hunting the grisly and other sketches-第37章

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Colonel　Williams。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　CHAPTER　IX。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IN　COWBOY　LAND。

Out　on　the　frontier；　and　generally　among　those　who　spend　their　lives
in；　or　on　the　borders　of；　the　wilderness；　life　is　reduced　to　its
elemental　conditions。　The　passions　and　emotions　of　these　grim　hunters
of　the　mountains；　and　wild　rough…riders　of　the　plains；　are　simpler　and
stranger　than　those　of　people　dwelling　in　more　complicated　states　of
society。　As　soon　as　the　communities　become　settled　and　begin　to　grow
with　any　rapidity；　the　American　instinct　for　law　asserts　itself；　but
in　the　earlier　stages　each　individual　is　obliged　to　be　a　law　to
himself　and　to　guard　his　rights　with　a　strong　hand。　Of　course　the
transition　periods　are　full　of　incongruities。　Men　have　not　yet
adjusted　their　relations　to　morality　and　law　with　any　niceness。　They
hold　strongly　by　certain　rude　virtues；　and　on　the　other　hand　they
quite　fail　to　recognize　even　as　shortcomings　not　a　few　traits　that
obtain　scant　mercy　in　older　communities。　Many　of　the　desperadoes；　the
man…killers；　and　road…agents　have　good　sides　to　their　characters。
Often　they　are　people；　who；　in　certain　stages　of　civilization；　do；　or
have　done；　good　work；　but　who；　when　these　stages　have　passed；　find
themselves　surrounded　by　conditions　which　accentuate　their　worst
qualities；　and　make　their　best　qualities　useless。　The　average
desperado；　for　instance；　has；　after　all；　much　the　same　standard　of
morals　that　the　Norman　nobles　had　in　the　days　of　the　battle　of
Hastings；　and；　ethically　and　morally；　he　is　decidedly　in　advance　of
the　vikings；　who　were　the　ancestors　of　these　same　noblesand　to　whom；
by　the　way；　he　himself　could　doubtless　trace　a　portion　of　his　blood。
If　the　transition　from　the　wild　lawlessness　of　life　in　the　wilderness
or　on　the　border　to　a　higher　civilization　were　stretched　out　over　a
term　of　centuries；　he　and　his　descendants　would　doubtless　accommodate
themselves　by　degrees　to　the　changing　circumstances。　But　unfortunately
in　the　far　West　the　transition　takes　place　with　marvellous　abruptness；
and　at　an　altogether　unheard…of　speed；　and　many　a　man's　nature　is
unable　to　change　with　sufficient　rapidity　to　allow　him　to　harmonize
with　his　environment。　In　consequence；　unless　he　leaves　for　still
wilder　lands；　he　ends　by　getting　hung　instead　of　founding　a　family
which　would　revere　his　name　as　that　of　a　very　capable；　although　not　in
all　respects　a　conventionally　moral；　ancestor。

Most　of　the　men　with　whom　I　was　intimately　thrown　during　my　life　on
the　frontier　and　in　the　wilderness　were　good　fellows；　hard…working；
brave；　resolute；　and　truthful。　At　times；　of　course；　they　were　forced
of　necessity　to　do　deeds　which　would　seem　startling　to　dwellers　in
cities　and　in　old　settled　places；　and　though　they　waged　a　very　stern
and　relentless　warfare　upon　evil…doers　whose　misdeeds　had　immediate
and　tangible　bad　results；　they　showed　a　wide　toleration　of　all　save
the　most　extreme　classes　of　wrong；　and　were　not　given　to　inquiring　too
curiously　into　a　strong　man's　past；　or　to　criticizing　him　over…harshly
for　a　failure　to　discriminate　in　finer　ethical　questions。　Moreover；
not　a　few　of　the　men　with　whom　I　came　in　contactwith　some　of　whom　my
relations　were　very　close　and　friendlyhad　at　different　times　led
rather　tough　careers。　This　fact　was　accepted　by　them　and　by　their
companions　as　a　fact；　and　nothing　more。　There　were　certain　offences；
such　as　rape；　the　robbery　of　a　friend；　or　murder　under　circumstances
of　cowardice　and　treachery；　which　were　never　forgiven；　but　the　fact
that　when　the　country　was　wild　a　young　fellow　had　gone　on　the　road
that　is；　become　a　highwayman；　or　had　been　chief　of　a　gang　of
desperadoes；　horse…thieves；　and　cattle…killers；　was　scarcely　held　to
weigh　against　him；　being　treated　as　a　regrettable；　but　certainly　not
shameful；　trait　of　youth。　He　was　regarded　by　his　neighbors　with　the
same　kindly　tolerance　which　respectable　mediaeval　Scotch　borderers
doubtless　extended　to　their　wilder　young　men　who　would　persist　in
raiding　English　cattle　even　in　time　of　peace。

Of　course　if　these　men　were　asked　outright　as　to　their　stories　they
would　have　refused　to　tell　them　or　else　would　have　lied　about　them；
but　when　they　had　grown　to　regard　a　man　as　a　friend　and　companion　they
would　often　recount　various　incidents　of　their　past　lives　with　perfect
frankness；　and　as　they　combined　in　a　very　curious　degree　both　a
decided　sense　of　humor；　and　a　failure　to　appreciate　that　there　was
anything　especially　remarkable　in　what　they　related；　their　tales　were
always　entertaining。

Early　one　spring；　now　nearly　ten　years　ago；　I　was　out　hunting　some
lost　horses。　They　had　strayed　from　the　range　three　months　before；　and
we　had　in　a　roundabout　way　heard　that　they　were　ranging　near　some
broken　country；　where　a　man　named　Brophy　had　a　ranch；　nearly　fifty
miles　from　my　own。　When　I　started　thither　the　weather　was　warm；　but
the　second　day　out　it　grew　colder　and　a　heavy　snowstorm　came　on。
Fortunately　I　was　able　to　reach　the　ranch　all　right；　finding　there　one
of　the　sons　of　a　Little　Beaver　ranchman；　and　a　young　cowpuncher
belonging　to　a　Texas　outfit；　whom　I　knew　very　well。　After　putting　my
horse　into　the　corral　and　throwing　him　down　some　hay　I　strode　into　the
low　hut；　made　partly　of　turf　and　partly　of　cottonwood　logs；　and
speedily　warmed　myself　before　the　fire。　We　had　a　good　warm　supper；　of
bread；　potatoes；　fried　venison；　and　tea。　My　two　companions　grew　very
sociable　and　began　to　talk　freely　over　their　pipes。　There　were　two
bunks　one　above　the　other。　I　climbed　into　the　upper；　leaving　my
friends；　who　occupied　the　lower；　sitting　together　on　a　bench
recounting　different　incidents　in　the　careers　of　themselves　and　their
cronies　during　the　winter　that　had　just　passed。　Soon　one　of　them　asked
the　other　what　had　become　of　a　certain　horse；　a　noted　cutting　pony；
which　I　had　myself　noticed　the　preceding　fall。　The　question　aroused
the　other　to　the　memory　of　a　wrong　which　still　rankled；　and　he　began
（I　alter　one　or　two　of　the　proper　names）：

〃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
Medo