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〃Why； that was the pony that got stole。 I had been workin' him on
rough ground when I was out with the Three Bar outfit and he went
tender forward； so I turned him loose by the Lazy B ranch； and when I
came back to git him there wasn't anybody at the ranch and I couldn't
find him。 The sheep…man who lives about two miles west； under Red Clay
butte； told me he seen a fellow in a wolfskin coat； ridin' a pinto
bronco； with white eyes； leadin' that pony of mine just two days
before； and I hunted round till I hit his trail and then I followed to
where I'd reckoned he was headin' forthe Short Pine Hills。 When I
got there a rancher told me he had seen the man pass on towards
Cedartown； and sure enough when I struck Cedartown I found he lived
there in a 'dobe house； just outside the town。 There was a boom on the
town and it looked pretty slick。 There was two hotels and I went into
the first； and I says； 'Where's the justice of the peace？' says I to
the bartender。
〃 'There ain't no justice of the peace；' says he； 'the justice of the
peace got shot。'
〃 'Well； where's the constable？' says I。
〃 'Why； it was him that shot the justice of the peace！' says he； 'he's
skipped the country with a bunch of horses。'
〃 'Well； ain't there no officer of the law left in this town？' says I。
〃 'Why； of course；' says he； 'there's a probate judge； he is over
tendin' bar at the Last Chance Hotel。'
〃So I went over to the Last Chance Hotel and I walked in there。
'Mornin'；' says I。
〃 'Morning'；' says he。
〃 'You be the probate judge？' says I。
〃 'That's what I am；' says he。 'What do you want？' says he。
〃 'I want justice；' says I。
〃 'What kind of justice do you want？' says he。 'What's it for？'
〃 'It's for stealin' a horse；' says I。
〃 'Then by God you'll git it；' says he。 'Who stole the horse？' says
he。
〃 'It is a man that lives in a 'dobe house； just outside the town
there；' says I。
〃 'Well； where do you come from yourself？' said he。
〃 'From Medory；' said I。
〃With that he lost interest and settled kind o' back； and says he；
'There won't no Cedartown jury hang a Cedartown man for stealin' a
Medory man's horse；' said he。
〃 'Well； what am I to do about my horse？' says I。
〃 'Do？' says he； 'well； you know where the man lives； don't you？' says
he； 'then sit up outside his house； to…night and shoot him when he
comes in；' says he； 'and skip out with the horse。'
〃 'All right；' says I； 'that is what I'll do；' and I walked off。
〃So I went off to his house and I laid down behind some sage…brushes
to wait for him。 He was not at home； but I could see his wife movin'
about inside now and then； and I waited and waited； and it growed
darker； and I begun to say to myself； 'Now here you are lyin' out to
shoot this man when he comes home； and it's getting' dark； and you
don't know him； and if you do shoot the next man that comes into that
house； like as not it won't be the fellow you're after at all； but
some perfectly innocent man a…comin' there after the other man's
wife！'
〃So I up and saddled the bronc' and lit out for home；〃 concluded the
narrator with the air of one justly proud of his own self…abnegating
virtue。
The 〃town〃 where the judge above…mentioned dwelt was one of those
squalid pretentiously named little clusters of make…shift dwellings
which on the edge of the wild country spring up with the rapid growth
of mushrooms； and are often no longer lived。 In their earlier stages
these towns are frequently built entirely of canvas； and are subject
to grotesque calamities。 When the territory purchased from the Sioux；
in the Dakotas； a couple of years ago was thrown open to settlement；
there was a furious inrush of men on horseback and in wagons； and
various ambitious cities sprang up overnight。 The new settlers were
all under the influence of that curious craze which causes every true
westerner to put unlimited faith in the unknown and untried； many had
left all they had in a far better farming country； because they were
true to their immemorial belief that； wherever they were； their luck
would be better if they went somewhere else。 They were always on the
move； and headed for the vague beyond。 As miners see visions of all
the famous mines of history in each new camp； so these would…be city
founders saw future St。 Pauls and Omahas in every forlorn group of
tents pitched by some muddy stream in a desert of gumbo and sage…
brush； and they named both the towns and the canvas buildings in
accordance with their bright hopes for the morrow； rather than with
reference to the mean facts of the day。 One of these towns； which when
twenty…four hours old boasted of six saloons； a 〃court…house；〃 and an
〃opera house；〃 was overwhelmed by early disaster。 The third day of its
life a whirlwind came along and took off the opera house and half the
saloons； and the following evening lawless men nearly finished the
work of the elements。 The riders of a huge trail…outfit from Texas； to
their glad surprise discovered the town and abandoned themselves to a
night of roaring and lethal carousal。 Next morning the city
authorities were lamenting； with oaths of bitter rage； that 〃them
hell…and…twenty Flying A cowpunchers had cut the court…house up into
parts。〃 It was true。 The cowboys were in need of chaps； and with an
admirable mixture of adventurousness； frugality； and ready
adaptability to circumstances； had made substitutes therefore in the
shape of canvas overalls； cut from the roof and walls of the shaky
temple of justice。
One of my valued friends in the mountains； and one of the best hunters
with whom I ever travelled； was a man who had a peculiarly light…
hearted way of looking at conventional social obligations。 Though in
some ways a true backwoods Donatello； he was a man of much shrewdness
and of great courage and resolution。 Moreover； he possessed what only
a few men do possess； the capacity to tell the truth。 He saw facts as
they were； and could tell them as they were； and he never told an
untruth unless for very weighty reasons。 He was pre…eminently a
philosopher； of a happy； sceptical turn of mind。 He had no prejudices。
He never looked down； as so many hard characters do； upon a person
possessing a different code of ethics。 His attitude was one of broad；
genial tolerance。 He saw nothing out of the way in the fact that he
had himself been a road…agent； a professional gambler； and a desperado
at different stages of his career。 On the other hand； he did not in
the least hold it against any one that he had always acted within the
law。 At the time that I knew him he had become a man of some
substance； and naturally a staunch upholder of the existing order of
things。 But while he never boasted of his past deeds； he never
apologized for them； and evidently would have been quite as incapable
of understanding that they needed an apology as he would have been
incapable of being guilty of mere vulgar boastfulness。 He did not
often allude to his past career at all。 When he did； he recited its
incidents perfectly naturally and simply； as events； without any
reference to or regard for their ethical significance。 It was this
quality which made him at