Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-08-10

- Il
ed the whirlwind.
You're a gentleman known in
Bodie as Washoe Peter-at least
I've heard you designated by that
familiar appellation during my so
journ here" answered the expert,
moving of.
"What else am I?" shrieked the
rough, striding toward the COVER
ing expert.
ga gentleman, | suppose. Hon.
estly, | don't know your other
name" 4
'Well, I'll tell you who | am"
and the man stood over the shrink.
ing stranger as if about to topple
upon him and annihilate him. ''Pm
bad; Pm chief in this yer camp.
and | ken lick the mans saws |
amt. Pm a raging lion Of the
plains, an every time l hit | kill.
I've got an arm like a quartz stamp,
an crush when ! go fur man.
| weigh a ton, an earthquakes amt
nowhere when l DROP
"But I've only just been dis
charged from a hospital, replied the
expert
''Tll send ye back aginr and the
stalwart ''bluffer" caught the little
man by the collar and hurled him
upon the floor.
"It's unkind to use poor, weak,
suffering invalid that way" expos.
tulated the expert, as he slowly
arose from the floor. "Please don't
joke so roughly. Let's take a drink
and call it square. lam very sorry
that | have offended you."
eye think Pm Joking, do ye-ye
take me for a josh, eh? III show
ye what | am afore 1 git through
with ye. Ye don't play me for no
tender-foot. Pm a native, l am,
an I've stood this yer ioolin' long
enough saying which he dashed
the stranger against table and
drew long knife.
AS soon as the expert saw this he
screwed his face into the most pite-
ous shape, and throwing his hands
up, cried: "l'm unarmed; | haven't
got as much as a penknife on me.
Please don't carve me; kick me to
death if you must have my life, but
for heavens sake don't stick that
terrible thing into me-"
Now, as Washoe Pete had no in
tention Of using the knife-and
thereby risking his neck-he was
well pleased with the opportunity
thus afforded him of displaying the
deadly weapon, and, after asserting
his bloody intention, returned it tc
its sheath. He flourished the knife
over the oringing expert three OF
four times, and then lowered it,
with the remark: "Why, dern your
cowardly soul, l wouldn't disgrace
the weepin' by shown it into We.
No, sir; but I'll plug ye;" and he
| drew a revolver.
M'm unarmed-I'm unarmed-
don't ye hear me?" whined the
expert.
Go an heel yerself, then," re.
torted the bad man.
81 don't want TO fight"
'1'Il make ye fight. I'll take
ye at yer word, an kick ye to
DEATH"
"Please don't.n
Washoe Pete laid his knife and
pistol on the counter, and then
strobe rapidly to the spot where the
expert was half erouching, hall
standing. BY this time the saloon
was full Of men, all of them smil.
ing at the picture before them, re.
garding it as the height of enjoy.
ment-this lively encounter be-
tween the greatest braggadocio in
the Sierra and small, pale, mining
expert, new to the section and a
stranger to the wild ways Of the
border ruffian.
"This thing has gone bout long
'nough," yelled /" bad man." stop
ping before the expert. "You've
been chinnin' to me till I'm riled.
Squar' yourSelf-I'm goin' ter kick,
an Comstock mule amt a patch
in as a kicker to Washoe Pete
dye hear me?" rrl
Gone instant, please, Peter Il
don't know your other name); are
you sure you've got no other weap-
ons about you? They might 90
off accidentally and injure some
innocent party"
"That's all the weapins T've got,
ef the information III ease yer
sneakih' mind; and now am 60
ing to begin kickin'. Clear the
track. The woolly hoss has broken
out O the kerrell, and there'll be q
ooroner's inquest in. lest about
seven minutes"
!. He raised his ponderous boot, but
it did not swing.
4 The little man Strengthened up
like an unbent bow, and his left
hand shot direct from his shoulder
like the piston of a locomotive,
striking Washoe Pete between the
eyes and sending that worthy
sprawling on the sawdust that Gov