Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-03-20
A COWBOYS EXPLANATION.

II w HUO INl LHVn lUli
"a fellow by the name of PurcellP
Yes, | knowed him. Say, yer're got
warrant ter sarve on him? Sarve
paper on Purcell. stranger? Well if
you've got time to tarry, guess [ can
tell yer mo- erbeout Purcell than most
any man in the country. Not that [
was what ye'd call hibernate with him
he warn't hibernate with nobody,
Purcell warn't, but | seen a right sm art
Nv him an had 'casion ter know HIM
purity well.
''Set down, stranger. That's right,
git out yer cigar an light up; seems
like yer'll be socherble-lookin' a smok-
in. Well, erbout Purcell. When he
first came out here he got job a
herdin' cattle for ole Berry Hickman.
| heard the boys a-talkin' about Hick-
mans cowboy, an' what a tenderfOot
he was, but he'd been here nigh on terra
month fore | knowed him. The fust
time | seed him was over thar at Rock
ett's sto'. In them days twarnt moth
in more than saloon. Thar used ter
be drinkin' an playin' goin' on thar
from mornin' 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
to take keer Nv me. Well, | was over
ter Rockets one night a-playin' a
hand with Tom Dorkins, and Monk
Morrison, an jim Townsend. We
was all of us mighty nigh strapped,
an stakes was at purity low ebb, so
we warn't taken so powerful much in
terest in the game. Purity soon tall
Teller. kinder pale-faced and sad-look-
in, with heavy beard on his face.
come in the saloon He didn't speak
to any of the boys, but went over an
TUX a seat in the corner by the stove.
That's Purcell, ole Hickman's dude
cowboy, said Dorkins, er treadin' on
my foot.
Il glanced over at the teller now an
ergin es he sot there by the fire. him
a-sayin' nothin' ter nobody an nobody
sayin' nothin' ter him. Be an by he
went over ter the bar an bought a
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. Arter good long spell he
got up an went out. Every night
a'rter that he ulster come in an set
down by the fire an read. Some of
the boys took ter watchin' him an said
he allus read the court news fust, an
sometimes he'd Git Police Gazette.
Yer see, we was all purity hard cases
purity socherble like-an we warn't
ulster fellers that warn't hand an glove
with us, an so we didn't know what
ter make of Purcell a-settin' thar so
still like.
BY an by one night, when the fell
lers was on er big carouse, some nv
'em got ter guyin' Purcell. He sot
mighty still and quiet like never
notain' 'em. Finally one NV 'em, l
b'lieve twas Jim Townsend, axed him
ter take er drink.
mo, l thank yer sir, Purcell ans
wered. i never drink
We'll, yer'll never learn any
Younger Jim said, an goin' over tel
the bar he got er full glass an TUX il
over ter Purcell. Jim was so full his.
self that he did not know how tel
stan up steady. Coin up close he
held the glass high over Purcell's head
Nov, Mr.. Teetot'ler, will ye1
drink?n he said.
mo said Purcell, smilin'.
with that Jim turned the glass
er round quick an suddint, er slappin
the liquor square into Purcell's face.
Take it that way, then, yer blamed
fool he said.
"Quickerin' l kin tell yer Purcell
sprung ter his feet, whipped out hi:
six-shooter an had Jim kivered, Hi:
face was pale as death; his black eye
shone like Goals of fire. | never seer
nothin' like it before nor since. W.
was all a-standin' thar eXpectin' ever,
mint to see Jim shot down. an thai
warn er one NV us but what would Ell
said he oughter been. Jim was 81
skeered when he seen Purcell had the
drop on him that it sobered him.
''tShoot, man, an he done with it!
he said, low an steady like.
''Suddintly thar came a shot an
when the smoke cleared away we seer
that Purcell had put er hole through
the ceiling.
go he said ter jim; 4 give you
yer life.'
The crowd made way fer him tie
pass, an he strobe through an out e
the house before one Nv us coult
speak.
We'll, arter that thar was goo,
deal of talk about Purcell. Thar wa
them as said he was COW ward, but
tole 'em that they neenter try tel max
me blieve that er man es could lool
like that man looked was er coward
So | tux ter noticin' him purity clos
after that. | seen he warn't socherble
SO never pestered him. l axed Hick
man er bout him an he said he like
him mighty well.
'1t jist seem like he was allus on tn
lookout to do somethin' fer somebody