o coincidence--it was a forty-five," stated Pete.

The principal stared at Pete as though he half-expected to see him pull
a gun and demand an education instanter. But Pete's smile helped the
principal to pull himself together. "Most extraordinary!" he
exclaimed. "I believe the courts exonerated you?"

"That ain't all they did to me," Pete assured him. "Nope. You got
that wrong. But I reckon they would 'a' done it--if I hadn't 'a' hired
that there lawyer from El Paso. He sure exonerated a couple o'
thousand out o' me. And the judge turned me loose."

"Most extraordinary!"

"It was that lawyer that told me I ought to git a education," exclaimed
Pete.

"Of course! Of course! I had forgotten it for the moment. Well, here
is Mr. Forbes's address. I think you will find him at his room almost
any evening."

"I'll be there!"

"Very good! I suppose you are aware that it is illegal to carry
concealed weapons inside the city limits?"

"I get you, Doc, but I ain't packin' a gun, nohow."

As the weeks went by and the winter sun swung farther south, Mr.
Forbes, the young Eastern scholar, and Pete began to understand each
other. Pete, who had at first considered the young Easterner affected,
and rather effeminate, slowly realized that he was mistaken. Forbes
was a sincere and manly fellow, who had taken his share of hard knocks
and who suffered ill health uncomplainingly--an exile of his chosen
environment, with little money and scarce a companion to share his
loneliness.

As for Forbes, he envied Pete his abundant health and vigor and admired
his unspoiled enthusiasm. Pete's humor, which somehow suggested to
Forbes the startling and inexplicable antics of a healthy colt, melted
Forbes's diffidence, and they became friends and finally chums. Pete
really learned as much through this intimacy as he did from his books:
perhaps more. It was at Pete's suggestion that Forbes took to riding a
horse, and they spent many afternoons on the desert, drifting slowly
along while they discussed different phases of life.

These discussions frequently led to argument, sincere on Pete's part,
who never realized that Forbes's chief delight in life was to get Pete
started, that he might enjoy Pete's picturesque illustration of the
point, which, more often than not, was shrewdly sharp and convincing.
No amount of argument, no matter how fortified by theory and example,
could make Pete change his attitude toward life; but h