nched himself with lightning rapidity at the biggest of the ranch
dogs, promptly nailed that canine by the back of the neck, shook him
violently a score of times, flung him aside, and pounced on the next.
During the ensuing few moments that hound was the busiest thing in the
West. He satisfactorily whipped four dogs, pursued two cats up a tree,
upset the Dutch oven and the rest of the soda biscuits, stampeded the
horses, and raised a cloud of dust adequate to represent the smoke of
battle. We others were too paralyzed to move. Uncle Jim sat placidly on
his white horse, his thin knees bent to the ox-bow stirrups, smoking.

In ten seconds the trouble was over, principally because there was no
more trouble to make. The hound returned leisurely, licking from his
chops the hair of his victims. Uncle Jim shook his head.

"Trailer," said he sadly, "is a little severe."

We agreed heartily, and turned in to welcome Uncle Jim with a fresh
batch of soda biscuits.

The old man was one of the typical "long hairs." He had come to the
Galiuro Mountains in '69, and since '69 he had remained in the Galiuro
Mountains, spite of man or the devil. At present he possessed some
hundreds of cattle, which he was reputed to water, in a dry season, from
an ordinary dish pan. In times past he had prospected.

That evening, the severe Trailer having dropped to slumber, he held
forth on big-game hunting and dogs, quartz claims and Apaches.

"Did you ever have any very close calls?" I asked.

He ruminated a few moments, refilled his pipe with some awful tobacco,
and told the following experience:

"In the time of Geronimo I was living just about where I do now; and
that was just about in line with the raiding. You see, Geronimo, and Ju,
and old Loco used to pile out of the reservation at Camp Apache, raid
south to the line, slip over into Mexico when the soldiers got too
promiscuous, and raid there until they got ready to come back. Then
there was always a big medicine talk. Says Geronimo:

"'I am tired of the warpath. I will come back from Mexico with all my
warriors, if you will escort me with soldiers and protect my people.'

"'All right,' says the General, being only too glad to get him back at
all.

"So, then, in ten minutes there wouldn't be a buck in camp, but next
morning they shows up again, each with about fifty head of hosses.

"'Where'd you get those hosses?' asks the General, suspicious.

"'Had 'em pastured in the hills,'