Mounting the other, he
followed and demanded the horse, but the boss of the herd refused to
give it up. He wanted a writ of replevin.

I asked Mrs. Cody if she could write a writ of replevin and she said
she had never heard of such a thing. I hadn't either.

I asked the man in, and Mrs. Cody got breakfast for us. He refused the
drink I set out for him. I felt that I needed a good deal of bracing in
this writ of replevin business, so I drank his as well as mine.

Then I buckled on my revolver, took down my old Lucretia rifle, and,
patting her gently, said: "You will have to be constable for me today."

To my wife and children, who were anxiously watching these proceedings,
I said:

"Don't be alarmed. I am a judge now, and I am going into action. Come
on, my friend," I said to the stranger, "get on your horse."

"Why," he protested, "you have no papers to serve on the man, and you
have no constable."

"Don't worry," I said. "I'll soon show you that I am the whole court."

I mounted Joe, and we galloped along about ten miles when we overtook
the herd of horses. I found the boss, riding a big gray horse ahead of
the herd. I ordered him to round up the herd.

"By what authority!" he demanded. "Are you a constable?"

I said I was not only a constable, but the whole court, and one of his
men at the same time whispered to him: "Be careful, that is Buffalo
Bill!" At this time, as well as for years past, I had been chief United
States detective for the army as well as scout and guide. I felt that
with the offices of justice and constable added to these titles I had
all the power necessary to take one horse.

The herd boss evidently thought so, too. After asking if my name were
Cody, and being told that it was, he said:

"Well, there is no need of having a fuss over one horse."

"No," said I, "a horse doesn't mean much to you, but it amounts to a
good deal to this poor immigrant."

"Well," said the herd boss, "how do you propose to settle it?"

"I am going to take you and your whole outfit to Fort McPherson. There
I am going to try you and give you the limit--six months and a
five-hundred-dollar fine."

"I can't afford to go back to the Fort," he pleaded, "let's settle it
right here. What will you take to call it off?"

"One hundred and fifty dollars," I said, "and quick!"

Reaching down into his pocket, he pulled out a wallet filled with bills
and counted out a hundred and fifty dollars. By this time the man