The Bossier banner., 1892-05-12
THE RED-HEADED MAN.
Why the RingTailed Shorter Spared Ills
Life.


Life.
There were about thirty passengers
of us-men, women and children-ln
coach on Missouri railroad, when the
number was added to by one at small
station. The newcomer was a man of
about thirty, and his bearing was reck-
less and his breath smelled of liquor.
Every body saw that he was in an ugly
mood as he took a seat and glared
around, and no one cared to take sec
one glance for fear of offending him. 1t
wasn't ten minutes before he boiled
over and began to bluff and bulldoze the
little baldheaded man who was his seat
mate The latter had nothing to say,
and by and by the other tired of the
one-sided row and looked for a better
man. He got up and passed down the
aisle, sizing every man up, and present
ly he came to an individual who was
not only red-headed but cross-eyed to
boot. His hair was the reddest of reds,
and his eyes were SO badly out of gear
as to attract general attention. He was
eating popcorn out of a paper bag
when the bulldozer stopped before him
and growled:
Drop that ar co'nm
"W-what for?" stammered the other
"Cause l say so, and will let day
light through yer if yer don't"
He dropped the corn, and the bull
| dozer looked him over and continued:
1--WE sometimes let red-headed man
| git by rue without shootin', but cross
| hot nd
l should let yer git out o Missoury
none O. my friends would ever speak to
me aginr'
"You ain't-ain't goin' to hurt me,
are you?" protested the unfortunate.
Coin to shoot yer plump through
the head!" replied the bulldozer as he
drew his revolver.
There was instant excitement, but no
one dared interfere. No one cared to even
risk leaving the coach in search of the
conductor. The redheaded man turned
pale and trembled and began to plead.
No use a-talkin'r' growled the other.
''It's a com mbinashun L can't let pass.
Even if l did some of the boys down
the road would pick ye up. / amt in
no great rush, though, and We can have
couple of minutes in which to pray or
talk. Whar dye belong?"
New Jersey"
"Way up thar eh? What's yer biz
ness?"
'Farmin'."
"Whar We goin'?"
Down to Sedalia to see if 1 cant
hear suthin' about my son Bill"
whats Bill bin doin'?" carelessly
queried the bulldozer as he caresseG
the barrel of his revolver.
'He ran away from home over 6
dozen years ago and came down here
and I'm a-tryin' to locate him."
Whats yer name?"
Jonas Hill"
'sWhat! Is that yer reg'lar name?"
s'It is"
The bulldozer looked at him for hal
minute and then said:
Its powerful funny I'd forgotten
about them eyes, though 1 thought th'
hair looked sorter familiar. Say, OLD
man, I'm that son Bill, and yer my ole
dadr'
rs it possible? And you're my owl
boy Bill, and I've found you at last?"
That's the trick, but don't git ex
cited over it. was givin' We two min
nits, We know!''
But you are my own boy you see.
"Yes, l reckon l be, but-but-"
He stopped and scratched his hea'
and reflected half minute, and the
put up his gun and grudgingly said:
wall. under the circumstances
reckon must let we off, but jest wan
to say to ye, old man, that ye've ha
one of the narrowest escapes of ye
hull life, and ye'd better continue to b
thankful fur the next fifteen years.
Then, having saved his dignity, as hi
thought, he sat down beside his fathe
and the two were soon visiting ava
and having a real good time.-M. Quad
in N. Y. World.