Daily Arizona silver belt., 1907-07-21

the camp to enforce the territorial law requiring cowboys to remove their "guns" after sojourning in the camp a half hour, and the scared and patched hero of more than one eneoun-' ter in the Dead Dog saloon, swaggered forward, swinging his big sombrero at his side, and with his free hand out stretched to receive the gloved hand of the doctor.
 "I m sure tickled to see you, Doc, an mighty glad you brought yer fam fly with you" exclaimed Firxins. "I I've always stated, in public as well as pri- vately, that no man with feelin' and eultoor could be satisfied to quit Ari- zona fur good once he'd set his tracks onter her sum kissed sands.'
 As Firkins delivered his address of welcome the visitors noticed that he wore well-loaded belt and carried a six-shooter in the holster which swung at his right hip. There was forced, extraneous expression of kindness in his grizzled features, and the big booted peace officer had never been known to be so cordial in his greeting of strang- CTS. The eowpunehers who happened in camp that morning wondered what had come over him.
 Three Concord stage coaches, battered by rough mountain roads and marked here and there by evidence of encoun- ters with Apaehes in the days before the railroad came, were pressed into service to take the visitors to Espen- ooza mine in the mountains. Each coach was pulled by four horses and typical drivers of the old days, booted, belted and provided with ammunition and six-shooters, mounted the seats.
 "Mr. Firkins,'i said the genial doe tor as the big peace officer assisted in helping the last member of the party into the coach, "you'r credit to your town and the territory-you T brick, a-v
 But the doctor did not have time to finish his speech, for the driver at that moment swung the whiplashes over the heads of the ring-leaders with crack which set them to. prancing, and with bound of the wheel-horses the great coach started off down the road lead ing the way over the rising mesa to- wards the mountains.
 "That s correk, Sid, exclaimed one of the cowpunchers that followed the peace officer into the Dead Dog saloon after the coaches had disappeared in the folds of the mesa road, "you r q brick, but not that-a kind yer friend tn Doc deals in.o
 The morning star, that time-piece which the cowpunchers always look to, was beaming in the eastern sky close to the horizon when Red Wilkins awoke. Jumping into his big boots, swiftly tying 'kerchief about his neck and pressing his hair back from the forehead, completed his morning toilet and Red was soon stirring the ashes and laying bare the coals of the camp fire of the night before. The flames shot up, fed by dry twigs and famed by the morning breeze which came down the canyon.
 Saddle up, boys, and be ready to start when we get bite to eat, were Ferret's orders as the men rolled out of their blankets. "We're sure out fer picnic today, am if there's any fellers here what don want to take a hand let lem speak out now right a-here,'' continued the boss, his pierc. ing eyes searching Red and myself as though we might be the only members of the outfit unwilling to go out upon the mysterious roundup.
 "There's no white feathers in my crop" responded Red, eff it's a fail game. y
 I did not understand what the boss really meant, but nodded assent to Red s declaration. The punchers seem ed unusually happy, for adventure to them, no matter how dangerous, meant a holiday and excitement-and with out the element of excitement in 6 cowboys life he would be swallowed up by the plains.
 There had been trouble with the