that
he would carry out his threat of self-destruction. He did not, but he
was crippled for life and did not leave a friend behind.

[Illustration: A SHOOTING SCRAPE. (By C. M. Russell.)]

Then, too, the cowboy, in matter of accoutrements, was a very splendid
fellow indeed. His saddle was gaily decorated with masses of silver, in
the shape of buttons, buckles and trimmings, etc. Likewise his bridle
and bit; his spurs were works of loving art from the hands of the
village metal-worker, and likewise heavily plated with silver. The
rowels were huge but blunt-pointed, and had little metal bells attached.
His boots cost him near a month's pay, always made to careful order,
with enormously high and narrow heels, as high as any fashionable
woman's; his feet were generally extremely small, because of his
having lived in the saddle from early boyhood up. He wore a heavy
woollen shirt, with a gorgeous and costly silk handkerchief tied loosely
round his neck. His head-covering was a very large grey felt hat, a
"genuine Stetson," which cost him from five to twenty dollars, never
less. To keep the big hat in place a thong or cord is tied around and
below the back of the head instead of under the chin, experience having
proved it to be much more effective in that position. His six-shooter
had plates of silver on the handle, and his scabbard was covered with
silver buttons. It should be said that a saddle, such as we all used,
cost from forty to sixty dollars, and weighed generally about forty
pounds, not counting saddle blankets. Sometimes the saddle had only one
"cinch" or girth, generally two, one of which reached well back under
the flank. Such heavy saddles were necessary for heavy work, roping big
cattle, etc. The stirrups were then generally made of wood, very big and
broad in sole and very heavy, sometimes covered with tapaderos, huge
leather caps to save the feet from thorns in heavy brush, and protect
them from cold in severe weather.

To protect our legs we wore over the trousers heavy leather chaparejos,
sometimes of bear or buffalo hide. Let it be noted that a genuine
cowpuncher never rolls his shirt sleeves up, as depicted in romancing
novels. Indeed he either protects his wrists with leather wristlets, or
wears long gauntlet gloves. Mounted on his favourite horse, his was a
gay cavalier figure, and at the "Baillie" he felt himself to be
irresistible to the shy and often very pretty Mexican senoritas. There
you have a