The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-10-23
4 BAD, BAD NAN.


the morning it was raining, and the sky had
Shat leaden hue which means drizzling day.
Jeffers would not hear of my going on, and OBJ
served that it would be a good day for the
mountainous to come in and reveal their lead
ing traits of character.
We had scarcely finished breakfast when they
began to come in, each man mounted on a
Snule, and each man wearing @ rubber coat
by 10 o'clock there were dozen. All seemed
so have little money, but the only purchases
made outside OF whisky were pound Of wet
brown sugar and some plugs of tobacco. One
man had mule with three shoes off and the
Fourth one Gathering. AS he dismounted at
she blacksmith shop he said to the smith:
"Bill, l want you to look at that ERE mewl"
IN a-lookin', Tom," was the complacent
reply.
''Do you reckon she'll pull through the
Tinter?"
Bill picked up each foot, squinted at it like
2 Judge sizing up Witness and pulling off
She loose shoe with twist he spat three times
IN the direction of his anvil. cooked his hat
anew, and gravely remarked:
Tom. she can't possibly do it-no how
she can't"
''Shoo! Billp'
"Cant do it, for Shore Nevis is nevis.
Ii she was elephant she might but she's
mewl, an afore spring them feet will wear off
crar up to the jints. Got to hev shoes on,
Tom"
"Shoo! That's what reckoned. Is shoes
cheaper?'
''Skeercely.
.'Shoo! heard they was. Kin ye make it
60 bits, Bill? ?"
'Wuth that for iron, Tom, Six bits ar tho
lowest"
"Wall, dod rot her ole WALLER hide, I'll see
about it afore night! II ye hev a Niger, he
wants clothes, an if We hev mewl he wants
shoes, am he'll take 'ticular pains to kick agin
every rock he comes to. It's all wrong, boys,
an sometimes 1 feel like lettin myself loose
and kickin' sumbody.'
There were ten of us in the store, and was
listening to the story of union man who gui-
ded party OF refugees over the mountains
into Kentucky, when great clatter was heard
out doors, and somebody said that old Dick
Trasker had "arriv." Next moment he came
sn. He was man So years old. SIX feet high,
weighing ECO pounds, and was the specimen
bad man OF the four counties. He didn't look
st. He had a smile on his face, largo blue
eyes, and child would have gone to him in
preference to any other man in the store. But.
81 he didn't look it he acted it. His first move
ment was to drink common tumbler even
5ull of moonshine whisky. AS he set the glass
.down he wiped his mouth on the back Of his
hand, surveyed each one of US in turn, and
&nally growled:
''A cursed mean day."
One or two replied, but all others were silent
Old Das was i'll ugly mood armed with knife
and revolver, and was evidently looking for
psictim. Not another man was armed and there
was the display of nerve which those noun
sain men are celebrated for. Not man
attempted to flatter OF conciliate. Not
a man attempted to sneak out doors. They
were helpless, to a certain extent, but were as
cool as icicles.
Old Dick called for and put doown two more
drinks. and each one of them large enough to
befuddle o weak man in five minutes, While
he had his back to the crowd Jeffers whispered
80 me:
"Look cut for him. Ar ye heeled ?"
eyes, got my revolver"
''Then git the drop on him. Plug him right
through the head or HEARTH
'But heavens, man, can't shoot person
down that way. He hasn't even spoken to me
get"
"Wall, keep yer eye on him and if he makes
move let him have it,
began to figure. began to add up the
wealth of the Astors, Vanderbilts, Goulds and
Knickerboclers and feel that I would give
every dollar of it TO be ten miles away. had
Gust added the wealth of California, and re-
duced the ten miles to five, when old Dick
pulled his gun and fired six shots around the
store at various objects. ct the same time ut
!Sering six blood curdling war-whoops. Not a
man moved. He slowly reloaded the revolver,
and singled me out and came forward with ex-
Gended paw.
"Howdy!" he growled.
"Im crbbns, thank you"
''Im Old Dick-bad man."
eyes"
Bad, very bad"
s,Kin ye fout?"
''That's bad. Bad .kentry fur Quaker. I'll
searn ye.'
"Say, Dick" remarked one of the men,
''he'un hain't one of US. Ho'uns stranger
from the moth"
Jim. you shetl replied the bad man. "I'm
going TO learn heun how to fout. He hain't
no good il he can't"
Three Or four men winked at me to humor
the old man, and when he asked if L was
armed showed him my revolver.
"Nuthin but squib!" he grunted in con-
sempt. THAT ere couldn't send ball
through my hide. Come out doors!'
All Of rs went out. The bad man was un-
steady Of hand, leg and voice, but his brain
was still fairly clear.
Now them lie said to me, "you go over by
youn shop, an I'll stop yere by the platform.
When opens fire you must send it back as
fest as we kin, but keep one shot in case 1
charge ye."
looked at the crowd, and all nodded to me
to 90, and two Of them whispered for me to
Kill Old Dick il could l went. 1 had the
ahelter of corner of the shop, and the bad
man had barrel of the platform as a shield.
He uttered whoop and opened fire, and
everybody scattered for shelter.
Now I'm going to frankly admit that as 1
crossed the street wanted to take leg bail up
or down tho street. I'd have given an arm to
be out of it. didn't run because women and
children were watching me, and because to
have "funked" would have been to cover my
self with contempt forever after. But want 10
make another statement even more strange l
had no sooner reached shelter than was seized
with ferocious desire to kill old Dick. TWAS as
If he had murdered my family and had traed
him down. didn't take cover at all, owing to
1his feeling, but stood at the corner and blaZed
away and took his bullets in return But for
the whisky in him he would have dropped me.
AS it was no planted four bullets within a foot
OF my head, while put four into the salt bar
rel and the fifth into his right shoulder He
went down and began to shout, and strange
exultation came to me as l thought hal
KILLED him. The wound, aided by the whisky
in his stomach, made the bad old man baby
and he actually cried. We sent OFF for doc
Tor and got him fixed up, and when he got his
mind back he shook hands with me in the
heartiest manner and laughngly said:
"Yank, l wouldn't hev believed it. It's the
first time in twenty years I've bin downed, an
J. feel shuckless about it,"
''But you drove me to it,"
"Reckon did. Lor', but what nerve ye hey
4 got Never saw Teller so steady under fire.
Shake again, and want We to come up and
stay a week with me-"
/ did put in three days with him, and during
that time l was the one who dressed his wound
e IL. IA. 4