Rangers and sovereignty Page: 165 of 188

                                
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RANGERS AND SOVEREIGNTY.

every road leading in their direction. There was a
young fellow from the east, the veriest tenderfoot, visiting
in that neighborhood. He told them that he
would deliver that message to Major Jones. They
saw that he had the backbone to try it and they let
him go with it.
That young man was J. M. Hawkins, who is now
postmaster in Alamogorda, New Mexico.
Sure enough, their spies rounded him up on the
road; but I imagine Hawkins tried to appear greener
than he really was, playing the "baby act" successfully,
and went on his way rejoicing. He delivered
the message to Major Jones. This located the Horrels
and no time was lost in starting the Rangers
after them. It was on a rainy evening and the Horrels
had sought shelter in a vacant house near the river.
Some of the most bitter enemies of the Horrels wanted
to go with Sergeant Reynolds and assist in capturing
them, but Reynold's declined their help except to take
one man with him to show him the lhouse they were
in. When he got near this house he told his man to
go back as he needed no further assistance. Reynolds
advanced cautiously, in the night, and encountered no
guard or watchman in his approach. The Horrels
were all asleep in the house. Reynolds placed his
men around the house with orders not to shoot until
he ordered them to do so. He opened the front door
and walked into the house alone. He lighted a match
and saw the situation in the front room and had to