“Well, the first few months he filled the office of marshal he killed two white men and an Indian, and had the people thoroughly buffaloed.  When the cattle season had ended and winter came on, the little town grew tame and listless.  There was no man to dare him to shoot, and he longed for other worlds to conquer.  He had won his way into public confidence with his little gun.  But this confidence reposed in him was misplaced, for he proved his own double both in morals and courage.

“To show you the limit of the confidence he enjoyed:  the treasurer of the Cherokee Strip Cattle Association paid rent money to that tribe, at their capital, fifty thousand dollars quarterly.  The capital is not located on any railroad; so the funds in currency were taken in regularly by the treasurer, and turned over to the tribal authorities.  This trip was always made with secrecy, and the marshal was taken along as a trusted guard.  It was an extremely dangerous trip to make, as it was through a country infested with robbers and the capital at least a hundred miles from the railroad.  Strange no one ever attempted to rob the stage or private conveyance, though this sum was taken in regularly for several years.  The average robber was careful of his person, and could not be induced to make a target of himself for any money consideration, where there was danger of a gun in the hands of a man that would shoot rapidly and carelessly.

“Before the herds began to reach as far north, the marshal and his deputy gave some excuse and disappeared for a few days, which was quite common and caused no comment.  One fine morning the good people of the town where the robbery was attempted were thrown into an uproar by shooting in their bank, just at the opening hour.  The robbers were none other than our trusted marshal, his deputy, and a cow-puncher who had been led into the deal.  When they ordered the officials of the bank to stand in a row with hands up, they were nonplused at their refusal to comply.  The attacked party unearthed ugly looking guns and opened fire on the hold-ups instead.

“This proved bad policy, for when the smoke cleared away the cashier, a very popular man, was found dead, while an assistant was dangerously wounded.  The shooting, however, had aroused the town to the situation, and men were seen running to and fro with guns.  This unexpected refusal and the consequent shooting spoiled the plans of the robbers, so that they abandoned the robbery and ran to their horses.

“After mounting they parleyed with each other a moment and seemed bewildered as to which way they should ride, finally riding south toward what seemed a broken country.  Very few minutes elapsed before every man who could find a horse was joining the posse that was forming to pursue them.  Before they were out of sight the posse had started after them.  They were well mounted and as determined a set of men as were ever called upon to meet a similar emergency.  They had the decided advantage of the robbers, as their horses were fresh, and the men knew every foot of the country.