The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-06-20
TERROR NUMBER ONE.

TERROR NUMBER ONE.
Every day the bull trains, mule teams,
and stages roll into the Black Hills with
their loads Of "fresh fish," rs the veterans
call the new arrivals from the East. These
''tresh fish" rush for hotels, boarding
houses, and saloons, get a meal or a lunch
and are presently seen walking up
and down the streets of the frontier city,
or collecting on the corners to hear the
latest news from the diggings and the
prospects of striking job.
The other day, when wagon-load Of
bull-heads was dumped out in Custer
City, as wagon loads had been dumped
out every day before since grass started,
the first man to welcome them to the in
FAINT city was chap five feet high, and
weighing accordingly. There was blood
stain on his left cheek, q scar on his right,
and he had fierce eyes, \ voice like 4
roaring lion. and a bad limp in one of
his legs He was whiting out tent
pin with big bowie-knife Us the wagon
drove up, and, pushing the knife down
the back OF his neck, he lifted up a Hen
ry rifle. ran his eye over the crowd, and
Cdllcll Out III an AWFUL voice:
us there anybody in that crowd look
ing for Terror No. 1? Kase if there is,
here I am; and Pm just aching to be
shot full Of bullets weighing pound
apiece.'
No one was looking for him. Some
looked at him and some looked across the
street on purpose not to see him, while
there was uniform movement toward
hip-pockets.
II didn't know but that some of you
might have come out here from New
York or Boston to plant me under the
sweet jessamine or the climbing morning.
glory!' chuckled the Terror, as he rested
the butt of his rifle on the ground and
tished up a siX-shooter from his boot leg
There We're men from New York and
Boston in the party, but they didn't want
to bury anybody just then.
II don't own this town." continued the
Terror, as he laid his infant armory
across the head of a barrel. II don't own
foot of ground or a share in any of the
public buildings erected at the expense
OF taxpayers, but whenI stand on Wash
ington Square and utter one yell, this
whole town quakes. I'm Terror No. 1.
There's one or two other Terrors around
here, but I'm the boss,-I'm the regular
death's-head and cross-bones Of the Black
Hills region!''
Before he had ceased speaking most of
the newcomers had disappeared, some
looking pale and anxious, and others
feeling shivers race up and down their
back.
An hour later, when a party of five
strangers from New England were MAX
ing the acquaintance of the internal bev-
erages on sale in one of the shanty
saloons, and at the same time pumping
the proprietor about prospects, in walked
the Terror. He looked AZ fierce as a cat
amount cheated out Of her dessert, and
there was an awful growl in his voice as
he called out:
''Five o'clock by Omaha time, and
haven't killed or been killed the whole
day long! Turn loose your pet grizzlies,
unhitch your whirlwinds and let dozen
wild lions come for me at once!''
"Take something to drink, my good
friend," mildly replied the saloonist.
"You are always welcome here, but you
don't dropin often enough. Don't be
afraid to pour out all you want"
"To tell the truth, Steve" said the Ter
ror, as he poured out nearly half pint of
the worst whisky ever made,"I came in
here to kill some one; but you are white
man clear down to your toe-nails, and I
won't raise no row. That's good whisky,
that is, and if you want any one in Custer
City put under ground, Just give me his
name. Can you think Of any onc?' $500
The saloon-keeper reflected for mo-
ment, as he slowly wiped off his bar with
an old calico apron, and finally he re-
piled:
"No; don't think of any one just now
but something will probably turn up in a
day OF two. Any time you feel thirsty
come in and help YOURSELF
One of the five men had formerly been
molder in a Troy stove-foundry. and he
had been closely watching the Terror. All
of sudden he held out his hand for
shake, cheerfully observing:
"I'll bet 100 to that we used to work
board, and room together
The Terror reached out his hand, close.
ly scanned the holders face, and after a
moment he said to the whole five:
Gentlemen, come out doors and take
seats on the bench. begin to know this
man, and I don't want to answer anv
questions in here.'
"Well, but am surprised to find YOU
out here, and rugged up in this STYLE
remarked the moldcr, as the men found
seats.
$50 you may be-" slowly replied the
Terror. "When worked in Troy there
wasn't man or boy about the shop who
couldn't make me eat dirt. I was one of
the biggest towards east of Chicago, and