The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-01-30
LIFE AMONG THE COW BOYS.
VEBY EXCITING SCENES AT A DANCE
IN AN IDAHO TOWN.
One Man Shot Dead nnd Four Wounded
sending Bullets Through the Bass VOL
startling Experience ofn stranger who
Did Not Know the Objection Of Silk Hats.

Did Not Know ihe objection oil sllh HAS
The cowboys had dance here the
other night, says an Idaho letter, and
the survivors, have been around to-day
making IL mental list OF the casualties.
As cowboy dances go, the carnage was
not great, only one man being killed
and four wounded. The dead man has
already been buried, and the wounded
are all doing as well as could beexpected,
and before many days have passed will
be around as full OF life and innocent |
sport as ever.
The preparations for cowboy dance |
are, as a rule, Quite rs interesting aud
fully rs dangerous to life and limb rs the |
dance itself, and for that reason it may
be well to describe come Of the h tideuts |
Of the day preceding the opening soire5 |
Of the season. The boys gathered early |
in the day, and made several raids on
the dispensers of bugle paint Things
went smoothly enough until about the
middle OF The Afternoon, when a travel.
ing man arrived in town. Some OF tho
old heads expected trouble the minute
he appeared, for the boys were in
humorous mood, and ready for any sort
of fun. The travelling man went TO the
tavern and did not show himself again
until about 6 o'clock, when he wab spisd
walking down the street wearing u silk
hat. Cold chills rGn up the backs Of
the ancient citizens, aud the tavern
keeper, with view to save the mans
life, started after him to give him the
word, but before he could overtuke the
stranger eight or ten Of the boys had
seen him and were following him logged
ly down the street in single file. The
man with the silk hat may have noticed
the procession, but it is probable that
he had 10 idea of its significance. He
stopped in little store for a few min
! utes, and while he tarried there the
crowd on the outside increased. When
he emerged once more the boys fell into
line behind him again III single file and
resumed their march; gathering recruits
at almost every stop, until finally there
were twenty or thirty of the gang in the
procession. By this time the stranger
began to understand that something was
the matter either with him or with the
town, and he darted into little jewelIy
store, pretending that he wanted to set
his watch. The boys came to halt on
the sidewalk aud faced the store. The
jcweler, whose stock consisted princi-
pally Of reyolvers and other shooting
irons, looked inquisitiyely at his caller
and then at the throng in front. Think
ing it good opportunity TO say some
thing, the travelling man observed:
"You have nice town here, but can
you tell me why these men are following
me around?'
81 can" said the storekeeper laconi'
cally; "they're after that hat"
"What hat ?"
"That plug. They don't allow 'en
, mere, sir. Never been here bcioref"
Never" gasped the man.
"Well, now, look here, ," said the jew
eler. "The Loys are little full of ful
to-day, and they might make things un
+, comfortable for you. I'll Just escor
you up to the hotel and introduce yol
TO some Of them as my friend. Thel
you put that hat away and don't wear
). any more"
Thanking the iewe)er, the strange
walked out arm-in-arm with him, tn
3 boys falling in behind and followin
10 them to the hotel. On entering I'll
4 barroom the jeweler called one of til
boys to one side and said "This is Nj
" b, friend of mine from the States.
6 The "boy" seized him by the hand wit
A grip that brought tears to his eyes
j. and said:
:, '"I'll take turpentine.
- Others crowded up and were Intro
~ duced, each one smiling n sickly sort {
d smile, but looking uniorgivingly Mt tn
n hat. All agreed that they would hay
to have something, and quietly urge
4 the stranger toward the bar, on whlc
's The innkeeper had placed the bottle au
glasses the minute the firsrspeaker ha
"nominated his medicine" When ono
/ they were arranged in front of the bnI
n with gnsses in hand, the hat suddenl
70 slppcd from the head Of its wearer, a
ii sisted hy cowboy in the rear, and
less time than it takes to tell it. rim
" WAS formed around the offending articI
Ne and n score OF revolvers were blaain
., away nj it. The terrified travel'
STONED to one side with his new foul
r. friend. and was met with the comfor
he lt's Il mighty good thing for you tn
Q ( you got onto me, for IN ten minu'
ho more those chaps would have been fri
'0 at that hat on your head. They wouldi
m have taken the trouble to knock 1t
lei They would have shot it off, and y
would have been lucky if you had
capped with whole skull, for some
the boys are wild in their shooting
While the boys were still holding hi
ny carnival over their drinks and the hal
IN, hard d-looking customer, whom few III
W, crowd appeared to know, came In, al
ter elbowing his way up to the bar, seii
the bottle and took n long pull IRON
,or nozzle, disdaining to use n glass. I
ap- of the boys made profane remark
the effect that the newcomer was a
pie from Hogsville and teetotally unfit
l l associate with gentlemen. Quicker u
od, a ihash the man known rs Babe '
ing iams, had his sell-cocking revol
III raised and ready for business.
ent "Take that back !" he roared to
hat cowboy who had insulted him.
Ter; "NeverW said the latter with
18th OATH
rial Interest in the proceedings was re-
leir ing. The rest Of the boys stood arou
out their faces revealing the enthusi'
arm Which they felt.
ire. Willi,mS WIS very much III oarD
pill With finger ON trigger he yelled:
,rd, give YOU one minute to take that ba,
Idly The cowboy stood with folded arms,
like moved, his gray eyes fixed on
the enemy. There was a huge revolve
still his belt, but movement of the hant
5 of ward the weapon meant death.
t 80 IL am not afraid Of YOU" he f
,ries "You can't kill me without killing y
,uth self nj the same time"
"How's that ?" asked Williams.
Because there's man behind