theodore roosevelt-第12章

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eet　him　at　any　time　and　naming　the　rifle；　at　twelve　paces'　distance；　as　the　weapon　that　he　preferred。　The　Marquis；　a　formidable　swordsman　but　no　shot；　sent　back　word；　expressing　regret　that　Mr。　Roosevelt　had　mistaken　his　meaning：　in　referring　to　〃gentlemen　knowing　how　to　settle　disputes；〃　he　meant　that　of　course　an　amicable　explanation　would　restore　harmony。　Thenceforward；　he　treated　Roosevelt　with　effusive　courtesy。　Perhaps　a　chill　ran　down　his　back　at　the　thought　of　standing　up　before　an　antagonist　twelve　paces　away　and　that　the　fighters　were　to　advance　towards　each　other　three　paces　after　each　round；　until　one　of　them　was　killed。

So　Theodore　fought　no　duel　with　either　the　French　Marquis　or　with　any　one　else　during　his　life　in　the　West；　but　he　had　several　encounters　with　local　desperadoes。　One　cold　night　in　winter；　having　ridden　far　and　knowing　that　he　could　reach　no　refuge　for　many　hours；　he　unexpectedly　saw　a　light。　Going　towards　it；　he　found　that　it　came　from　a　cabin　which　served　as　saloon　and　tavern。　On　entering；　he　saw　a　group　of　loafers　and　drinkers　who　were　apparently　terrorized　by　a　big　fellow；　rather　more　than　half　drunk；　who　proved　to　be　the　local　bully。　The　function　of　this　person　was　to　maintain　his　bullyship　against　all　comers：　accordingly；　he　soon　picked　on　Roosevelt；　who　held　his　peace　as　long　as　he　could。　Then　the　rowdy；　who　grasped　his　pistols　in　his　hands；　ordered　the　〃four…eyed　tenderfoot〃　to　come　to　the　bar　and　set　up　drinks　for　the　crowd。　Roosevelt　walked　deliberately　towards　him；　and　before　the　bully　suspected　it；　the　〃tenderfoot〃　felled　him　with　a　sledgehammer　blow。　In　falling；　a　pistol　went　off　wide　of　its　mark；　and　the　bully　lay　in　a　faint。　Before　he　could　recover；　Roosevelt　stood　over　him　ready　to　pound　him　again。　But　the　bully　did　not　stir；　and　he　was　carried　off　into　another　room。　The　crowd　congratulated　the　stranger　on　having　served　him　right。

At　another　place；　there　was　a　〃bad　man〃　who　surpassed　the　rest　of　his　fellows　in　using　foul　language。　Roosevelt；　who　loathed　obscenity　as　he　did　any　other　form　of　filth；　tired　of　this　bad　man's　talk　and　told　him　very　calmly　that　he　liked　him　but　not　his　nastiness。　Instead　of　drawing　his　gun；　as　the　bystanders　thought　he　would　do；　Jim　looked　sheepish；　acknowledging　the　charge；　and　changed　his　tone。　He　remained　a　loyal　friend　of　his　corrector。　Cattle…thieves　and　horse…thieves　infested　the　West　of　those　days。　To　steal　a　ranchman's　horse　might　not　only　cause　him　great　annoyance；　but　even　put　his　life　in　danger；　and　accordingly　the　rascals　who　engaged　in　this　form　of　crime　ranked　as　the　worst　of　all　and　received　no　mercy　when　they　were　caught。　If　the　sheriff　of　the　region　was　lax；　the　settlers　took　the　matter　into　their　own　hands；　enrolled　themselves　as　vigilantes；　hunted　the　thieves　down；　hanged　those　whom　they　captured；　and　shot　at　sight　those　who　tried　to　escape。　It　happened　that　the　sheriff；　in　whose　jurisdiction　Medora　lay；　allowed　so　many　thieves　to　get　off　that　he　was　suspected　of　being　in　collusion　with　them。　The　ranch　men　held　a　meeting　at　which　he　was　present　and　Roosevelt　told　him　in　very　plain　words　their　complaint　against　him　and　their　suspicions。　Though　he　was　a　hot…tempered　man；　and　very　quick　on　the　trigger；　he　showed　no　willingness　to　shoot　his　bold　young　accuser；　he　knew；　of　course；　that　the　ranchmen　would　have　taken　vengeance　on　him　in　a　flash；　but　it　is　also　possible　that　he　recognized　the　truth　of　Roosevelt's　accusation　and　felt　compunctions。

Some　time　later　Roosevelt　showed　how　a　zealous　officer　of　the　lawhe　was　the　acting　deputy　sheriff　…　ought　to　behave。　He　had　a　boat　in　which　he　used　to　cross　the　Little　Missouri　to　his　herds　on　the　other　side。　One　day　he　missed　the　boat；　its　rope　having　been　cut；　and　he　inferred　that　it　must　have　been　stolen　by　three　cattle…thieves　who　had　been　operating　in　that　neighborhood。　By　means　of　it　they　could　easily　escape；　for　there　was　no　road　along　the　river　on　which　horsemen　could　pursue　them。　Notwithstanding　this；　Roosevelt　resolved　that　they　should　not　go　free。　In　three　days　Bill　Sewall　and　Dow　built　a　flat；　water…tight　craft；　on　which　they　put　enough　food　to　last　for　a　fortnight；　and　then　all　three　started　downstream。　They　had　drifted　and　poled　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　or　more；　before　they　saw　a　faint　column　of　smoke　in　the　bushes　near　the　bank。　It　proved　to　be　the　temporary　camp　of　the　fugitives；　whom　they　quickly　took　prisoners；　put　into　the　boat；　and　carried　another　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　down　the　river　to　the　nearest　town　with　a　jail　and　a　court。　Going　and　coming；　Roosevelt　spent　nearly　three　weeks；　not　to　mention　the　hardships　which　he　and　his　trusty　men　suffered　on　the　way；　but　he　had　served　justice；　and　Justice　must　be　served　at　any　cost。　When　the　story　be　came　known；　the　admiration　of　his　neighbors　for　his　pluck　and　persistence　rose；　but　they　wondered　why　he　took　the　trouble　to　make　the　extra　journey；　in　order　to　deliver　the　prisoners　to　the　jail；　instead　of　shooting　them　where　he　overtook　them。

I　chronicle　these　examples　of　Roosevelt's　courage　among　the　lawless　gangs　with　whom　he　was　thrown　in　North　Dakota；　because　they　reveal　several　qualities　which　came　to　be　regarded　as　peculiarly　Rooseveltian　during　the　rest　of　his　days。　We　are　apt　to　speak　of　〃mere〃　physical　courage　as　being　inferior　to　moral　courage；　and　doubtless　there　are　many　heroes　unknown　to　the　world　who；　under　the　torture　of　disease　or　the　poignancy　of　social　injustice　and　wrongs；　deserve　the　highest　crown　of　heroism。　Men　who　would　lead　a　charge　in　battle　would　shrink　from　denouncing　an　accepted　convention　or　even　from　slighting　a　popular　fashion。　But　after　all；　the　instinct　of　the　race　is　sound　in　revering　those　who　give　their　lives　without　hesitation　or　regret　at　the　point　of　deadly　peril；　or　offer　their　own　to　save　the　lives　of　others。

Roosevelt's　experience　established　in　him　that　physical　courage　which　his　soul　had　aspired　to　in　boyhood；　when　the　consciousness　of　his　bodily　inferiority　made　him　seem　shy　and　almost　timid。　Now　he　had　a　bodily　frame　which　could　back　up　any　resolution　he　might　take。　The　emergencies　in　a　ranchman's　career　also　trained　him　to　be　quick　to　will；　instantaneous　in　his　decisions；　and　equally　quick　in　the　muscular　activity　by　which　he　carried　them　out。　In　a　community　whose　members　gave　way　to　sudden　explosions　of　passion；　you　might　be　shot　dead　unless　you　got　the　drop　on　the　other　fellow　first。　The　anecdotes　I　have　repeated；　indicate　that　Roosevelt　must　often　have　outsped　his　opponent　in　drawing。

We　learn　from　them；　too；　that　he　was　far　from　being　the　pugnacious　person　whom　many　of　his　later　critics　insisted　that　he　was。　Having　given　ample　proof　to　the　frontiersmen　that　he　had　no　fear；　he　resolutely　kept　the　peace　with　them；　and　they　had　no　desire　to　break　peace　with　him。　Bluster　and　swagger　were　foreign　to　his　nature；　and　he　loathed　a　bully　as　much　as　a　coward。　If　we　had　not　already　had　the　record　of　his。　three　years　in　the　Legislature；　in　which　he　surprised　his　friends　by　his　wonderful　talent　for　mixing　with　all　sorts　of　persons；　we　might　marvel　at　his　ability　to　meet　the　cowboys　and　ranchmen；　and　even　the　desperadoes；　of　the　Little　Missouri　on　equal　terms；　to　win　the　respect　of　all　of　them；　and　the　lifelong　devotion　of　a　few。　They　knew　that　the　usual　tenderfoot；　however　much　he　might　wish　to　fraternize；　was　fended　from　them　by　his　past；　his　traditions；　his　civilized　life；　his　instincts；　but　in　Roosevelt's　case；　there　was　no　gulf；　no　barrier。

Even　after　he　became　President　of　the　United　States；　I　can　no　more　imagine　that　he　felt　embarrassment　in　meeting　any　one；　high　or　low；　than　that　he　scrutinized　the　coat　on　a　man's　back　in　order　to　know　how　to　treat　him。

To　have　gained　solid　health；　to　have　gained　mastery　of　himself；　and　to　have　put　his　social　nature　to　the　severest　test　and　found　it　flawless；　were　valid　results　of　his　life　on　the　Elkhorn　Ranch。　It　imparted　to　him　also　a　knowledge　which　was　to　prove　most　precious　to　him　in　the　unforeseen　future。　For　it　taught　him　the　immense　diversity　of　the　people；　and　consequently　of　the　interests；　of　the　United　States。　It　gave　him　a　national　point　of　view；　in　which　he　perceived　that　the　standards　and　desires　of　the　Atlantic　States　were　not　a