I mounted Joe, and we galloped along about ten miles when we overtook the herd of horses.  I found the boss, riding a big gray horse ahead of the herd.  I ordered him to round up the herd.

“By what authority!” he demanded.  “Are you a constable?”

I said I was not only a constable, but the whole court, and one of his men at the same time whispered to him:  “Be careful, that is Buffalo Bill!” At this time, as well as for years past, I had been chief United States detective for the army as well as scout and guide.  I felt that with the offices of justice and constable added to these titles I had all the power necessary to take one horse.

The herd boss evidently thought so, too.  After asking if my name were Cody, and being told that it was, he said: 

“Well, there is no need of having a fuss over one horse.”

“No,” said I, “a horse doesn’t mean much to you, but it amounts to a good deal to this poor immigrant.”

“Well,” said the herd boss, “how do you propose to settle it?”

“I am going to take you and your whole outfit to Fort McPherson.  There I am going to try you and give you the limit—­six months and a five-hundred-dollar fine.”

“I can’t afford to go back to the Fort,” he pleaded, “let’s settle it right here.  What will you take to call it off?”

“One hundred and fifty dollars,” I said, “and quick!”

Reaching down into his pocket, he pulled out a wallet filled with bills and counted out a hundred and fifty dollars.  By this time the man who had lost the horse had caught his animal in the herd.  He was standing, holding it, near by.

“Partner,” I said to him, “take your horse and go back home.”

“Now, boss,” I said to the other man, “let me give you a little advice.  Be careful when a stranger gets into your herd and the owner overtakes you and demands it.  You may run into more trouble than I have given you, for you ought to know by this time that horse-stealing is a hanging offense.”

He said:  “I didn’t care a blank about your being justice of the peace and constable combined, but when I found out you were Buffalo Bill it was time to lay down my hand.”

“All right, old fellow,” I said, “good-by.”

As he rode off he called:  “It was worth a hundred and fifty dollars just to get a good look at you,” and the other men agreed.

By the time I got back to the fort, guard-mount was over, and a number of officers were in the club.  When they learned how I had disposed of my first case, they told the general, who was very much pleased.

“I want it noised about among the outside civilians how you handle your court,” he said.  The story soon became known all over the surrounding country.  Even the ladies of the Post heard of it, and told my wife and sisters, to whom I had never mentioned it.  They looked upon it as a great joke.

CHAPTER VIII