MY FIRST TRIP TO THE ROCKIES 181 



evening we were gathered in an adjoining wooden 

 building that did duty as a saloon the saloon and 

 the blacksmith's shop are the main features and chief 

 buildings of every primitive western settlement 

 discussing the saddle's disappearance, when a gunshot 

 was heard behind the shanty. A few moments after 

 Frank entered with the saddle in his arms. ' There's 

 your darned saddle,' was all he said till we pressed 

 him for an explanation. 



' Wai,' said Frank, ' I guess that (qualified) young 

 half-breed took your saddle all right. I had my eye on 

 him from the start, and after dark I slipped out with 

 one of your shot-guns, and lay low behind Old Man 

 Baker's shebang.' Then, after a pause and a drink, 

 he went on : ' Presently I seen young Baker slip out 

 of the house and go into the long grass behind the 

 corral. I followed, and seen him pick up the saddle 

 from the brush. " Drop that saddle !" I hollered. 

 He dropped the saddle right smart, and scooted for 

 all he was worth, and I just picked it up and brought 

 it along/ 



Then we asked : c But how about that gunshot we 

 heard ?' 



' Wai,' drawled Frank, ' I reckon he stopped a 

 charge of No. 6 shot all right, and mebbe he won't 

 want to sit down on anything hard for a spell.' 



After this episode we thought it wise to leave 

 Snake River early next morning, and we subsequently 

 heard that young Baker kept his bed for a week, 

 vowing vengeance on the c Frank Earnest crowd.' 

 But there was no court of summary jurisdiction 

 within 100 miles, and nothing more was heard of the 

 incident. 



The following night we pitched our camp near the 



