have a little fun coming to him," said Johnny
generously. "But let us hope, for his own sake, that he gives
me a fair shake when it comes to my trial. If the Bar Cross and
the John Cross aren't just satisfied they are capable of any
rudeness--abandoned ruffians! Say, I hope someone took care of
my Twilight horse."

"He's all right. I put him up with Otto Gans, myself. There, she's
ready. _Sientese!_" The jailer seated himself opposite the guest.
"No butter. You'll have to excuse me."

"Butter, hell. Whadya think I am--an incubator kid? Say, there's a few
old vets here in Hillsboro that used to know my dad--me, too, when I
was a little shaver, some of them. Spinal Maginnis, George Perrault,
Kayler, Nick Galles and Preisser. H'm, let me see--and Jake Blun,
Mabury and Page. Could you manage me a palaver with some one or two of
'em after breakfast?"

"Pleasure first, pain afterwards," growled Gwinne. "You eat a few
lines while I hold high discourse to you about the good and great.
District attorneys, now. Us being a territory thataway, district
attorneys are appointed by the President--allee same like our judges
and U. S. marshals and clerks of the court. All of 'em are appointed
for four years, the same being the President's term. Presidents being
so constituted by a wise and beneficent Providence, they appoint men
from states where said men and their friends, if any, vote for
President, and not from our humble midst. 'Cause why? We're not
allowed to vote. More coffee?"

Johnny held his cup. Gwinne took up his discourse.

"Also, and moreover, they appoint politicians. We will not pursue this
painful subject further except to add that, New Mexico being what and
where it is, these appointees, while they might be first-class men and
seldom were--they were always tenth-rate politicians. Because
politicians rated higher than tenth-rate demanded something better.
Yes. When Grover was in, they all came from Missouri, and they wasn't
so bad but what they might have been worse, with proper care. And now
they're all from darkest Injianny; a doubtful state. Something else,
too. Even when they was well-meaning--which often was guessable--why,
they're not our people. We have our little ways and they have their
own little ways, and they're not the same little ways; and they rule
us by their little ways. That's bad. To judge a man by the standards
of another time and place is prejudging, and that means oppression,
and oppression b