As they did this, Captain Franchard went to his saddlebag and extracted a bottle of whiskey. He poured half the bottle’s contents onto the bound Comanchero, which woke him from his stupor. Then he lit a match and tossed it on the soaking man.

The Comanchero burst into flames, howling and thrashing. Franchard let him cook for half a minute, before he began kicking dirt on him. He nodded to the other Rangers to assist in extinguishing the flaming prisoner. When they finished, the Comanchero was still alive, still conscious, and charred beyond recognition. He lay on his back, twitching and gasping in agony.

“Your friend was right,” Captain Franchard said to the other prisoners. “Your miserable lives are indeed going to end this day. He may take all night to expire, I don’t rightly know. All I know for sure is that his journey to perdition is gonna be a painful one. Iffen you boys want to die by a bullet, quick and painless, and have your remains put into the ground, you’ll earn it by digging. Otherwise, you’ll burn like your compadre and get left aboveground to feed the coyotes and buzzards, just like him. I’ve got three more bottles of whiskey, and it makes no nevermind to me.”

The five remaining Comancheros hastily grabbed shovels and began to dig.

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Captain Franchard and his Rangers returned the ten surviving captives safely to their homes in San Angelo. Thanks to the technological wizardry of the telegraph, by the time they reached Fort Worth, more than a week later, word of their dramatic battle with the Comancheros and the rescue of the hostage women had spread far and wide.

When they rode into Fort Worth, filthy and battle-worn from weeks on the bloody trail, the Rangers were surprised to be met by cheering crowds, glad-handing politicians, and reporters from as far away as Chicago, New Orleans, and Kansas City. Everyone wanted a glimpse of the heroic, outnumbered, Sons of Texas who’d charged into a Comanchero camp, guns a-blazing, and rescued the cherished womanhood of the Lone Star State.

In the days that followed, they were swarmed by inquisitive townsfolk and newsmen alike. Each Ranger became a celebrity. Captain Franchard, who looked every bit the grizzled, veteran, mustachioed, lawman of legend, was cited by the governor for his extraordinary leadership and unfailing courage. The other Rangers in the detachment were individually singled out for their unique characteristics and contribution to the historic victory.

America’s appetite for all things relating to the western frontier was already insatiable, particularly back East, and few topics within the popular culture were devoured so voraciously as the subject of the Texas Rangers. Every newspaper across the nation heralded the story of the “Rescue of the Captive Women of San Angelo by the Fearless Texas Rangers!”

Ironically, it was Ranger Joe Atherton, the Ranger who least sought the spotlight, who ended up garnering the most attention.