HORSE-STEALING ANECDOTES 267 



' " Your opinion, gentlemen ? " 



' " Guilty ! " 



' " Correct ! You can come out." We hung him 

 an hour ago. 



'The jury took "theirs neat," and when after 

 a few minutes the pleasant village returned to its 

 former tranquillity, it was " allowed " at more than 

 one saloon that " Mexicans '11 know enough to let 

 white men's stock alone after this." One after 

 another exchanged the belief that this sort of thing 

 was more sensible than " nipping 'em on sight." 



' When, before sunset, the bar-keeper concluded 

 to sweep some dust out of his poker-room back door, 

 he felt a momentary surprise at finding the missing 

 horse dozing under the shadow of an oak, and the 

 two lost donkeys serenely masticating playing-cards, 

 of which many bushels lay in a dusty pile. He was 

 reminded then that the animals had been there all 

 day.' ' 



The records of Judge Lynch's court are but im- 

 IDerfectly kept, or doubtless many other equally tragic 

 blunders could be related. In some cases the stolen 

 horse was made executioner ; the culprit's arms were 

 bound behind his back, he was mounted on the horse, 

 a roj)e depending from a tree being fastened round 

 his neck. When the horse moved on the thief was 

 left hanging. 



The Indians of North America are great horse 



* Maiintaineerbig in the Sierra Nevada, by Clarence King. 



