422 The Wilderness Hunter. 



" Well, you may easily believe I felt surprised 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 agreeable 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 Simpson, and I 

 again sank back, wondering briefly what particular variety 

 of Mediterranean outcast 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 to Fowler, and ' Fowler,' says I, 'that Turk 's 

 offered me twenty-five dollars a day to protect him from 



