In Cowboy Land 251 



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 cer- 

 tainly 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 raid- 

 ing 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 com- 

 bined 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 be- 



