The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-05-01
An Awful Fighter.

we're to make horseback trip through
4 portion Of the cattle country, various
individuals made applications gor sifua-
tons We Eeetlesl only a cook anil a
mau to take charge Of the bagguge, but
the applicants kept coming, and the day
before we left chap appeared who intro
duced himself rs Awful Davis
L9ok-a-here, fellers.7 he began in a
business way. want TO be counted in
on this. Indeed, its slight on me that
yeu hadn't applied for my services.
You'd have been in purity pickle to
have gone without the undersigned
When asked % exPlain what peculiar
value his services might have to Us he ut
tered a long whistle Of surprise and re-
piled
Well. you are inuOcents. and no mis-
take, Who's going to do your fighting
for you2'
As the Indians were at peace we didn't
expect any trouble.
"Oh you don't! Bless me, but what
dear, good little boys! Iniuns Nobody
said Injuns. It's the white men you've
got to look out for. You're going among
the tuffest lot in the whole world. They
are right on the fight all day and all
night. Any one Of the gang can turn
himself loose and hammer Halifax out
Of the whole Ave Of you in ten minutes" -"
He wanted to go along to do our fight
ing. He would furnish his own mule
and make the trip for dollar a day and
his keep. When asked If he had any
recommends he put on an injured air
and answered;
And you never heard Of Awful Da-
Wis. Never heard Of the man who has ~
fity-six fights. and come out on top ev-
e ~ time PuItend that you want GER
tificate Of character from a felier who
fights standing. kneeiing. OF lying on his
back, This makes me weary.
We talked it over and finally engaged
him, and when informed Of the fact he
replied
Merry well, gentleman. From this
moment you are in my keeping. just
pint out the kuss YOU want pulverized,
and I'll do the business. ! shant put
any limit on you. Tan TO fght day or
night and to lick six men day. II YOU
could bring about three or four a day for
the next week 1 should feel obliged. as
my liver is a leetle torpid and want ex-
erCise."
During the first days ride we met but
few people. One Of those was an old In
dian. lame in the left leg, and Awful
Davis halted the party and observed;
Gents, did hear any of you tell me
to lick this copper reptile ? "
None Of US had told him 50.
81 beg your pardon gents. ] want you
to understand that Pm allus on hand.
I'd ike TO git down and hammer him for
the benefit Of my liver but Of course
I'm under orders
We had pitched camp and were wait
ing for supper when cowboy rode up.
The greetings were friendly, and he got
down to have a bite with Us. He was
hardly on the ground before he saw our
Awful fighter and uttered a humph Of
disgust.
What you got thar2" he asked.
"Ue's our fighter"
Your fighter Did you bring him
along to fight anybody or anything
lie hired to US to do our fighting, but
he's had no show yet"
''WelI, III give him show Come ont
o. that, you cowardly kyote
The Awful was skulking behind the
baggage. He rose up at the command,
and the cowboy shouted at him
"Bill Wheeson, know We and owe
ye onel Come out here and earn yer
hire
Is that you. jim Phillips?" queried
our Awful as he advanced a step.
"Of course it is, you yaller cur from
the bottom landsl
" And you want to ight?"
"I want 10 show these ere gents that
you are the biggest liar and coward in
America. Come out here
"Gents, Is it your wish that produce
funeral here p asked the Awful as he
turned TO Us shall bang his feechurs
into one bloody mass-kill header'n a
beef bone with one blow
We answered that it was.
Here-tie one hand behind me-tie
both hands behind me-tie my feet to-
gether, and III hex him then howled
the cowboy.
Jim Phillips, you haven't got two
minits to exist ;" solemnly announced
the Awful. I'm comm fur We ike a
dozen cycIones billed into one Look out
now"
He spit on his hands and stepped back
to get a running start, and the next thing
we heard was the thump, bump Of his
feet as he fled afir into the darkness.
Some time duriag the night he returned
for bis mule Next morning we found
the following explanation scrawled on a
piece Of paper and stuck into a split
stick Seezed with sudent yilIness-
good BIZ"