IN COWBOY LAND. 



219 



" 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 was n'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 New Mexico to be 

 made a justice of the peace. Simpson laughed 

 and continued : 



" That Fowler was a funny fellow. The 

 Turk, he committed Fowler, and Fowler, he 

 riz up and knocked him down and tromped 

 all over him and made him let him go ! " 



" That was an appeal to a higher law/' I 

 observed. Simpson assented cheerily, and 

 continued : 



" Well, that Turk, he got nervous for fear 

 Fowler he was goin' to kill him, and so he 

 comes to me and offers me twenty-five dollars 

 a day to protect him from Fowler ; and I went 



