Page 13 - rambo_vasquez

NARCISO RODRIQUEZ, VASQUEZ AND HIS GANG EMERGED TO HOLD UP AND
ROB 1HE STAGE NEAR SOAP LAKE (SAN FELIPE) ON THE PACHECO PASS
ROAD, 12 MILES FROM GILROY. EMPLOYING HIS STANDARD PROCEOURE,VASQUEZ
ORDERED THE PASSENGERS 10 LIE FLAT ON THE GROUND WHILE HE TIED THEIR
HANDS ALSO IN HIS CUSTOM, PERHAPS TO SALVE HIS CONSCIEN<.t) HE APOLOGIZED
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FOR THE DIREl't' NEEDED AND ONLY TEMPORARY LOAN'' HE WAS ABOUT TO
EXTRACT. THESE TWO ROUTINES BECAME SO COMMON THAT THEY NOEUBLY
MARKED EACH SUCH CR ME WITH THE VASQUEZ STAMP. A MEAGER $ 50
IN GOLD WAS OBTAINED, PLUS THE USUAL LOOT OF WATCHES AND JEWELRY.
VASQUEZ WAS SO DISGUSTED
WITH THIS COMPARATIVELY SMALL
I/ \I
HAUL THAT ON THE FOLLOW NG
DAY HE STOPPED A HOLLISTER
BANKER, THOMAS McMAHON, ON
THE SAN JUAN ROAD. UNTIL RE-
CENTLY THEY WERE FR ENDS,
BUT NOW VASQUEZ HAD REASON
TO BELIEVE (THROUGH HIS EVER-
EFFICIENT GRAPEVINE) THAT TOM
McMAHON WAS INVOLVED IN A
SCHEME TO EFFECT H S CAPTURE.
UNTIL THAT DAY-THEY HAD BEEN FRIENDS. AT THE POINT OF A GUN HE RE-

LIEVED MCMAHON OF $750 BUT MISSED ANOTHER $500 THE BANKER HAD
GEN1LY K CKED UNDER THE WAGON SEAT EVER AFTER, TOM Mc MAHON
CARRIED A LOADED DOUBLE-BARRELLED SHOTGUN ON HS JAUNTS VASQUEZ
PRESUMABLY THEREAFTER LOOKED UNDER 'WAGON-SEATS.

SHERIFF TOM WASSON OF MONTEREY COUNTY WAS ALERTED AND
ORGANIZED A POSSE TO HALT THE COASTAL-BOUND TRIO. lti iHE "RoCKs''
WEST OF SAN JUAN' THE BANDITS WERE APPARENTLY SURROUNDED Bur

VASQUEZ AND BARCENA, BY DARE-DEVIL R DING, ESCAPED* THEN, H DING
BY DAY IN THE SAN M GUEL CANYON HILLS AND THE TULES OF THE ELK-
HORN SLOUGH, THE TWO MADE THEIR CAUTIOUS WAY TOWARD 5AN1A(RUZ.
IN SANTA (RUZ, MARSHALL LT ROBER1S WAS WARNED ANO THOUGH ALONE,
(* RooRtQUEZ WAS LATER CAPTURED AND SERVED 10 YEARS IN SAN OuErvTtN)
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