean "sweep
up" of my trip, and, in order to do so--_I must have those carbines_,
now that I felt I was so close to them-- So I swung around to other
tactics--or, rather _Grand Strategy_-- "If you don't produce those
carbines from their places of concealment, which I know to be here or
about your premises, I shall be compelled to search your ranch"-- This
last shot hit hard-- More and more abuse, coupled with more threats of
what the "old man" would do to me. The climax had now come-- I could not
see my way clear to bluff any longer-- I felt that I must act at once
and decisively-- "Corporal Charlton, call the men at once-- Search this
ranch thoroughly-- If necessary rip up the floors, and turn over the
"_loft_"; ransack all of the out buildings, but be careful that you do
not injure these _ladies_" (?) "If they resist or try to use any guns,
treat them as you would 'he' _men_; jump on them, and securely rope
them--and don't let them get 'the drop' on you-- You take charge of the
job and see that it is well done"-- His steel-blue eyes flashed-- My
musketeer Corporal--"d'Artagnon"--sprang at it with a relish-- He had
heard, and been the object--of much of the abuse of these scolding
viragos-- The ranch was thoroughly searched--the "rough-neck" women
offering no resistance except with their bitter tongues which shot off
the vilest sort of "_Billings gate_"-- It was without avail. The
carbines were evidently concealed at some point distant from the house--
As we were about to leave--the women, unconquered--again spat out-- "If
the 'old man' wuz heah he would lick you uns out o' yer boots". Here was
a fine chance for another bluff. I walked up to them, and in my most
impressive manner gave here this decisive Coup d'Etat-- "_If your old
man doesn't deliver those carbines into Fort Richardson by 10 o'clock
to-morrow morning--I will bring this same detachment out here with a raw
hide lariat and hang him to that oak tree_"-- They had seen me ransack
the ranch, they had known what that threat of hanging meant in the
reconstruction days among the "bad men"--the "gun men" and desperadoes
of the far South West-- They showed signs of wilting--and I departed,
inwardly cursing the luck which had deserted me at the last moment and
compelled me to make a raw bluff which I knew full well I could not
carry out or enforce in view of Mackenzie's _most strenuous official
objections_--