ine bunch of cattle. Where he got 'em, no
one ever knew exactly, and in them days it wasn't what you'd call
healthy to ask questions. Indeed, I've seen many a perfectly healthy man
took off sudden, just because he got inquisitive about su'thin', that
wasn't none of his business in the first place. But that's neither here
nor there. Sam had the cattle, and I was punchin' for him.

"One day Sam come to me and said he wanted me to ride over to a creek
near what is now the town of Fairfax, and watch a bunch of about thirty
head he told me he just bought. There was a pack of Crow Injuns that we
knew was somewhere around there. But in them days it was the same with
working for a man as it was about asking questions. If he told you to do
anything, it was up to you to do it, or stand the consequences. So I
saddled a flea-bitten pinto and set out, though I must say I wasn't
particularly keen on going. It had been rumored that Sam had got some
of his cattle from the Injuns, and we'd always expected that if Sam ever
did die--of which we had our doubts, because he was so mean--that it
would be at the hand of a redskin.

"After riding about thirty mile, I come to the cattle all right, and
they was sure a fine bunch. The place where Sam had left them was filled
with fine grazing grass, and there was a 'drink' near-by, so's I got to
feeling a little better, for I'd been afraid I was going to have some
trouble in locating water. Sam had said he'd come up in three or four
days, and we'd drive 'em back to where we had the main herd.

"The grass was so rich that a baby could have looked after them cattle;
they stayed so close, and I was taking things easy most of the time,
lying on my back and smoking.

"On the second night it was cloudy, and I had built a little fire,
before which I curled up and went to sleep.

"How long I'd been asleep, I don't know. But I do know that I was
suddenly wakened by feeling something sharp drawn across my forehead.

"Opening my eyes, I saw a face, hideous in white and yellow paint,
peering into mine.

"Fortunately, I still had my six-shooters on me, and being pretty handy
with them, it didn't take me long to put an end to Mr. Injun.

"Whether there was more than one buck 'round, I didn't know. But I'd no
sooner got to my feet than I found out, for on all sides of me the air
was split with their awful yells.

"Dropping to my knees, I crawled into the long grass as fast as I could,
and the only thin