Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-03-27
A COWBOYS EXPLANAT TON.

"A fellow by the name Of PURCELL
Yes, / knowed him. Say, yer're got
a warrant ter sarye on him? Sarye a
paper on Purcell, stranger? Wei. if
you've rot time to tarry, | guess ! can
tell yer mo erbeout Purcell than most
any man I'D the country. Not that |
was what we'd call hibernate with him
he warnt hibernate with nobody
Purcell waru't but | seen right smart
nv him an had 'casion ter know HIM
purity well.
Set down, stranger. That's right
git out yer cigar an light up; seems
Ike yerll be socherble-lookin a smok-
in Wen, erbout Purcell. When he
first came oat here he rot a job a
herdin' cattle for ole Berry Hickman.
| heard the boys a-talkin' about Hick-
mans cowboy, an what n tenderlo0t
he was. but he'd been here nigh on terra
month fore | knOWed him. The fust
time / seed him was over thar At Rock
etts -to'. In them days twarnt moth
in more than saloon. Thar used ter
be drinkin an payin' goin' on thar
from moruin' till night an | was over
thar myself purity frequent in them
DAYS. Yer see, stranger, twas fore
married an had a wife an little un
10 take keer NV me. Well, / was over
ter Rockett's one night a-playin' a
hand with Tom Dorbins, and Monk
Morrison, an Jim Townsend. We
was AN of MS mighty nigh strapped
an stakes was at "a purity low ebb, 50
we Warut taken so powerful much in
terest in the game. Purity soon tall
Teller, kinder paie-taced and >ad-look-
I'M. vitha heavy beard on his face
come in the saloon. lie didn't speak
to any OF the boys but went over an
TUX "a seat In the corner by the stove.
"That- Purcell ole Ilickmau's dude
cowboy. said Dorkns. er treadiu' ON
my foot
IL glanced over at the Teller NOW an
ergin es he sot there by the fire, him
a-saEin' nothin' ter nobody an nobody
savia' nothin' ter him. BY an by he
went over ter the bar an bought
newspaper. an went back an sot down
an read erlong, jest as calm like. same
es If he'd a-been AT home in his own
liberty. After a good, long spell he
got up an went out. Every night
a rter that he lister come in an set
down by the fire an read. Some of
the boys took ter watchin' him an said
ne allus read She court news fust AM
sometimes he'd cit q Police ti9.s''t.
Yer see, we was all pucty hard eases
purity socherble ljke-an' we wlw.t
ulster feliers that warn hand an glove
with us. an so we didn't know what
ter make of Purcell a-settin thar SO
still like.
by am by one night when the tel-
lers was ON er big carouSe. some NY
EN- got ter guyiu Purcell. lie sot
mighty still and quiet like, never
notAiu EN-. FINALLY Que ny EN- !
b'lieve twas Jim Townsend. aXed h.m
ter take or drink.
NO. | thank yer sir, Purcell ans
wered. i never drink.
well. yeru never learn any
Younger. jim said, am goin over ter
the bar he rot er full glass an TUX 10
over ter Purcell. Jim was so full his
self that he did not know how ter
stan mp steady. Coin up close he
held the glass high over Purcells bead.
'Now, Mr. Iectotier viii yer
driuk? he said.
."No. said Purcell smilin'.
"With that jim turned the glass
er round quick an suddiut er slappm
the liquor square into Purcelfs face.
Take i that way, then. Yer blamed
fool he said,
"Quickerin' / kin tell yer Purcell
sprung ter his feet whipped out bis
six-shooter am had Jim ki9ered Ills
face was pale as death; bis black eyes
shone like coal, of fire. ! never setn
nothin Ike it before nor since. We
was alI a-staujiu thar eNpectiu' every
mint TO see Jim shot d0wu am GUAR
warn er one nv US but what would ar
said he oughter been. jim Wa So
skeered when he seen Purcell had the
drop on him that il sobcrud him
shoot man au' We done with NJ
be said. low an steady like.
"Suddintly thar came 9 shot an
when the smoke cleared away We seen
that Purcell had put er hole through
the ceiling
Go. he said ter Jim; ] give You
yer life.