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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 all…inclusive or final。 Yet while it impressed on him the importance of geographical considerations； it impressed； more deeply still； the fact that there are moral fundamentals not to be measured by geography； or by time； or by race。 Lincoln learned this among the pioneers of Illinois； in similar fashion Roosevelt learned it in the Bad Lands of Dakota with their pioneers and exiles from civilization； and from studying the depths of his own nature。
CHAPTER V。 BACK TO THE EAST AND LITERATURE
One September day in 1886； Roosevelt was reading a New York newspaper in his Elkhorn cabin； when he saw that he had been nominated by a body of Independents as candidate for Mayor of New York City。 Whether he had been previously consulted or not； I do not know； but he evidently accepted the nomination as a call； for he at once packed up his things and started East。 The political situation in the metropolis was somewhat abnormal。 The United Democracy had nominated for Mayor Abram S。 Hewitt； a merchant of high standing； one of those decent persons whom Tammany Hall puts forward to attract respectable citizens when it finds itself in a tight place and likely to be defeated。 At such a pinch； Tammany even politely keeps in the background and allows it to appear that the decent candidate is wholly the choice of decent Democrats： for the Tammany Tiger wears； so to speak； a reversible skin which； when turned inside out； shows neither stripes nor claws。 Mr。 Hewitt's chief opponent was Henry George； put up by the United Labor Party； which had suddenly swelled into importance； and had discovered in the author of 〃Progress and Poverty〃 and in the advocate of the Single Tax a candidate whose private character was generally respected； even by those who most hated his economic teachings。 The mere thought that such a Radical should be proposed for Mayor scared； not merely the Big Interests； but the owners of real estate and intangible property。
Against these redoubtable competitors； the Independents and Republicans pitted Roosevelt； hoping that his prestige and personal popularity would carry the day。 He made a plucky campaign； but Hewitt won； with Henry George second。 In his letter of acceptance he went straight at the mark； which was that the government of the city was strictly a business affair。 〃 I very earnestly deprecate；〃 he says； 〃all attempts to introduce any class or caste feeling into the mayoralty contest。 Laborers and capitalists alike are interested in having an honest and economical city government； and if elected I shall certainly strive to be the representative of all good citizens； paying heed to nothing whatever but the general well…being。〃* When Tammany reverses its hide； the Republicans in New York City need not expect victory； and in 1886 Henry George drew off a good many votes which would ordinarily have been cast for Roosevelt。
* Riis； 101。
Nevertheless； the fight was worth making。 It reintroduced him to the public； which had not heard him for two years； and it helped erase from men's memories the fact t