News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-01-03
LIFE AMONG THE COWBOYS.
VEBY EXCITING SCENES AT DANCE
IN AN IDAHO TOWN.
One Man Shot Dead and Four Wounded
Sending Bullets Through the Bass ViOI-
Startling Experience of 81 Stranger who
Did Not KNOW the Objection of SILK Hats.


other night, says an Idaho letter. and
the survivors have been around to-day
making a 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 a cowboy dance
are, as rule, quite as interesting and
fully as dangerous to life and limb as the
dance itself, and for that reason it may
be well to describe some of the Incidents
of the day preceding the opening soiree
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 q travel
ing man arrived in town. Some of the
old heads expected trouble the minute
he appeared, for the boys were in a
humorous mood, and ready for any sort
of fun. The travelling man went to the
tavern and did not show himself again
until about o'clock, when he was spied
walking down the street wearing a silk
hat. Cold chills ran up the backs OF
the ancient citizens, and the tavern
keeper, with view to save the mans
life, started after him to give him the
word, but before he could overtake 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 no idea of its significance. He
stopped in a little store for q 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 in single file and
resumed their march; gathering recruits
at almost every step, 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 iewelry
store, pretending that he wanted to set
his watch. The boys came to halt on
the sidewalk and faced the store. The
jeweler, whose stock consisted princi-
pally Of revolvers and other shooting
irons, looked inquisitively at his caller
and then at the throng in front. Think
ing it good opportunity to say some
thing, the travelling man observed:
''Ycu have a nice town here, but can
you tell me why these men are following
me around?"
81 can," said the storekeeper Iaconi-
cally; ''they're after that hat"
"What hat ?"
''That plug. They don't allow 'em
here, sir. Never been here before ?"
"Never," gasped the man.
"Well. now, look here" said the jew
eler. ''The Logs are little full of fun
to-day, and they might make things un-
comfortable for you. I'll just escort
you up to the hotel and introduce you
to some of them as my friend. Then
you put that hat away and don't wear it
any more"
Thanking the ieweler, the stranger
walked out arm-in-arm with him, the
boys falling in behind and following
them to the hotel. On entering the
barroom the ieweler called one Of the
boys to one side and said: ''This is Mr..
B, a friend of mine from the States. +"
The "boy'' seized him by the hand with
grip that brought tears to his eyes,
and said:
''Tll take turpentine."
Others crowded up and were intro
duced, each one smiling a sickly sort of
smile, but looking unforgivingly at the
hat. All agreed that they would have
to have something, and quietly urged
the stranger toward the bar, on which
the innkeeper had placed the bottle aud
glasses the minute the first speaker had
nominated his medicine" When once
they were arranged in front of the bar,
with glasses in hand, the hat suddenly
slipped from the head of its wearer. as
sisted by a cowboy in the rear, and in
less time than it takes to tell it, ring
was formed around the offending article
and a score of revolvers were blazing
away al it. The terrified traveller
stepped to one side with his new found
friend, aud was met with the comfort
ing remark:
''lt's a mighty good thing for you that
you got onto me, for in ten minutes
more those chaps would have been firing
at that hat on your head. They wouldn' t
have taken the trouble to knock it off.
They would have shot it off, and you
would have been lucky if you had es-
capped with whole skull, for some of
the boys are wild in their shooting"
While the boys were still holding high
carnival over their drinks and the hat a
hard blocking customer, whom few in the
crowd appeared to know, came in, and,
elbowing his way up to the bar, seized
the bottle and took a long pull from its
nozzle, di5daining to use glass. One
of the boys made profane remark to
the effect that the newcomer was hog
from Hogsville and teetotaIly unfit to
associate with gentlemen. Quicker than
flash the man known as Babe Will
liams, had his self-cocking revolver
raised and ready for business
''Take that back p he roared to the
cowboy who had insulted him.
"Never!" said the latter with an
oath.
Interest in the proceedings was reviv-
ing. The rest of the boys stood around,
their faces revealing the enthusiasm
which they felt.
Williams was very much in earnest.
With finger on trigger he yelled: "Tll
give you one minute to take that back.
The cowboy stood with folded arms, I'M
moved, his gray eyes fixed on his
enemy. There was a huge revolver in
his belt, but movement of the hand to-
ward the weapon meant death.
81 am not afraid of you," he said.
"You can't kill me without killing your
self at the same time"
"How's that ?" asked Williams.
because there's man behind you
who has got the drop on you, and
when"
Before the cowboy finished the SEN
tence Williams had turned quickly on
his imaginary foe in the rear, and with
q movement like lightning the cowboy
had his revolver in hand and was firing
lead into Williams in a way that seemed
very wasteful to say the least, for the
first shot pierced his brain and must
have killed him instantly. No idea of
the rapidity with which this was done
can be given in any mere narration of
the fact. It was done and over with like
a flash, and as the boys ranged themselves
alongside the bar once more, the dead
man lying at their feet, there was gen.
oral inquiry if any more men were pres
mt who wanted to drink from the bottle.
HaDpY Moment,