The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-11-16

oe ten miles away. 1 had Just added
the wealth of California, and reduced
the ten miles to five, when Old Dick
pulled his gun and fred six shots around
the store at various objects, at the same
time uttering six blood curdling war
whoops. Not man moved. He slow
ly reloaded the revo yer, and singled
me out and came forward with extended
paw.
''Howdyr'' he growled.
''I'm cribbins, thank you"
I'm Old Dick-bad man."
Yes"
bad, very bad"
Yes
kin We fouts"
NO
That's bad Bad kentry fur Qua
ker. I'll learn ye."
Say, Dick" remarked one of the
men, .he'un hain't one of US. He'un's
stranger from the Moth"
Jim, you shet." replied the bad
man. I'm going to learn he'un how to
fout He hain't no good if 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 re-
volyer.
"Nuthin' but a squib," he grunted in
contempt. That ere couldn't send
ball through my hide. Come out
doorsf'
All of us went out. The bad man was
unsteady of hand. leg and voice, but his
brain was still fairly clear.
Now, then" he said to me, You go
over by your shop, an I'll stop yere by
the platform. When l opens fire you
must send it back as fast as We kin. but
keep enc shot in case charge ye."
l looked at the crowd, and all nod
ded to me to go, and two of them whis-
pered for me to kill old Dick if 1 could.
went. had the shelter of a corner
Of the shop. and the bad man had
barrel of salt on the platform as a
shield. He uttered whoop and open
ed fire, and every body scattered for
shelter.
Now 1 am going to frankly admit
that, as crossed the street wanted to
take leg bail up or down the street.
Ed have given an arm to be out of it.
/ didn't run because women and chill
dren were watching me, and because to
have ''flunked" would have been to
cover myself with contempt forever
after. But | want to make another
statement even more strange. 1had no
sooner reached shelter than was seized
by a ferocious desire to kill old Dick.
1t was as If he had murdered my family
and l had trailed him down. | didn't
take cover at all. owing to this
feeling, but stood at the corner
and blazed away and took his
bullets in return. But for the whis-
ky in him he would have dropped me.
As it was he planted fourbullets within
foot of my head, while put four into
the salt barrel and the fifth into his
right shoulder. He went down and be-
gan to shout, and strange exultation
came to me as | thought | had 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 doctor and got him fixed up.
and when he got his mind back he
shook hands with me in the heartiest
manner and laughingly said:
"Iank, | wouldn't have belived it.
It's the first time in twenty years I've
bin downed, an l feel shuckless about
it,
But you drove me to it
Reckon l did. Lor', but what nerve
We hev got, Never saw a Teller so
steady under fire. Shake agin. and |
want We to come up and stay week
with me-"
/ did put in three days with him. and
during that time was the one who
dressed his wound. Quite a number of
people called to hear about it. and in
each case Mrs Trasker introduced me
with:
Stranger from the Moth. an he'un
is the one who downed my old Dick in
a fair fout. Detroit Free Press.