Morris tribune., 1886-12-22
THE CONTRACTOR DIED GAME.

Ono OF the Compact Little Komances OF
the Great and Growing West.
It was out in Arizona. An outfit had
come on to do some work ON the new bar
racks at the fort, and they were an or
merry set, you bet. They were getting
@. so . day, and when orders came out
from headquarters to rush things ut the
post they up and struck for 81, after
every man of them had signed an agree
ment to work for 50. 80. The contractor
mounted his mustang and rode over to
where the gang was hanging out. L
happened to be over there when he came
up.
whats the row here!" says he.
1--WE can't work for no So. So" says the
leader.
"What do you mean by that?'
1--WE want a.
''Struck, have you? Struck? Get to
work, every blanked one of you. The
first man that says strike to ME I'll let
daylight into him!'
II say strike" says the red haired, red
shirted, ugly mugged leader, IAN If
there's any shootin' going on, I'm here"
That wasn't my day for being in the
target biz, and Topped fiat as pancake
man-but he had only one shot in his
gun.
ip!-zip!-zip!-zip!-
The red shirt was down at the first
shot, with his "seven-up" out just as he
struck the gravel
Up he hoisted on his left elbow; then
he banged away, while the contractor did
some lively lodging; that was the last
three zips.
The red shirt rolled over, and the con-
tractor asked me if there was any doctor
around. / said, Eyes, over at the quar-
ters."
''He got that last one into me sure;
let's see that doc"
We went over and found the surgeon.
1 got the contractor on my bed, skinned
Off his clothes, washed away the blood,
and the surgeon probed him. 1t was a
bad hole in the left lung.
~ reckon it's an ugly one, doc9 Dead
sure thing, eh9 Yes? I thought 80.
How long have gotta"
It was / O'Clock then.
you'll last till evening"
THAT'S all right. But did fetch him?"
"Dead as door nail"
"I'm blanked glad that blankety
blanked blank is fixed"
He wanted me to take charge of the
E%O,VVV ALI BoAO AclcS Al AlS Uc4t tUU WClLS
to his brother.
After that he called for q square drink
and got 1t. Next he must have the to-
niest cigar in the camp. The surgeon said:
eyes, 1t didn't make no difference"
got real Havana. He smoked away at
+ It slow and comfortable like, and when
the cigar was played he expressed his
satisfaction that everything was lovely,
passed q few more compliments about
that red headed blankety blank who was
fixed, then he quit; but he was game,
| though, you bet.
The really curious thing was that
when we sent on that red haired striker
there was just that one hole in him, and
that was plumb through his heart. How
he hoisted onto that off arm of his'n and
set that contractor lodging them three
shots beat the whole outfit-coroner's
inquest, post surgeon, and me. But he
did-I'll swear to that-and I'll swear
that contractor miscalculated the last
dodge, somehow, and made connection
that way with kingdom come. 1 wrote
to that brother of his'n as per request,
and he wrote back rs how the contractor
had killed three men before the last
matinee, and that he chad always told
him he'd run plumb ag'in' pill some
day il he want BANKED careful like. 1"
Yes, it was touching letter. Did the
strikers 60 to work for 3.50? You can
just gamble on it Stranger.-Noah Count
in brakes Magazine.