Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-16
Tine DEADLY r'sULT.

THE DEADLY EsCLT.
I noticed several of the girls giggling,
and not all pleased at the idea that /
was furnishing them another instaiment
Of free amusement, | walked up TO one
Of them and asked for her ticket
s'liave'nta ticket. guess" she SAID.
leave thor gal alone ! roared an
angry voice from the doorway before l
could say anything more. | looked III
The direction from which the command
came. The provincial Californian was
angry. Several specimens were pushing
forward into the hall uttenng oaths ana
angry exclamatlons.
Eyes, leave our gals alone J ~ shouted
one of the foremost. Get outer here,
quick, now
| motioned to the string band, and it
broke out into sound again,
ave ain goin' terpay fer no dancin,
said one OF the men in the throng that
Inv this time had gathered around me.
"Shows allus give us their dancin' fer
nothin'. Guess you'd better glt, gol-
dnrned quick, er some Of them feiiers by
the door'll--" ,..
Then the speaker turned to his part
ner. and ION went the dance, the more
neeceable and sober of the men evident
~ determined to "let Joy be uncon-
fined"
The least sober Of the crowd had re-
manned bv the door talking angrily over
my astonishing impudence in requesting
payment ] held u consultation with
nv leading people, and We decided to
abandon the attempt. Then we started
for the door. As We approached the
little crowd Of malcontents we were met
with curses.
LET the ladies 60, boys, but get a
rome fer Their feller that wanted the gas
to pay fer ther dancin'," said one blg
miner.
I Nv leading lady heard the remark;
I She saw a man reel out OF the prlnclpal
| entrance, bound on the errand suggest,
ed. Fortunately the acrobats rope had
been removed, and the messenger did
not search for another one. The crowd
onened little to let my star pass, but
( sbe tnrned and drew me back. The
others of our company closed in, too.
/ ."Ihev won't hurt us. These Cail-
I fornians never harm women, sad she.
I eli Won don't go nowyou will never get
ont OF this hall alive"
( She had lived In California for many
wears and knew the temper OF the .peeo-
DIe. / knew, too, that she was night.
Rpt il would be cowardly, thought, TO
sneak ont under a woman's shlrts, as II
were, and refused. -, u
II have my revolver" / said. IL II
comes to fight | can. perhaps, DO as
much shooting as anybody else ana
reach the hotel, You so on with the
rest of the ladies and I'll follow wheh
YOU are out OF pistol shot =,
al won't go without You, she SAD
simply, and her husband, the leading
man Of our company, echoed the words.
There was not coward among us.
Every member of the company-threee
other women and four manufactured
their intention Of sticking by me.
elf Won will come now and with Us
Won will probably escape without blood
shed. f" said my leading man. III the
ladies go alone we men must remain ana
back you up, and this crowd Will mol
hesitate to attack US then
at did not feel afraid. l was excited
and as 1 cooked my revolver and trans
ferred il to my coat pocket l rather
vearned for an excuse to use It, But the
, force of nv leading mans remark struck
me. and Il moment later we again
started for the door. The leading lady
our startled the way. The crowd
parted before her, but closed in upon
her and the low. comedy man who fol
lowed. There was rush, some one
etruck sayagely at me, but the blow
} glanced oil. and then the swaying Grove
hemmed rs in corner. We were stu
together. L nearly in the centre OF ny
! companions. A chair was lying AZ my
feet. sprang upon it. Three reVoiVer'
T were raised in the crowd.
THE SAVING SPEECH.
. "Don't shoot, you fellows" l cried IL
! q natural voice. and the barrels wer
: lowered. "Let's hear what he has te
> saw" shouted man at the back OF tn
, room.
The music had ceased, the dancing
a was suspended, and some OF the girls Il
. the room were evidently neryous.'
saw that my only chance OF escape wa
q TO reverse the sentiment against me an
win over the sober men to my side.
a delivered cowboy stump-spcech, he
= sprinkled with slang that l had pickle
!, np while ranohing, and endeavored t
impress my auditors with sense OF tn
Injustice OF killing man because he ha
unsuccessfully tried to get his own.
v must have succeeded. for when
q ceased several voices counselled peacs
' A few urged the contrary. Discusslo
q became controversy. AZ many were fo
-. Vha to~sx> A. swapa uaarel