The Permian of Texas 207 



to it by rail. I arrived there on Christmas Eve. I 

 was the only passenger to leave the cars and was 

 welcomed by about twenty cowboys, who were just 

 beginning to paint the town red. The leader asked 

 me where I came from, and I answered promptly, 

 " From Boston." 



" Where do you want to go ? " he asked. 



" To the best hotel in town," said I. 



"All right!" he said. "We'll take you there." 

 And sure enough, they did. They formed in double 

 file and put me in the middle of their ranks. Then 

 the two men ahead of me laid their Winchesters 

 over my shoulders from in front, and the two men 

 behind crossed these guns with their own, and at the 

 word, " Fire at will ! " the whole command opened 

 fire and kept it up all the way to the hotel. There 

 a girl appeared, carrying a lamp with no chimney, 

 and the men, facing the porch, allowed me to go into 

 the waiting room. I turned first, and made a little 

 speech, thanking them for their kind reception and 

 remarking that if I were not so poor, I should stand 

 treat for the whole crowd. This satisfied them, and 

 shouting " All right ! " they went off to continue 

 their nonsense until they were all drunk. 



I hired the son of the hotel keeper, a Mr. Ham- 

 man, put my baggage in his wagon, and started on 

 the journey north to my headquarters at Seymour, 

 which we reached eight days later. Here I got off 



