Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-06-29

A BOYS DRFRyCE.

CONCLUDED FROM YESTERDAY.
He stopped and started. He had not OBJ
served the movements of Darrell during
the last few seconds, and Just a. be was
on the point Of clipping of ka5nes,ear in
the polished manner he had descanted
upon, he found the muzzle of q rifle thrust
almost into his face.
1t was loaded rife which, luckily,
friend of Darrell's had left in his keeping
that very morning while he went out to
make some purchases. It had stood in
corner Of the room near his table, and Oar
rell had seized it, cooked and 1eveled it
with such dexieritv that he had Wolf.cev-
cred before his movements were obSe1fod !.
and he stood motionless as statue--his
cool eye glancing over the sights, and n
steady finger on the trigger.
'.Yon great bully y he said '.drop, that
knife instantly. Mind. came from u
country where they shoot squirrels only
through the eye. l can hit any hair of
your big head that you will mention at
hundred yards. Drop that knife!'
| The ruffian was fairly paralysed. lie
relaxed his grip on poor Haynes. who sank
fainting on the floor, and his murderous
knife fell upon the counter. So unexpect-
ed was this bold attitude Of Darrell that
Wolf was more startled than he would
have been if dozen of the toughest men
in California had assailed him.
There stood the boyish editor motionles
as the wall, and the muzzle of the rife did
not move the breadth of hair. Darrell
held the desperado's life in his hands.
''1ou cowardly bully" he repeated.
contemptuously. Don't dare TO move !;
| can send bullet through your ereball
without touching the white. Don't move
the eighth of an inch or I'll do 1t and throw
your filthy carcass out the window -
Wolfe glanced at his revolver lying up
on the counter, within two feet Of his eye.
but did not venture to reach it,
''Dare to touch that revolver--so much
as look at it again, and III make a red
picture on the wall there behind YOU
You are clustering, Dragging knaye
you are a coward al heart-a despioable
cur You came here to murder two boys
| because you thought It nice, easy task,
and now you are trembling with fear /
would kill you in your tracks, but don t
want your dirty blood on my hands. Go
now. Turn instantly. Leave your knife
and revolver where they are, I'll keep
them. Go down to your friends and tell
them a boy whipped you-disarrned you
and kicked You down stairs Do as tell
you instantly. If you hesitate you will
never see the sun set
Wolf. trembling from head to foot.
glanced once more at his revolver. but did
not dare TO raise his hand. His face was
pale and his lips were dry.
"Do you hear me2" demanded Darrell.
sternly. "Yes, yes; don't shoot =" replied
Wolf, turning about. as commanded. He
was thoroughly cowed.
''Do not turn your ugly face this way
again" said Darrell. ''or you will pay for
it with your life. Move
Tanner than a whipped cur. the rufiian
walked towards the door. and Darrell,
springing over the counter was at his
heels in an instant.
Don't look back, or III kill you!''
Meekly obeying the imperative orders
of the youth, Wolf moved slowly out of
the room into the narrow corridor
"Be careful; don't let that gun go off"
Wolf stammereG, as he reached the head
of the stairs.
| At this moment the clamor of the i'm.
patient crowd below arose with terribls
distinctness, and one shrill voice was
heard to say
Hurry up. Wolf. Why don't you
throw them fellows ont ~
Exasperated beyond measure. he was
on the point of turning back. at the risk
of his life; for after all his braggndocia
how could he meet those below, disarmed
and chased ont of the building by one OF
the puny boys he had intended so terribly
to chastise ? But Darrell was after him.
and with one vigorous kick sent him heels
over head down the wooden stairs, with a
laundering clatter. and rolling over the
doorsill, the defeated bully actually tum-
bled ont upon the street before he could
| recover his equilibrium.
Hello How's this :? What's up ?" asked
q dozen voices at once, as the dreaded
man reappeared in this undignified shape.
without having sent any corpses out the
window.
"Why. | simply kicked him down the
stairs-thats what's the matter" said the
boyish voice of Darrell at the head of the
stairs; land if he comes up here again
won't let him off so easy. Don't be afraid
of him. for took all his weapons away
from him.
Wolf struggled to his feet, rubbing his
head. and presenting such ludicrous ap-
pearance that he was greeted with jeers
and bursts of laughter. SO completely
had he tumbled from his lofty eminence in
the eyes of those who either admired or
feared bold murderer, that they who an
hour ago would have dreaded to offend
him with the utmost oontempt-laughed
at and derided him.
"IIa, ha, ha!" resounded on all sides
clicked by u boy Bah! Kicked dowr
stairs by a child Got your barkers tool
from you! Where's your knife? Where.
them corpses? Ha, ha, ha! You ough
to be egged out of town! Three groans
for Wolff" and they We're given with a
will
Three cheers for the little boy that HEX
ed him. was responded to by loud and
enthusiastic cheers.
Never before had the rough crowd seen
man with an established reputation, lie
Mr. Wolf. thus suddenly fall to such .
depth of degradation. All his name, fame,
prestige. melted away like mist, and he
was no longer feared-no longer respect
ed bv the low thieves and cut-throats
around him-only despised---Yes, despised
bv the meanest of creatures, whom he had