258 OBSERVATIONS OF A RANCHWOMAN 



Governor was not to be convinced ; he per- 

 sistently refrained from proclaiming as out- 

 laws Morton and his friends, amongst whom 

 were French and Mackintosh, the lawyer who 

 had acted for the murdered Englishman and 

 still acted for French. Nevertheless, the 

 politician was not discouraged. In those 

 days communication was slow and difficult, 

 and it often happened that the Governor 

 was ignorant of events occurring under 

 his jurisdiction until too late for interven- 

 tion. 



Acting on this assumption, the politician 

 and his gang, or the gang without his bodily 

 companionship it matters not which 

 hastened to a neighbouring army post, and, 

 representing their opponents as proclaimed 

 outlaws, obtained the support of United 

 States troopers. So far, so good. 



Now for the attack, the object of which was 

 a long, low adobe house under the foot-hills, 

 and above the little river flowing past the 

 county town. In this house dwelt Mackin- 

 tosh with wife and children, and at the 

 moment several other persons, Billy the 

 Kid amongst them fifteen in all. The 



