to the trespasser and told
him, saying I would prove to him that it was on government ground.

"He agreed, and we rode to the place. He took his Winchester along and
carried it over his shoulder. He wasn't carrying it in the usual way,
but had his hand almost level with his shoulder so that the barrel
pointed in my direction. I noticed, too, that he was playing with the
trigger. It seemed likely that it might suit his purposes rather well if
I was accidentally killed. But each time I cantered up close to him, the
barrel returned to its natural position.

"Presently, as we rode along, we came to a waterfall, not a big one, but
falling with quite a splashing, and under the cover of the noise I
suddenly came to a quick gallop, overtook the trespasser, and, grasping
his Winchester firmly with both hands, jerked it out of his grasp."

"Sure, he must have been the maddest thing that iver happened!" said
McGinnis.

"He was sore, all right. But what could he do? I had the rifle, and we
neither of us had any six-shooters. I showed him that there was no
object in my shooting him, while he would gain by shooting me, so I
proposed to hold the gun. And hold it I did. On my return I put a
notice of seizure on the poles.

"The report went through the usual way to the Commissioner of the
General Land Office. He wrote me a letter direct about the case and put
it up to me to ask the trespasser what proposition of settlement he
intended to make. I thought the town was the best place for this and
waited at the post-office for a day or two until he came in. There I
tackled him, and told him he would have to notify the Department
immediately. At this, he and his son invited me outside to fight it out.
I told them I did not intend to fight, but that if within thirty minutes
they did not make a proposition of settlement I would telegraph to the
Department and his case would become one for harsher measures.

"The postmaster set out to convince him that Uncle Sam was too big a job
for him to handle, and in twenty minutes or so back he came with an
offer which was forwarded to the Department. A year or so later the case
was settled by a Special Agent."

McGinnis added several similar stories of timber difficulties, and,
supper being over, they got ready to turn in. The headquarters was a
most comfortable house, fairly large, having been built by the previous
Ranger, who was married. It was now used by another Ranger, as well as
Rifle-Eye