I’m on the last draft
of the third book in my Haywire Brides series (at least I hope it's the
last draft). My male protagonist is a Texas Ranger and, as some of you might
have guessed from my earlier books, that’s my favorite type of hero to write
about.
The Texas Rangers
have a long and checkered history, starting in 1823. When Stephan F. Austin
hired ten men to protect the frontier, he probably never imagined
that nearly two hundred years later, the force would still be going strong.
Those early Rangers
were called various names including mounted gunmen, mounted volunteers,
minutemen, spies, scouts and mounted rifle companies. The term Texas
Rangers didn't come into use until the1870s.

The job didn’t come
cheap. A man was expected to provide his own horse and it had to be
equipped with saddle, blanket and bridle. A man also had to supply his
own weaponry, which included rifle, pistol and knife.

He would also have
carried a blanket, and cloth wallet for salt and ammunition. To alleviate
thirst, a ranger would suck on sweetened or spiced parched corn. Dried
meat, tobacco and rope were also considered necessities. What he didn’t carry
with him was provided by the land. It was a tough life and it's not hard to
guess why a man seldom lasted more than six months on the job.
Those early
professional Rangers received twenty-five dollars a month in pay and worked
hard for it. An officer’s pay was seventy-five dollars.
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The Texas Rangers Hall of Fame |
The
Texas Rangers have undergone many changes and transformations through the
years. But the biggest change of all probably has such legendary Rangers as
John B. Jones and Big Foot Wallace a-spinning in their graves; The Texas
Rangers recently allowed women to join the ranks. (Hmm. I feel a
story coming on.)
I told you the kind of heroes I like to write. What kind of heroes do you like to read about?
"This book charms." Publishers Weekly
Love our Texas Rangers! Great post, Margaret!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Caryl!
DeleteI have enjoyed most of the heroes I have ever read about. Doctors, lawyers, cowboys, sheriffs, etc, etc. Don't we love them because they are the HEROES?? They save the day, or win the girl, and if the writers do their stuff these guys capture the reader's heart. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteHi Connie, yes, I agree. A true hero captures readers' hearts. That's what makes writing romances so much fun. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete