St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-28
THE SHOT DID HIM GOOD.
A Queer Story That Was Over.
heard on a Western TRAIN.

st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
The train on one of the Western rail-
roads was climbing a long and heavy
grade and was moving so slowly and
making so little bang and rattle that the
remarks of two men at the back of the
car were plainly audible. One of the
couple was doing most of the talking,
and When he grew animated in
his criticism of the character of a
person known to both as Jim" he was
led Oh to speak in this wise: You see.
Up lent jim money, but so long as had
cash in my clothes | never asked for it.
L never do when man is square, cause
l know he'll pay me when he can. But
one day was little short and [ went
into the bar and l says to jim: Gould
yOu let me have little of what you're
OWN me?' He was tight and ugly, and
began to swear and kick and jaw about
beln' struck when he hadn't only got Is
cents to his name. All right says |,
Il amt pulln' no mans leg when that's
all he's got. Some other time'll do
But he kept on a kickin' and a
swearin' and sayin' wasn'nt no friend
of his, and finally he worked himself
up to the fightin' pitch, and says he,
with a regular holler, Yer rip whack
blinkety-blank. come outside and I'll
do you up Well, wasn't lookin' for
fight, and l didn't feel like fghtin'
that day, anyhow. Had kind of
cold. So told him that l wasn't
goin' to have no quarrel. specially with
him, for l thought he'd come out all
right when he'd got rid of his quart.
But he says again, Pm gOin' to hurt
yer the first time l meet yer.' Then
the boys they took him into the back
room and | went home. But after that
L was bound to carry gun, and got
my revolver out that night Newt
mornin' he was in Ned's room at tue
boardin' house, and Ned's door bein'
open looked IN as l was on my way to
the dinin' room. Who are yer lookin'
at?' says jim, still ugly. YOU
says |. Fer what?' says he. cause
me that I'm liable to get hurt
says |. He sat down, kind of careless,
and | started on. By C., I'd only
got my back turned and l stepped into
the hall when he ups as quick as a fash
and hits me in the neck. | gave him a
good one on the jaw. Then lie closes in
and begins to bite. At that, pulls out
my gun and lets him have it. He broke
away and cantered upstairs, squealing
'Murder,' and let him have it again.
"Then didn't know what I'd done,
anu Qlui Uucu care, Out was excited
and l meandered outdoors to cOOi off.
The boys came out in minute and said
that there was no telling how much jim
was hurt; he was bleedin' and yeIlin'
considerable; and, SOS to avoid any
scenery, I'd better get over the border
and hide till he felt better. So worked
along to Seattle and got a boat
to Victoria, and Eve been up in Brit
ish Columbia for several months. He got
through it all right. and | didn't have
no. need to skip, cause it was self
defense. You've right to use gun
on any man that tries to make meal
off you. l guess. Well, sir, you've no
idea what change that scrap made IN
Jim. He don't get drunk no more, and,
he goes around talkin' decent, and he
don't bluff, and he's as steady and quiet
as sheep. What's more, he paid what
he owed me. Shootin' did him good"