San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-03-14

verted from q charming student into an
equally charming man of the world.
Then suddenly the foundations of his
prosperity slid from under him, leaving
him stunned for awhile and inclined to
question his own identity. There was a
crisis of affairs, wild panic, followed
by deep hush, in which men looked
about stealthily to see who was hurt and
who was killed, and fortunes fell like
leaves before frost and were whirled
away on the winds of ruin; and here
and there pistol shot rang through
handsome chambers and there was
quiet, hasty burial at Greenwood.
After his uncle's death Dan Stewart
was forced to look about him. After
the creditors were satisfied there was
very little left of what was to have been
his inheritance-only a few thousands,
but enough for start Dan thought in
some new place A horror of the hurry
ing, heartless city in which his fortunes
had suffered shipwreck seized on him
for the time, and his home in New
Brunswick being broken up he went
out west and roved about for several
years. Although he failed to add much
to his store of material blessings, he
contrived to get considerable enjoyment
out of life, for the same traits which Sc
cured him popularity in his youth won
him affection in his manhood.
1t was during this portion of his
career that he made the acquaintance Of
Ned Anthony. 1t was in a saloon in a
little mining town in one of the terrific
ries kept by an Irish bully named o 'Hara.
A party of roughs were drinking and at
small table in one corner four men
playing poker. Dan noticed one of the
players particularly, because of his being
a stranger in the place and because of
certain rough grace in the poses Of his
splendid athletic figure, the beauty of
his silky brown beard, and trick he
had of lowering his lids and looking out
through half shut eyes. He was Won
dering who the man could be, when
there arose cry of foul play in the cor
ner, and he saw the brown bearded man
quick as fash pin the hand of one Of
his opponents to the table with long,
keen, double edged knife which he had
whipped out of the breast of his hunting
shirt.
In less than minute, a scene of the
widest confusion was inaugurated;
blows were struck, shots fired, and the
air surcharged with threats and pro
family. Dan, whose every instinct was
to espouse the weaker side, forced his
way to where Ned Anthony stood with
his back to the wall, fighting with cool
ness and science, but at terrible dis
advantage, because of having emp
tied the only loaded chamber of his
revolver in the beginning of the affray.
1t would have gone hard with the
pair in a very short time, for the roughs
were heavily armed and growing dan
derous, but for the interference Of the
Irish proprietor, who with Donnybrook
fair taste for fighting combined warm
regard for his own possessions. In Ian
guage that reeked of birthstone be pro-
claimed that the personal welfare of the
combatants was matter OF utter indif.
ference to him, but that he objected to
having his furniture smashed or his
saloon turned into slaughter pen with
any of their foolishness, and rushed into
the melee, followed by his bartender.
With the aid of this reinforcement our
two friends did such effective work that
in comparatively short space of time
the roughs found themselves thrust in.
gloriously into the street.
The acquaintance, from this stormy
beginning, developed into queer kind
of friendship and some intimacy. The
men had little in common, save physical
courage and high animal spirits, unless
love of adventure and of the solitude
of nature and mutual taste for sport
be taken into account
In character and intellect they were
totally dissimilar, although both were
strong men. The causes of their attrac-
ton for each other might have repaid
investigation had either man been given
to analysis or interested in psychological
subtleties. Unfortunately, the oppor>
tunity was thrown away; for Ned's ac-
quaintance with the word analysis"
was confined to its appearance in the
columns of the dictionary and its appli-
cation to minerals, and Dams mind was
without the twist which leads to morbid
research and subtle investigation. HUI
man emotion thrilled and interested him,
but he had no promptings to examine it
under pocket lens.
Perhaps this was as well for poor hu.
manity, for Dams nature was so sympa-
thetic, his interest so warm and his tact
so perfect, that had his tastes directed
him to emotional dissection he would
never have been without subject.
Men, women and children confided in