In Cowboy Land 261 



" 'Hold on for a moment/ said I, 'I am 

 willin' to lend you them guns, but I ain't go- 

 in' to know what you V goin' to do with them, 

 no sir; but of course you can have the guns.' ' 

 Here my friend's face lightened pleasantly, 

 and he continued: 



"Well, you may easily believe I felt sur- 

 prised next day when Fowler come ridin' in, 

 and, says he, 'Simpson, here's your guns!' 

 He had shot them two men! Well, Fowler,' 

 says I, 'if I had known them men was after 

 you, I'd never have let them have them guns 

 nohow,' says I. That wasn't true, for I did 

 know it, but there was no cause to tell him 

 that." I murmured my approval of such 

 prudence, and Simpson continued, his eyes 

 gradually brightening with the light of agree- 

 able reminiscence: 



"Well, they up and they took Fowler before 

 the justice of the peace. The justice of the 

 peace was a Turk." 



"Now, Simpson, what do you mean by 

 that?" I interrupted. 



"Well, he come from. Turkey," said Simp- 

 son, and I again sank back, wondering briefly 

 what particular variety of Mediterranean out- 

 cast had drifted down to Mexico to be made 

 a justice of the peace. Simpson laughed and 



