Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-10-29

crowned and shut close his mont, -
clinched bis hands. These were o,,.; "uu
signs IN Mr.. Heroes, and even Denva.
Pete, redoubtable knight of the orssn
ciotn as no was, would have done weIl -
have needed them; had he known vonns,
herries better he might have done so
ror her hes had stalked back to the bril-
iiantiy hg ated oarroom, and had called for
glass OF whisky, the while he oardad
KNOT oil men near by who were conyersipg
IN low tone. Among these men was the
gambler against whom Herries had been
warned handsome, pale faced, tall. slen-
ger man, dressed with great neatness in
oiack, ana without single ornament Wis
lole-not even the belt which nearly evar,,
man wore He had a small keen bnny
looking gray eye, and as he looked AT H..
ries he met the latter's gloomy oIar.
smiled and turned to his friends with ~.
remark: "''n 'he
The kid seems worried about sope,b;,.
| wonder if by any chance he has over
heard usf" ''' o'er
Guess not-he jest come in a n;nnta
ago." ii'h u'e
perhaps perhaps" muttered Petar
but we will soon know"
Events move quickly in frontier towns
AS Herrles finished his whisky and banged
the door behind him, Peter arose from bis
seat. Ai'
His friends also sprang up, but he made
gesture of dissent.
NO, boys. Leave this to me. IfIcan,t
deal with one tenderfoot certainly won,t
call in aid i" "0A
But he might git the drap on ye,n per-
sisted one
Peter shrugged his shoulders and deiened
no reply. He walked to the bar, called for
and swallowed a large glassful of brandy.
winch draft did not even bring a flush to
his pale cheek, opened the door and was
lost In the darkness of the night.
About two hours later the inmates of the
Rough Diamond were startled by hearing
snots' cries, oaths, the heavy laundering
Oh morse hoofs on the rocky soil Of the
mesa and then long, loud "hurra-a-h."
Then all was silent.
As one man they sprang to their feet and
rushed for the door, but ere the foremost
man among them could reach it, it was
burst violently open and old Ramon rushed
in, followed by Pete, from Denver, who.
swaying and staggering like drunken
man, called for brandy, and then came to
the floor with a crash that shook the win
dows.
A babel Of voices prevented an explaua-
ton for long time, and when Peter had
somewhat revived he told them what had
happened.
Where's Chiquitaf" some one asked.
A spasm of wrath convulsed the features
of the dying man.
Gone" he gasped; gone with that
cursed enierfoot"
"How did it all happen, Peter"
he was there when | got there. Chi
quita was all dressed and ready to 60 off
with him-womanlike, curse heri He saw
me coming. His horse was there. He
waited for me. Oh, the fellow was game
enough. ] said nothing, but opened on
him. The girl being there must have
made me nervous, for l missed my man
for the first time"
And thens"
why, be pumped me full of lead before
could pull trigger Hit me five times.
Then he mounted and swung the girl up
In front of him. Old Ramon came up and
opened on him. l got up and followed
suit. he got back at US once-his last
cartridge-and caught Ramon, for heard
him groan. Then the tenderfoot yelled
and rode off. Boys, give me big drink
Pm done for"
And when they brought the drink fast
chilling corpse was all that was left of
Peter from Denver to drink it.
And Chiquita?
Chiquita went to convent in ST. Louis,
and left there four years later a cultured
and magpificently beautiful woman. She
will be pleased to receive any Of Mr.. Her
ries' friends at her lovely home in the
Back bay district in Boston, and If you
succeed in pleasing her she will tell you Of
that awful night at Picture Canyon when
"tenderfoot" from Boston showed how
''tenderfeet" can fight when a sweetheart
Is at stake
And old Ramon2
When they looked for him he was gone.
Nor was be or Edward Herries ever seen
again in Picture Canyon.-C. J. in Atlanta
Constitution.