ery heavy--not like shoes I
wear now. They are the shoes of the wood-chopper, very thick on the sole
with hard leather, with many iron nails. I kick the man on the side of
the face, on the neck, right under the ear. I kick once. It is a good
kick. It is enough. I know the place--right under the ear.

"And the man lets go of the dog. He shuts his eyes, and opens his mouth,
and lies very still. And the dog begins once more to breathe. And with
the breath comes the life, and right away he wants to kill the man. But
I say 'No,' though I am very much afraid of the dog. And the man begins
to become alive. He opens his eyes and he looks at me like a mountain
lion. And his mouth makes a noise like a mountain lion. And I am afraid
of him like I am afraid of the dog. What am I to do? I have forgotten
the axe. I tell you what I do. I kick the man once again under the ear.
Then I take my belt, and my bandana handkerchief, and I tie him. I tie
his hands. I tie his legs, too. And all the time I am saying 'No,' to
the dog, and that he must leave the man alone. And the dog looks. He
knows I am his friend and am tying the man. And he does not bite me,
though I am very much afraid. The dog is a terrible dog. Do I not know?
Have I not seen him take a strong man out of the saddle?--a man that is
like a mountain lion?

"And then the men come. They all have guns-rifles, shotguns, revolvers,
pistols. And I think, first, that justice is very quick in the United
States. Only just now have I kicked a man in the head, and,
one-two-three, just like that, men come with guns to take me to jail for
kicking a man in the head. At first I do not understand. The many men
are angry with me. They call me names, and say bad things; but they do
not arrest me. Ah! I begin to understand! I hear them talk about three
thousand dollars. I have robbed them of three thousand dollars. It is
not true. I say so. I say never have I robbed a man of one cent. Then
they laugh. And I feel better and I understand better. The three
thousand dollars is the reward of the Government for this man I have tied
up with my belt and my bandana. And the three thousand dollars is mine
because I kicked the man in the head and tied his hands and his feet.

"So I do not work for Mister Kennan any more. I am a rich man. Three
thousand dollars, all mine, from the Government, and Mister Kennan sees
that it is paid to me by the Government and not