Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-17

weapons. But 1t was clear IN an instant
that if their relations were formal they
were not unfriendly, and that the Captain
had not discovered Joe's identity. In fact,
we afterwards learned. he took the col
lector for a sheriff of one of the lower
counties who had more than local reputa-
ton, gained in desperate battle with a
desperate with axes as weapons. ! took
care not to show myself until the men
went to bed, and then imagine my
surprise when learned that the landlord
had assigned them not only to the same
room, but to the same couch. Luckily
Twas given share in the room next theirs !;
my companion was sleepy, and there were
cracks in the partition, so that had no diff
Guilty in finding out what was going on next
door. The moonlight streamed in, showing
both men in bed By the head Of each was
a stack of deadly weapons, but the room
mates were evidently getting acquainted
amicably enough. The Captain was telling
some story illustrative of his prowess with
bowie Then Joe took his turn, and re-
lated the CORY details of little ARRAY OF
honor settled with axes and a funeral
"' alters prefers axes, SIR l heard Joe
say. They never misses. Now, you can hit
a man with knife and button may turn
the point, but axes, SIT, did you ever hear OF
a button turning an axe, sir.'
''But the Captain was ready with an Incl.
dent in which the knife figured most prom
inently, and then branched off into an ac-
count of a journey of his into louisiana,
which had been attended with considerable
miscellaneous slaughter. Joe countered
with a tale of an enjoyable visit he had had
to California, where he had in one day shot
a gambler, gouged the eyes out of miner
and broken the neck of tenderfoot with
blow. Of course the Captain responded in
kind, but he was perceptibly weakening,
and the difficulty he described had led to
but two homicides. Joe was beginning an
other novelette, which promised well, when
he interrupted himself by suddenly rising
up in bed, pulling his trousers from
a chair, and fumbling in one Of the pockets.
Then he began to bewail his luck. 1t was
his invariable custom, he explained, to dig
out the bullets from the bodies of such vic
tins as he shot and keep them in a certain
pocket This should now contain eight, but
as he could find only seven one had evident
ly been lost. However, he was somewhat
comforted by the remembrance that the
morrow promised to replace his treasure,
as he had promised some mercantile
lIISl1uS VI las " ClIllcG COIlSCO q llbllc ucUL
or make their claim one against an estate.
"'Whatp gasped the Captain, 'aint you
Sheriff.
's'No, SIR quoth Joe, Pm going to call on
a party, sir, they call Captain Jim. They
say he loves sport, sir, and if you'll come
with me you'll see some fun. By the way,
if you know this 'ere Captain, Just tell me
what kind of a loolzin' chap he is, will yous'
II did not hear the reply, for justthen the
landlord rushed in to tell me that my horse
had hurt himselfin the barn and was in a bad
way. Half an hour passed before l returned,
and then all was quiet in the next room,
while both its occupants were apparently
sleeping awoke the next morning to find
Joe by my bedside, with the broadcast Of
smiles on his face.
"'But the Captain! asked.
"'Oh, he's all right. He slipped out of
bed about four O'Clock this morning, woke
the landlord to tell him that he had business
in the next county, and then departed, after
leaving this envelope for me-
s,Joe handed me the envelope. It contained
money enough to meet our clam in full
''The next time l saw the Captain he
called at our store. Joe was then in South
Carolina, we told him as he bought bill of
goods
"'But he's coming backn the visitor
asked, in a thoughtful way.
"'Oh, yes, he'll be here next month";
az may as well pay cash. the Captain re-
marked, and as he did so he drew me aside
and whispered in my ear: There's one
thing been bothering my memory lately.
Was it six or seven men he killed in Cal
ifornian IN. Y. Times.