others--six all told." Sure enough, there came the sleuths of
deputy sheriffs, trailing up our wagon. They were not over three
miles away, and after patiently waiting nearly an hour, we rode
to the brink of the slope, and I ordered one of the boys to fire
his pistol to attract their attention. On hearing the report,
they halted, and taking off my hat I waved them forward. Feeling
that we were on safe territory, I was determined to get in the
first bluff, and as they rode up, I saluted the leader and said:

"Good-morning, Mr. Sheriff. What are you fooling along on our
wagon track for, when you could have trailed the herd in a long
lope? Here we've wasted a whole hour waiting for you to come up,
just because the sheriff's office of Ford County employs as
deputies 'nesters' instead of plainsmen. But now since you are
here, let us proceed to business, or would you like to breakfast
first? Our wagon is just over the other slope, and you-all look
pale around the gills this morning after your long ride and
sleepless night. Which shall it be, business or breakfast?"

Haughtily ignoring my irony, the leader of the posse drew from
his pocket several papers, and first clearing his throat, said in
an imperious tone, "I have a warrant here for the arrest of Tom
Quirk, alias McIndoo, and a distress warrant for a herd of 'Open
A'--"

"Old sport, you're in the right church, but the wrong pew," I
interrupted. "This may be the state of Kansas, but at present we
are outside the bailiwick of Ford County, and those papers of
yours are useless. Let me take those warrants and I'll indorse
them for you, so as to dazzle your superiors on their return