It is said that in some of the southwestern states the personal right to make an arrest at times resulted, practically, in the privilege of shooting cattle thieves upon sight. The foreman would send out Jack to "look for" cattle thieves. Jack would lie all day in a gully and when Sonora Slim hove in sight, perhaps on an entirely lawful errand, would "let him have it." Then he would ride leisurely over, abstract Sonora's "gun," discharge it a couple of times and throw it carelessly upon the ground. Half an hour later he would appear at the ranch.
"Sorry, Bill," he would report, "but I caught Sonora Slim driving off three of our two-year-olds. I headed him off and says,
"'Look here, Sonora, you've got some of our heifers there.'
"'Go to——!' says Sonora and pulls his gun.
"'That's all right,' says I. 'You're under arrest!'
"We swapped a few shots and I had to drop him to prevent his escape."
"All right, Jack," the foreman would reply, "we'll ride over and tell the sheriff about it."
"See here, sheriff," he would announce on their arrival, "Jack here arrested Sonora Slim stealin' our cattle, and the feller resisted arrest and Jack had to shoot him. Jack's here if you want him."
"Yes, sheriff, here I am," Jack would say.