The Osceola times., 1883-02-24
THE TERROR OF FORT WORTH.
A Dapper Little Toothpick of Man Who
Thoroughly Cowed -Four Fierce Fellows.

New Orleans Times Democrat.
Several years ago, when Fort Worth
was a wild Texas town, Dusenbery was
an exotic there. He was civilized and
cut his hair and was despised by other
men. One day dapper little Dusenbery
surprised everybody by reforming He
was in Callahan's Retreat when there en-
tered four of the most ferocious,looking
rutiians who had ever been seen in Fort
Worth. They came with clanking spurs
and fierce boards, two revolven to each
man and large bowie-knifes for lagniappe,
and they sat down to table and called
for whisky all around. A tremor ran
through the assembly. Fort Worth's
best citizens were for moment stagger-
ed. But Dusenbery never qualed. The
strangers emptied their glasses, called for
more and then, glancing Indignantly
around, they launched forth in furious
abuse of Texas and Texans, their lam
guage being garnished with that profus-
ion and ornamentation of profanity pc
culiar to the guileless cattle drover OF
those times. As they ceased Dusenbery
marched up to the table at which the
strangers sat. His flashing eyes, his
heaving breast, his five feet of towering
form reduced the spectators to speech
lessness. Even the strangers paused and
seemed impressed.
"Gentlemen,' said Dusenbery, diving
into his trowsers and bringing up an an
cient silver watch, "you have wounded
the finest feelings of my nature in your
remasks about Texas, and you must re-
tract them or-but never mind. | give
YOU five minutes to retract. Eve minutes
| to secure your safe return to home and
/ friends. Five minutes TO avoid grave
upon the lonesome plain. Five min
utes!" An awful silence fell upon the
crowd. The blood curdled in the veins
Of every Fort WORKMAN present. What
had they been treating this fire-eating
/ Terror with scarcely veiled contempt
Had they been absolutely courting death
for years ? But just then one of the
strangers recovered his power Of speech
/ and said:
"Why. stranger, If yon feel that way
about it, of course wen cut it short. We
/ didn't mean it for you or any of your
/ friends, but was Just talking ON loose
like" And with that they all four got ny
and skunk out, their six-shooters Hopping
/ feebly against their hips and their very
spurs looking drooped and weedy as they
went. With the closing Of the door
I Dusenbe-y's eve reeled in its socket
/ The excitement which had thus far held
/ him up gave way and he collapsed, fab
/ by little heap upon the floor The assem-
| bled citizens crowded around him.
"Why. Doozy, my boy, you took us all
by surprise. We never thought you were
a fighter"
didn't you"
"No. Why, don't you know those are
/ four of the worst men in the cattle busi.
ness? And We expected every minute
to see them go to shooting. Wore YOU
armed2
"Well. had a pistol for show, but
/ don't believeit was loaded, and couldn't
have fired it, anyhow"
Great heavens, man suppose they
had refused TO retract, what on earth
I would YOU have doneP'
Dusenbery stopped, looked all around
to see if anyone were passing. pulled hi
/ friends ear close down TO his lips and
/ whispered:
"'d have extended the time"