"Justice in New Mexico" by Lauran Paine aka Ray Kelley.

[At long last, more or less "proofed and corrected!" :)]

Publisher: London, England: Robert Hale & Company, 1976. A classic example of first - class Southwestern Cowboy Fiction!

¡Ora, UTEP!

¡Ora MEChA!

¡Ora, UTEP Southwest Fiction!

¡Adelante, DESTINO!

Now, on with our today's sample:

"On the Mexican side the authorities, meaning the Rural Constabulary Corps -- the Rurales -- were diligent.

"They were also cruel, insensitive, and deadly.

"They were the only horsemen in Mexico, which was a land of horsemen, with the authority to execute people without a trial.

"They were more than soldiers, more than peace officers, more than bronzed guerillas.

"They [Los Rurales] were all those things, along with being judge, jury, executioner, as well as dispenser of largesse.

"On the U.S. side there was no comparable authority, although it was said the Rangers of Texas came awfully close; it was also said that the Rangers of Texas executed border - jumpers, outlaws running for the border, or returning up across it out of Mexico, but if this happened the people of the U.S. side were conveniently -- and prudently -- blind and deaf about it.

"Also it could not have been widely known, because where a Ranger or a Rurale rode, no one else in his right mind ever ventured.

"But the law was viable; in fact at times it was downright elastic."

A good yarn, typos, editorial glitches, and all....!