The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-08-15


! eyes, said |:
Now, damn you, apologize for your
| lies and SLOPE -
| The man did this all very abjectly.
! Jack and a friend were sleeping in a
/ log cabin on the praiTies in Texas, keep
/ ing dark for some very good reason.
! They suddenly, in the middle of the
/ night, heard voices outside. Says Jack,
with his habitual drawl:
Lets see who they are.''
! His friend was already looking out.
| Jack, " he remarked, ''they've got
rope >
Jack paused, thoughtfully felt of his
neck, and drawled, Don't be scared !;
( it's me, -
! He knocked out the cartridges of both
| his revolvers, and replaced them with
others. He then felt of his bowie knife,
and made number of rapid and eX-
( hauSting movements to ascertain if he
| was stiff or not in condition. Meanwhile
he could hear voices in different keys
/ crying. Jack - Jack Finehart -
/ Come out, you damned Texan.'
"Come in, boys, - he drawled, getting
/ his tools ready. Just as he stepped out,
/ a cooked revolver in each hand, and
/ bowie knife across his mouth, there was
a roar of laughter from the crowd.
/ II NSo HiObliil9ilt. anu JdCh WIS dI-
! rested in the act of opening fire.
The leader then assured him that they
/ simply wanted his assistance to run Stub
/ Hawkins, a noted hOrsethief, off to cot
/ tOnwoOd.
! Jack put up his pistols in great dud-
geon and disappointment.
On another occasion Jack was in a
! New Mexico barrOOm. y young New
! Y Orker was talking a great deal and
/ Jack, in his drawing Texan humor or
! Indifference (the quality resembles
either, offended and insulted him with
out intent. Finally the New Yorker
/ drew a seven-chambered pea-shOOter and
/ discharged every barrel at Jack Fine
/ hart. The desperate received the shots
without moving a muscle until exhaust
ed. Then, drawing quickly a pistol a
/ foot long, he shivered the pea-ShOoter
out of the youngsters hand. and said:
stranger, buy gun that wont dis
grace this country
He deliberately put his gun back
and did not even look to see where the
. New Orker's shots struck.
y young gentleman befriended Jack
and won his everlasting devotion. Fine
. hart was one of the most delicatelv or
ganiZed men ! ever met. He was like Il
woman; only less ashamed of natural
emotion. Jack heard of some danger
impending over his friend. For three
months he dOgged him day and night,
ever lowering around him, with two re-
vOlvers buckled about him. At last the
night of the conSummatiOn of the scheme
of revenge was at hand, Two men
sprang upon the young man with the in
tentiOn of letting out his life blood with
knives.
''Save me, = he contrived to scream.
That's what Jack Finehart has been
waiting two months to do cried the
owner of the name, as soon as the smoke
from his shots had cleared off
Drawing and firing both revolvers at
once, he had pinked both the assassins.
Fnehart had a powerful name in
Texas, in Arizona, i'll Kansas, in New
Mexico; not Il gambler from Texas to
the Black Hills but respected the name.
An expert gambler, an unerring shot,
. unequaled as Il companion on spree. lie
was, nevertheless, scrupulously honest,
tender-heaTted, sensitive and easily pro-
VOked to tears. He had a way of sub
DUNG pack of ScOundrelS by walking
into their midst uDarmed and utteTing
his wish. He brought eight men one
cold night, while he was on spree. out
of house of prostitution, and arranged
them. without any clothing, all in a row
along the sidewalk, here he delivered
lecture to the chattering wretches on
the Evils of immortality" He had
one love affair. and it was the rom ance
in his life. l don't know the romance of
it. Nobody does but Jack. and he was
not communicative abOAt it. 1t seems
that his brother was equally involved
about the girl, and after much bitter
/ feeling and exchanges had been indulged
in between them respecting the lady,
they came tOan understanding thorough
" typical of the hard. uncompromising
nature of Western quarrels. The un-
derStanding was to the effect that the
men pledged themselves never again to
speak to the girl, the penalty for an i'll
fraction of this rule being that one
brother should kill the other. This was
the compact. To any one familiar with
the history of the West there is nothing
strange. unnatural or startling about it.
The brothers separated. and each went
his way. This was some years ago.
This summer Jack sought out his brother,
and found him in Denver. He told him
briefly that he had broken his oath. and
wanted the compact kept. There was
nothing about Jack 5 demeanOT that i'll
dicated fear He was melancholy and
quiet This was indeed his habitua
manner He was firm in his determine
tion to die by his brothers hand. The
witness to the compact was i'm Denver
He was found by Jack, and the fact was
narrated to him. He offered Temon-
STRANGE, of course Jack was as firm as
iron. His influence over the witness
and the desire of the latter to see it out
and put in as many obstacles as possible
, induced him to accompany his friend
The brother was waiting, and the,
walked out on the Platte river bank. L
was late in the afternoon. The sun wa
making countless beautiful shapes anC
col0rS over the mountains. The air wa
cool and dry. and the earth looked Yer,
: fresh and green. 1t was a singularl,
; inviting aspect. and the world never ap
: peared more tempting as place of re
Sidence. The men spoke not a word
1 but strobe steadily along. Jack in front
; The witness was alarmed and hOrTitied
2 lie knew not what to do. 1t was i'm
/ possible to influence these men but n
= could not now back out. They at las
f reached quiet spot in a shady valley
| The Platte ran beside them. and wOul
( / carry the body of Jack Fmehart with
: in few moments. They paused. JAG
D drew Il Derringer and examined it care
l fully. Apparently satisfied with his il
a spection. he cooked it and handed it t
4 his brother. Then walking few yard
/ he turned Il twO-thirdS profile towar
: him. presenting his heart as mark t
n shoot at. There the Texan stood, wit
T his arms folded and an expression {
!. quiet melancholy ON his face.
!, Il am ready" he said, casting a sil
e gle glance at his brother, with whom