Though willing to accompany me I could tell he doubted our ability to execute the capture.
I planned to attempt the capture of Baca the next morning and sent Cooper back to Saragosa to look over the situation there once more. He informed me on his return that Baca was still clerking in the store. I now told Lloyd to keep our horses up when the animals were turned out to graze next morning. This move caused no especial thought or comment, for the men frequently would keep their horses to ride down town. As soon as we had crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico I planned to quit the public road, travel through the bosques, pass around on the west side of Saragosa and ride quickly up to the store in which our man was working. Lloyd was to hold the horses while I was to dismount, enter the store and make the arrest. Then, if possible, I was to mount Baca behind Lloyd and make a quick get-away.
Our plans were carried out almost to the letter. We reached Saragosa safely, and while Lloyd held my horse in front of the store I entered and discovered Baca measuring some goods for an old Mexican woman. I stepped up to him, caught him in the collar, and with a drawn pistol ordered him to come with me. The customer promptly fainted and fell on the floor. Two other people ran from the building, screaming at the top of their voices. Baca hesitated about going with me, and in broken English asked me where he was to be taken. I informed him to Paso del Norte. I shoved my pistol right up against his head and ordered him to step lively. When we reached our horses I made Baca mount behind Lloyd. I then jumped into my saddle and, waving my pistol over my head, we left Saragosa on a dead run. Our sudden appearance in the town and our more sudden leaving bewildered the people for a few minutes. They took in the situation quickly, however, and began ringing the old church bell rapidly, and this aroused the whole population.
As I left Saragosa I saw men getting their horses together and knew that in a few minutes a posse would be following us. When we had gone two miles almost at top speed I saw that Lloyd's horse was failing, and we lost a little time changing Baca to my mount. We had yet two miles to go and through deep sand most of the way. I could see a cloud of dust and shortly a body of mounted men hove in view. It was a tense moment. Lloyd thought it was all off with us, but we still had a long lead and our horses were running easily. As our pursuers made a bend in the road we discovered nine men in pursuit. As soon as they had drawn up within six hundreds yards they began firing on us. This was at long range and did no damage. In fact, I believe they were trying to frighten rather than to wound us as they were just as likely to hit Baca as either of us. We were at last at the Rio Grande, and while it was almost one hundred yards wide it was flat and shallow at the ford. I hit the water running and as I mounted the bank on good old Texan soil I felt like one who has made a home run in a world series baseball game. Our pursuers halted at the river so I pulled off my hat, waved to them and disappeared up the road.
We lost no time in reaching camp, and our appearance there with a prisoner and two run-down horses caused all the boys in quarters to turn out. Captain Baylor noticed the gathering and hurried over to camp.
"Sergeant, who is this prisoner you have?" he asked, walking straight up to me.
I replied it was Enofrio Baca, the man that had murdered Mr. Conklin. The captain looked at the run-down horses, wet with sweat, and asked me where I had captured him.
"Down the river," I replied, trying to evade him.
"From the looks of your horse I would think you had just run out of a fight. Where down the river did you capture this man?"
I saw the captain was going to corner me and I thought I might as well "fess up." I told him I had arrested Baca at Saragosa and kidnaped him out of Mexico. Captain Baylor's eyes at once bulged to twice their natural size.