Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1891-02-09

But there he came, as lelSurely as
though everybody was at peace with
everybody. AS he stepped on the porch,
he politely raised his hat and said =:
Good day. gentlemen. Is the land
lord here?"
"You will find him inside" said the
captain.
heard him, and was stepping to the
door when he edged himself through
the crowd and said
Are you the landlord"
eyes, sir; what can I do for you?"
''Can get dinner here, sir?:"
looked at him in perfect astOnish-
ment, but saw the captain beyond him,
who motioned me to acceed to his re-
quest. I saw the eyes of every one
looking at him and yet he did not APP
parently notice any but me. He seem
ed to notice my hesitancy and said:
''Oh. will pay you, sir. asked if
1 could get my dinner with you to-day"
Certainly, sir, certainly"
He removed his cap, inquired for the
wash-room, and followed me in, and I
noticed that he never let 60 of his gun,
not even while he was washing, though
he did not appear to notice any one. He
was certainly the coolest man ever met.
After washing he came out into the
room and took chair near that old
table. with his carbine still in his
hands. I called dinner and he, with
the rest, went into the dining room,
though he still chung to his carbine, and
took his seat at one of the tables, let
ring the carbine rest across his arm and
sitting on the floor between his feet.
CATER dinner he came out, handed
me a fifty-cent shinplaster, asked me
if that was the price, and went out on
the porch, took chair and deliberate
ly took out his pipe and tobacco, leaned
back against the building, as you are
doing now, and pulled away as though
he really enjoyed it, which no doubt he
did. Not word had he spoken, nor q
question been asked him, though [
knew several of the men, the captain
among the number. who were aching
for chance to do so. L heard several
of the men whisper the same remark of
'Thats the coolest fellow 1 ever saw
don, know anybody exists except him
self, 1 reckon"
After completing his smoke he raised
to his feet, and raising his hat to the
boys ys said: a ,,.,o,op .nd s+.r+oa
udy, SOuOlCIICIy cSLO oOol YOU
down the street which leads to Hunts
vile pike, carelessly threw his carbine
across his arm and walked off as uncOn-
cerned as ever. He had scarcely passed
out of sight before the captain called
several of his men together and told
them to follow after him and bring him
back dead or alive. Late in the after
noon the men returned empty-handed
and q Y1oQddoys thOvN
was that captain. never heard such
bitter language, and I had heard some
of it in my life.
1 learned that they had followed him
several miles, keeping out of his range
and in the shadow of the ridges which
skirt the road to Huntsville. They
said he never appeared to notice any one
yet by the way he handled that shooting
iron they knew he was not as harmless
as he looked. They were simply cowed
by his apparent fearlessness. One of
them told me that if he had only at any
time exhibited the least of fear it would
not have been so hard for them, but |
that stolid Indifference they could not
understand. He was a brave man as
they sized him up, and they' felt how
cowardly it would be in them-and |
have always thought they did not de-
sire to be singled out by him as vic
tim, though they were willing to vic
timize him.
The captain was that mad he ordered
out the whole squad and started on a
chase after the man, but after running
near the pickets at Hunt
vile, they returned without so much as
q sight of him, for which have always
been glad, though the captain has new
or forgiven himself for not taking him
when he had him in his power. Where