Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-05-03
THE DECAY OF THE TERROR.
The Petulant Pop of the Bad Mans Gun
Punctuates Western Peace No More.

iht ttultn IOD OI II u MAN Ouu
Punctuates Western Peace No More.
The Terror shows up once in awhile
in some of the small towns of New
Mexico, and is encountered in the cat
tie country at rare intervals, but his
occupation is gone. The march of civil
ization has been too much for him. The
onc numerous and thrifty class have
been thinned down until only a laugh
ing stock is left. | was in Cheyenne
when Speckled Tom, Big Pete or
Wild Charley used to come dancing
into a bar room with a gun" in either
hand and sing out:
Nov, then, hands upl'
Every hand went up.
"Mebbe thar's some atamount yere
thinks he can take the twist out of my
coat "tailsl'
If there was he didn't come to the
front.
Hands down"
Every hand dropped.
I'm taking up a collection fur the
benefit of Bill Jackson's wilder, and
anybody who feels like contributing
will be afforded an opportunity"
We all felt like it. Indeed, every
man was anxious to part with a dollar
Or two. l saw four Terrors killed in
that town, each one dying 9TH his
boots on, and | was giving one of them
a drink of water when he shivered,
took a long breath, and died as he
said:
Il was a-trying to git up to ten. and
hev stopped short at seven. | could
tally eight on you, but I've lost my
popper!"
l followed the Terror to Laramie,
and many an evening as l sat in the
office of the hotel he entered, with cat
like tread, and opened a sudden fusil-
lade on lamps, keyboard, ceiling and
doors, observing at the fms:
"Scuse me, gentlemen, but it's just
my way. If any of you don't happen
to like my way, please mention itl'
We always made haste to assure
him that his way vas Al, full ieweled
and extremely pleasant, and that we
should feel honored if he drank at our
expense. One night a boy from Ne
braska, who was strange to our ways,
and who had his ear parked by a bull
let, hauled out and plugged the Terror
plumb center. He expressed his sor-
row when too late. | had my coat
under the T%error's head when the death
rattle came to his throat, and he whis-
pered:
Its mighty queer isn't it, l allus
hated you fur them red whiskers, and
| had dropped i'll tonight to fill you
full of lead"
l followed the Terror up the CUM
son valley. He was getting attenuated
and losing his sand. When he had a
street row he sheltered himself behind
a post, and when he ''let go" in a sa-
loon there was a suspicious uncer-
tainty in his tones as he clicked his
guns and said:
I'm just awaiting fur some kyote
to move an eyelash or stir his tonguel"
We not only moved, but we even
ventured to offer him advice, and by
and by the day came when l turned a
corner to find him dying at my feet.
l was loosening his neck band as he
opened his eyes and said:
'Downcd by a burned bullwhacker,
who didn't know which end of his
pistol went Off
met the Terror for the last time al
Custer City. | was sitting III a saloon
when the door was kicked open witt
a great crash, and he appeared with {
revolverin either hand. He had long
hair, a big hat and a buckskin suit
He hungered for gore-not the sor
adulterated with cottonseed oil ant
warranted No. /, but the red BLOOD
fresh from the human system an(
served up in puddles on the newly
mopped floor. He whooped. HI
yelled. He cracked his heels together
He snapped his right hand gun, but i
was a cheap cartridge. He snapped
the other, but there was only a dull
click. Then a small man with a bale
head and bow legs and consumptiv'
look came out from behind a curtain
and knocked him down, and flung hi
guns into the street and whistled for
policeman. Next morning l was il
court when the Terror pleaded guilty
and added:
Your honor, l made a fool of my
self. If you'll let me Off I'll go bacl
to pushing a wheelbarrow at ten shil
lings a day"
Poor Terror. l lament his down
fall.-New York Sun.
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