SHAPS (from Chapareras--protection from chapparal or thorns of acacia). These are leggings reaching from waist to heel of heavy oiled leather. They differ from trousers in having no seat or fly, but consist of two trunks each laced or buckled down the outer seam of the leg, and attached at the waist to a half belt. The two half belts are tied together in front with one turn of a leather string, ready to break apart if they get caught on the horn of the saddle in bucking, and fastened again with buckle and strap behind. The woolly or hairy fronted snaps made for snowy or wet districts are more plentiful among tenderfeet, showmen and cinema actors than they ever were upon the modest stock range. The usual pattern is of plain brown leather, nearly black with use. It is sometimes fringed, or ornamented with silver dollars or even twenty dollar golden pieces down the outer seam. The uses of shaps are to give a grip in the saddle, to shelter the legs from heat, cold, rain, snow, to serve as armour against kicking, biting, scraping, backfalls, rolling and other diversions of horses, the horns of cattle, rocks, {174} thorns, snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, rope abrasions, grass fires and other little discomforts. Their excellent comfort in the saddle, and in lieu of blankets at night, would be enough to justify their use, but without them one would be hurt or even seriously killed in course of the day's work. As they make walking difficult they are useless for all the purposes of war. [Sidenote: Arms and morals] ARMS. On the great ranges Romance is just as prevalent as sunshine, and Emotion blows as freely as the wind, but in this study we have to do with Reason. In cold blood we are trying to study equipment and methods of men whose lives depend upon sound, practical, unbiassed common sense. When a fellow takes to the range what are his motives? If he goes out to hunt for trouble he will do well to buy a large, well-balanced, accurately-sighted, blued revolver of a simple pattern not readily clogged or damaged. He will devote his leisure for many months to practice at all ranges, in all sorts of weather, in light and darkness, afoot and mounted until he can fire a double-roll fusillade. If he gets killed at practice, so much the better for the public. If not he has only to take to the range and make himself a general nuisance {175} until he meets a better shot than himself. I never met a man with more than twenty-seven notches on his gun-stock, but have known plenty who took an honest pleasure in blotting out unnecessary gun-fools.