fell dead at the same
instant. This was no duel. The first to fire had the advantage, but the
"dead" man was too quick for him, and he did not escape. If I remember
right, a good riddance.

There was one other way of "packing a gun." It was called the Arizona
way. Legal gentlemen, some gamblers, and others who for various reasons
wished to appear unarmed, simply put the pistol in the coat side pocket,
and in use fired from that position through the pocket. It was not often
so used, but I have known cases of it. In this way it was difficult to
know whether a man was "heeled" (armed) or not. Of course our usual
weapon, the long Colt 45 deg. six-shooter could not be so used, being too
cumbrous.

[Illustration: 1883 IN ARIZONA. AUTHOR AND PARTY.]

CHAPTER III

CACTUS RANCHING IN ARIZONA--_continued_

The Cowboy--Accoutrements and Weapons--Desert Plants--Politics and
Perjury--Mavericks--Mormons--Bog Riding.

The "rustling" of cattle was very common in Arizona in these days. By
"rustling" is not meant the petty burning out of a brand, or stealing of
calves or odd beef cattle. It was carried on on the grand scale. Bands
of rustlers operated together in large bodies. Between our range and the
old Mexican border extended the Apache Reservation, a very large tract
of exceedingly rough country, without roads of any description, the only
signs of human presence being an occasional Indian trail and abandoned
wickyups. Beyond the Reservation lay certain mining towns and camps,
such as Clifton, Camp Thomas, Tombstone, and others; and then the
Mexican frontier.

The rustlers' business was to steal cattle, butcher them in the
mountains, and sell the beef to the mining towns; or drive them over
into Old Mexico for disposal, and then again drive Mexican cattle or
horses back into Arizona. Some of these gangs were very powerful and
terrorized the whole country, so much so that decent citizens were
afraid "to give them away."

Our cattle ranged well into the mountains, and up to a certain period we
had no occasion to think that any "dirty" work was going on; but at last
we "tumbled" to the fact that a gang was operating on our range. Word
was brought us that a bunch of some 200 cattle had been "pulled"
(Scotch, lifted). I was off the ranch at the time, but one of my
partners at once started on the trail with three of the men. After some
days very hard riding they caught up on the thieves at early dawn, in
fact w