philosopher； of a happy； sceptical turn of mind。 He had no prejudices。
He never looked down； as so many hard characters do； upon a person
possessing a different code of ethics。 His attitude was one of broad；
genial tolerance。 He saw nothing out of the way in the fact that he
had himself been a road…agent； a professional gambler； and a desperado
at different stages of his career。 On the other hand； he did not in
the least hold it against any one that he had always acted within the
law。 At the time that I knew him he had become a man of some
substance； and naturally a staunch upholder of the existing order of
things。 But while he never boasted of his past deeds； he never
apologized for them； and evidently would have been quite as incapable
of understanding that they needed an apology as he would have been
incapable of being guilty of mere vulgar boastfulness。 He did not
often allude to his past career at all。 When he did； he recited its
incidents perfectly naturally and simply； as events； without any
reference to or regard for their ethical significance。 It was this
quality which made him at times a specially pleasant companion； and
always an agreeable narrator。 The point of his story； or what seemed
to him the point； was rarely that which struck me。 It was the
incidental sidelights the story threw upon his own nature and the
somewhat lurid surroundings amid which he had moved。
On one occasion when we were out together we killed a bear； and after
skinning it； took a bath in a lake。 I noticed he had a scar on the
side of his foot and asked him how he got it； to which he responded
with indifference：
〃Oh； that？ Why； a man shootin' at me to make me dance； that was all。〃
I expressed some curiosity in that matter； and he went on：
〃Well； the way of it was this： It was when I was keeping a saloon in
New Mexico； and there was a man there by the name of Fowler； and there
was a reward on him of three thousand dollars〃
〃Put on him by the State？〃
〃No； put on by his wife；〃 said my friend； 〃and there was this〃
〃Hold on；〃 I interrupted； 〃put on by his wife did you say？〃
〃Yes； by his wife。 Him an her had been keepin' a faro bank； you see；
and they quarreled about it； so she just put a reward on him； and
so〃
〃Excuse me；〃 I said； 〃but do you mean to say that this reward was put
on publicly？〃 to which my friend answered； with an air of gentlemanly
boredom at being interrupted to gratify my thirst for irrelevant
detail：
〃Oh； no； not publicly。 She just mentioned it to six or eight intimate
personal friends。〃
〃Go on；〃 I responded； somewhat overcome by this instance of the
primitive simplicity with which New Mexico matrimonial disputes were
managed； and he continued：
〃Well； two men come ridin' in to see me to borrow my guns。 My guns was
Colt's self…cockers。 It was a new thing then； an they was the only
ones in town。 These come to me； and 'Simpson；' says they； 'we want to
borrow your guns； we are goin' to kill Fowler。'
〃 'Hold on for a moment；' said I； 'I am willin' to lend you them guns；
but I ain't goin' to know what you 'r' goin' to do with them； no sir；
but of course you can have the guns。' 〃 Here my friend's face
lightened pleasantly； and he continued：
〃Well； you may easily believe I felt surprised next day when Fowler
come ridin' in； and； says he； 'Simpson； here's your guns！' He had shot
them two men！ 'Well； Fowler；' says I； 'if I had known them men was
after you； I'd never have let them have them guns nohow；' says I。 That
wasn't true； for I did know it； but there was no cause to tell him
that。〃 I murmured my approval of such prudence； and Simpson continued；
his eyes gradually brightening with the light of agreeable
reminiscence：
〃Well； they up and they took Fowler before the justice of the peace。
The justice of the peace was a Turk。〃
〃Now； Simpson； what do you mean by that？〃 I interrupted：
〃Well； he come from Turkey；〃 said Simpson； and I again sank back；
wondering briefly what particular variety of Mediterranean outcast had
drifted down to New Mexico to be made a justice of the peace。 Simpson
laughed and continued：
〃That Fowler was a funny fellow。 The Turk； he committed Fowler； and
Fowler； he riz up and knocked him down and tromped all over him and
made him let him go！〃
〃That was an appeal to a higher law；〃 I observed。 Simpson assented
cheerily； and continued：
〃Well； that Turk； he got nervous for fear Fowler he was goin' to kill
him； and so he comes to me and offers me twenty…five dollars a day to
protect him from Fowler； and I went to Fowler； and 'Fowler；' says I；
'that Turk's offered me twenty…five dollars a day to protect him from
you。 Now； I ain't goin' to get shot for no twenty…five dollars a day；
and if you are goin' to kill the Turk； just say so and go and do it；
but if you ain't goin' to kill the Turk； there's no reason why I
shouldn't earn that twenty…five dollars a day！' and Fowler； says he；
'I ain't goin' to touch the Turk； you just go right ahead and protect
him。' 〃
So Simpson 〃protected〃 the Turk from the imaginary danger of Fowler；
for about a week； at twenty…five dollars a day。 Then one evening he
happened to go out and met Fowler； 〃and；〃 said he； 〃the moment I saw
him I knowed he felt mean； for he begun to shoot at my feet；〃 which
certainly did seem to offer presumptive evidence of meanness。 Simpson
continued：
〃I didn't have no gun； so I just had to stand there and take it util
something distracted his attention； and I went off home to get my gun
and kill him； but I wanted to do it perfectly lawful； so I went up to
the mayor （he was playin' poker with one of the judges）； and says I to
him； 'Mr。 Mayor；' says I； 'I am goin' to shoot Fowler。 And the mayor
he riz out of his chair and he took me by the hand； and says he； 'Mr。
Simpson； if you do I will stand by you；' and the judge； he says； 'I'll
go on your bond。' 〃
Fortified by this cordial approval of the executive and judicial
branches of the government； Mr。 Simpson started on his quest。
Meanwhile； however； Fowler had cut up another prominent citizen； and
they already had him in jail。 The friends of law and order feeling
some little distrust as to the permanency of their own zeal for
righteousness； thought it best to settle the matter before there was
time for cooling； and accordingly； headed by Simpson； the mayor； the
judge； the Turk； and other prominent citizens of the town； they broke
into the jail and hanged Fowler。 The point in the hanging which
especially tickled my friend's fancy； as he lingered over the
reminiscence； was one that was rather too ghastly to appeal to our own
sense of humor。 In the Turk's mind there still rankled the memory of
Fowler's very unprofessional conduct while figuring before him as a
criminal。 Said Simpson； with a merry twinkle of the eye： 〃Do you know
that Turk； he was a right funny fellow too after all。 Just as the boys
were going to string up Fowler； says he； 'Boys； stop； one moment；
gentlemen；Mr。 Fowler； good…by；' and he blew a kiss to him！〃
In the cow…country； and elsewhere on the wild borderland between
savagery and civilization； men go quite as often by nicknames as by
those to which they are lawfully entitled。 Half the cowboys and
hunters of my acquaintance are known by names entirely unconnected
with those they inherited or received when they were christened。
Occasionally some would…be desperado or make…believe mighty hunter
tries to adopt what he deems a title suitable to his prowess； but such
an effort is never attempted in really wild places； where it would be
greeted with huge derision； for all of these names that are genuine
are bestowed by outsiders； with small regard to the wishes of the
person named。 Ordinarily the name refers to some easily recognizable
accident of origin； occupation； or aspect； as witness the innumerable
Dutcheys； Frencheys； Kentucks； Texas Jacks； Bronco Bills； Bear Joes；
Buckskins； Red Jims； and the like。 Sometimes it is apparently
meaningless； one of my own cowpuncher friends is always called
〃Sliver〃 or 〃Splinter〃why； I have no idea。 At other times some
particular incident may give rise to the title； a clean…looking cowboy
formerly in my employ was always known as 〃Muddy Bill；〃 because he had
once been bucked off his horse into a mud hole。
The grewsome genesis of one such name is given in the following letter
which I have just received from an old hunting…friend in the Rockies；
who took a kindly interest in a frontier cabin which the Boone and
Crockett Club was putting up at the Chicago World's Fair。
〃Feb 16th 1893； Der Sir： I see in the newspapers that your club the
Daniel Boon and Davey Crockit you intend to erect a fruntier Cabin
at the world's Far at Chicago to represent the erley Pianears of
our country I would like to see you maik a success I have all my
life been a fruntiersman and feel interested in your undrtaking
and I hoap you wile get a good assortment of relicks I want to
maik one suggestion to you that is in regard to getting a good man
and a genuine Mauntanner to take charg of your haus at Chicago I
want to recommend a man for you to get it is Liver…eating Johnson
that is the naim he is generally called he is an old mauntneer and
large and fine looking and one of the Best Story Tellers in the
country and Very Polight genteel to every one he meets I wil tel
you how he got that naim Liver…eating in a hard Fight with the
Black Feet Indians thay Faught all day Johnson and a few Whites
Faught a large Body of Indians all day after the fight Johnson cam
in contact with a wounded Indian and Johnson was aut of ammunition
and thay faught it out with thar Knives and Johnson got away with
the Indian and in the fight cut the livver out of the Indian and
said to the Boys did thay want any Liver to eat that is the way he
got the naim of Liver…eating Johnson
〃Yours truly〃 etc。； etc。
Frontiersmen are often as original as their names； and the originality
may take the form of wild savagery； of mere uncouthness； or of an odd
combination of genuine humor with simple acceptance of facts as they
are。 On one occasion I expressed some surprise in le