Surely a more irrational foot-covering never was invented; yet these tight, peaked cowboy boots had a great significance and may indeed be called the insignia of a calling.

There was no prouder soul on earth than the cowboy.

He was proud of being a horseman and had a contempt for all human beings who walked.

On foot in his tight-toed boots he was lost; but he wished it to be understood that he never was on foot.

If we rode beside him and watched his seat in the big cow saddle we found that his high and narrow heels prevented the slipping forward of the foot in the stirrup, into which he jammed his feet nearly full length.