Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-07
| DESPERATE DUO
How a Pair OF Cowboys Were I'M
masked by an Aged stock Raiser.


The first thing that tenderfoot does
when he comes to Denver is to wonder
where the mountains are, and then to
look about for the standard desperate of
Eastern literature. The mountains are,
of course, dimly discernible in the dis
lance, although the tenderfoot is not
always exactly certain whether they are
the eternal hill or only an insubstantial
bank or cloud A similar hallucination is
apt to be experienced with regard to the
desperad0. The hirsute youth, with a
cartwheel hat, who is looked upon as
embodying all of the characteristics of a
dime novel or literary weekly here,
generally turns to be no more man
slayer than the clouds are composed of
granite.
The threatening presence of a police
station has encouraged the bold. bad
men who kill for fun to emigrate, and
the wide-hatted, long haired, sanguinary-
looking fellows who hang around the
Denver street corners are for the most
part hollow limitations of the blood
thirsty heroes of fiction. Most of them,
however, are quite willing to be mis-
taken for Buffalo Bills" and use no
little braggadocio of a harmless kind,
with view of giving themselves repu-
tation for homicidal tendencies. This
desire to appear terrible is we'll under
stood among themselves, and when one
of them wishes to say something par
ticularly flattering of another he gener-
ally INDUCES in language which by many
would be looked upon as extremely libel
GUS.
Two of these worthless recently enter
ed railway car in which News man
was seated. They were picturesquely
attlred in Sombreros, rubber boots, and
pearlcolored suits of military cut. They
| glowered around the car a moment and
then seated themselves and commenced
a whispered conversation. Thoughts of
train robbers flashed through the minds
of the tenderfeet in the train, and a
conservative looking old gentleman was
noticed to surreptitiously slip his gold
watch and pOcketbook under the cush-
ion. Suddenly one of the "Wild Bills"
stood up and there was a general move
ment among the tendeIfeetl to throw up
their hands, and to allow the supposed
| desperadoes to get through with their
work of acquiring their booty as expedi-
tiously as possible. But general feeling
of relief was experienced when it was
| found that the bloodthirsty looking fei-
low merely wanted to borrow a chew of
navy" from an acquaintance in the
opposite end of the car.
He had scarcely left his seat, however,
when his companion turned to his nearest
| fellOw-passenger and remarked:
"That's the hardest man in Colorado. "
HAS he killed anybody"
KILLED anybody? You betcher life.
More'n you've got fingers and toes on
you. Why, that's Dead Shot Bill. Never
has to waste second cartridge. Always
takes 'em an inch above the right eve. "
els he.a robber?" hesitatingly inquired
the passenger whom Dead Shot Bills
companion had taken into his confidence.
Nav He amt nothin' of that sort
He kills for sport. Wouldn't steal
nothin'."
might inquire if he has shot any
one quite recently2'
''Waal, no; not since week ago Fri
day. that | can recollect on"
This was carefully noted down by a
stout, fat gentleman, who appeared to
be all ears, and looked as though he
might be an English tourist.
''Well, don't the authorities make any
attempt TOTO restrict his amusement
Authorities? Guess not; why he's
Sheriff himself of this county, and since
he shot the last Judge for filming HIM for
contempt of court when he shot lawyer
that had the impudence to say that a
| fellow the Sheriff had taken in for steal,
| ing horse was not the right man, there
hasn't been anybody felt like taking his
place"
Then he rose and joined his bloody
named companion.
DO you know these menu" asked the
Neaos man of quiet looking stockman,
who had got on at the same station.
"Know them? Well, yes, I've known
them for few weeks. since they came
from the East, and | hired them to look
after flock of sheep, but I've had to let
them go because they were afraid to
leave the ranch on account of the In
dians-in their minds"