The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-01

frowned and shut close his mouth and
clincned his hands. These were ominous
signs in Mr.. Herries, and even Denver
Pete, redoubtable knight of the green
cloth as he was, would have done well
to have needed them; had he known
young Herries better he might have
done SO.
For Herries had stalked back to the
brilliantly lighted barroom and had
called for a glass of whisky, the while he
regarded a knot of men nea by who were
conversing III a low tone. Among these
men WAS the gambler against whom
Herries had been warned-a handsome,
pale faced, tall, slender man, dressed
with great neatness in black and with
out a single ornament visable-not even
the belt which nearly every man eore.
He had a small, keen. hungry looking,
gray eve, and as he looked at Herries lie
met the latter's gloomy glance, smiled
and turned to his friends with the re-
mark:
''The kid seems worried about some
thing. wonder if by any chance he
has overheard u.s."
"Guess not--he jest come in a minute
ago."
"Perhaps-perhaps," muttered Pete.
''but we will soon know
Events moved quickly in frontier
towns. As Herries finished his whisky
and banged the door behind him, Pete
arose from his seat.
His friends also sprang up, but he
made a gesture of dissent.
No, boys. Leave this to me. If |
can't deal with one tenderfoot l certain
ly won't call in aid"
But he might get the drap on ye,"
persisted one.
Pete shrugged his shoulders and
deigned no reply. He walked to the bar,
called for and swallowed a large glassful
of brandy, which 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
the Rough Diamond were startled
hearing shots, cries, oaths, the hea
laundering of a horses hoofs on t
rocky soil of the mesa, and then a lon
loud ''hurra-a-h."
Then all was silent.
As n man they sprang to their feet
and rushed for the door, but ere the fore
most ma among them could reach it it
was burst violently open and old Ramon
rushed in, followed by Pete, from Den
yer, who, swaying and staggering like
a drunken man, called for brandy, and
then came to the floor with a crash that
shook the windows.
A babel of voices prevented an expla-
nation for a long time, and when Peter
had somewhat revived he told them what
had happened.
where's Chiquita?' some one asked.
A spasm of wrath convulsed the fea-
lures Of the dying man.
Gone he gasped; "gone with that
cursed ~tenderfoot."
"How did it all happen, Peter
HE was there when I got there.
Chiquita was all dressed and ready to &c
off with him-womanlike, curse her!
He saw me coming. His horse was
there. He waited for me. Oh, the fell
low was game enough. I said nothing.
but opened on him. The girl being
there must have made me nervous, for
missed my man for the first time
"And them"
why, he pumped me full of lead be
fore l 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. / got up
and followed suit. He got back at us
once-his last cartridge-and caught
Ramon, for l heard him groan. Then
the tenderfoot yelled and rode off. Boys,
give me a big drink. Pm done for"
And when they brought the drink a
fast chilling corpse was all that was left
of Pete from Denver to drink it.
And ChiQuita!
Chiquita went to a convent in st.
Louis. ard left there four years later a
cultured and magnifcently beautiful
woman.
She will be pleased to receive any of
Mr.. Herries' 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 a .'tenderfoot'' from Bos-
ton showed how ''tenderfeet" can fight
when a sweetheart is at stake.
And old Ramon?
When they looked for him he was
| gone. Nor was he OIL Edward Herries
ever seen apain in Picture Canyon