man
made any resistance he would be very sure to have his cabin burned down
over his head; and he would be very lucky if he escaped a bullet
through his own body.

One of the most common and annoying crimes committed by these
desperadoes was shooting an emigrant's swine. These animals, regarded
as so invaluable in a new country, each had its owner's mark, and
ranged the woods, fattening upon acorns and other nuts. Nothing was
easier than for a lazy man to wander into the woods, shoot one of these
animals, take it to his cabin, devour it there, and obliterate all
possible traces of the deed. Thus a large and valuable herd would
gradually disappear. This crime was consequently deemed to merit the
most severe punishment. It was regarded as so disgraceful that no
respectable man was liable to suspicion.

The punishment for the crime was very severe, and very summary. If one
of these swine-thieves was brought before Justice Crockett, and in his
judgment the charge was proved against him, the sentence was--

"Take the thief, strip off his shirt, tie him to a tree, and give him a
severe flogging. Then burn down his cabin, and drive him out of the
country."

There was no appeal from this verdict, and no evading its execution.
Such was the justice which prevailed, in this remote region, until the
Legislature of Alabama annexed the territory to Giles County, and
brought the region under the dominion of organized law. Crockett, who
had performed his functions to the entire satisfaction of the
community, then was legally appointed a justice of peace, and became
fully entitled to the appellation of esquire. He certainly could not
then pretend to any profound legal erudition, for at this time he could
neither read nor write.

Esquire Crockett, commenting upon this transaction, says, "I was made a
Squire, according to law; though now the honor rested more heavily upon
me than before. For, at first, whenever I told my constable, says I,
'Catch that fellow, and bring him up for trial,' away he went, and the
fellow must come, dead or alive. For we considered this a good warrant,
though it was only in verbal writing.

"But after I was appointed by the Assembly, they told me that my
warrants must be in real writing and signed; and that I must keep a
book and write my proceedings in it. This was a hard business on me,
for I could just barely write my own name. But to do this, and write
the warrants too, was at least a huckleberry o