Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1888-05-19

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Who are you, anyhow" The large man
was evidently very angry. He held the
knife in his left hand, and with his right
drew heavy revolver, which he pro-
ceeded to level at the stranger.
"Throw up your hands, quick" shout
ed the latter. But the fellow did not
hear this warming. Click, went the
hammers Of the pistols. 1t was ques-
ton of quarter now. Bang.
went one of the revolvers-the stran.
ger's-and the big man fell-dead.
Then there was a momentary silence,
followed by some queer calculations
dead as a Injin.' ''Sarved him right ~
Strangers plucky IN :" "Be ewti-
full shot ~ "Who air you, stranger,
anyhow"
"Boys, said the new arrival, when at
last he had chance to speak, "this is a
sort of business that 1 am not fond of.
Sometimes it is necessary, though, as II
has been tonight. am sorry; but let's
say no more about it. Ipay the funeral
expenses and answer all questions.
You want to know who l am! Well,
I'm preacher; and there'll be preach
ing in this room, with the Landlords S
permission, next Sunday morning at 10
o'clock"
1t was a strange introduction for a
preacher, but it was perhaps the best
one he could have had in that wild
place. Anyway, the respect of these
rough miners was lastingly secured, and
from that time on he grew i'll favor as a
man and preacher.
In those old coach days there was one
serious drawback to travelling between
Denver and George Washington Gulch
the road was infested by small but
hitherto invincible band of desperadoes,
under the leadership of regular dare
devil known as kansas" This man
"Kansas" had attacked and robbed the
coaches fifteen or eighteen times within
six months; and though he had never
been known to he accompanied by more
than three confederates, his band was
the terror Of the stage drivers and their
passengers. Once the proprietors of
the stage line had organized posse of
IutU, WIZ
search of Kansas and his crew; but the
outlaw remained at large; and within q
week lightened coach of $1,000 worth
Of silver ingots.
Late in the evening of summer day,
when, with the exception of a party of
gamblers at the Sample Rooms" all
the citizens of the Gulch were soundly
sleeping, a solitary horseman rode up to
the unpretentious shanty which did duty
for a parsonage. 1t was nothing but a
two-rOomed hut, rudely constructed and
roughly furnished. On this occasion
the parsonage" was in sole charge of
All Wing, a "heathen Chinee," who
acted as Parssn Jim's cook and chamber
maid. All Wing was himself perchance
in some Chinaman's paradise, for his
sleepy features, usually utterly void Of
expression, were illumined by a yellow
smile. The parson was off, as he fire.
quently was, on trip down the valley,
and the parsonage, being well removed
from the main portion of the settlement,
was seldom visited during his absence.
The dreaming Celestial was therefore
much surprised, and indeed frightened,
when he was awakened from his slumber
by q violent hammering at the barred
door. He cautiously drew back the
wooden bolt and peered out into the
warm, starlight night. Close to the
door he beheld stalw art man, with long
black hair and a heavy moustache, hold
ing in one hand the bride of large
horse, while on his left arm ne carried a
girl--evidently dead or in fainting con-
dition.
"Where is the parson!' asked the
stranger in firm but quiet voice.
"Parson Jim he 60 way muchee; he
no come home till Sunday" replied the
surprised Chinaman.
"Well, hold my horse, and hold him
tight. This young woman is very sick,
and I'm going to lay her on the parson S
bed"
He entered the room, and tenderly
laid his burden on the camp cot which
Parson Jim used for a bed. Then he
tore Ay-leaf from an old book which
he saw lying around, and produc ng a
short end of pencil from his pocket,
wrote hastily and somewhat clumsily a
few words.
"See here" he said to the Cinnamon,
as he stepped TO the door, give this
piece of paper to the parson as soon as
he returns. This young lady is hurt a
little and frightened a great deal, and
she has tainted. Pretty soon she Will
come around. When she does see that
you take good care of her, you yellow
skinned, white ivered duck. Perhaps
you'll behave yourself all the better if 1
tell you nv name is Kansas.
The Chinaman perceptihly trembled
as he heard the dreaded name, but said
nothing, and the handsome stranger
sprung to his horse and rode away.
All Wing quietly surveyed his new
charge, snd saw that she was a yellow
haired, fair complexioned girl of per
haps Is or is years, slender, and evil
IDENTIFY unused to work of any kind. The
Chinaman faithfully kept watch all
night, and noticed that the girl passed
gradually from her faint into an easy
slumber. -