The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-07-10
A GAME FIGHT.



The Kind of Show the Western " had"
Men Enjoy
A man, whose height is scarcely five
feet six, and whose weight is not an
ounce over one hundred and forty
pounds. He has mild blue eye, a
frank face and his voice is pleasant to
the ear. You'd pick him out in crowd
as a mnd-mannered, tender-hearted
man, and yet he is Dakota Jack" and
has killed nine or ten men, He has
been slashed and cut, and shot and
dubbed, but he seems to bear a charmed
life
It is high noon, and the long, strag-
Cling street of the frontier town is al
most deserted by human life. Not be-
cause the sun beats down fercely, nor
that the half-civilized population is
asleep but because the town marshal
said to Dakota Jack last night at ten
o'clock.
'If you are in this town at noon to-
morrow win hunt you down and Kill
you like a dogl'
Well, twelve o'clock has come. The
threat came from man whose bravery
is unquestioned and whose skill with
the gun is marvellous. He had uttered
similar warnings before. Some of the
desperadoes had left for other fields;
others had remained in defiance and
fallen by his bullets, That he meant
what he said in this case no man doubt
I'd, and yet Dakota Jack remained. He
did not bluster or threaten in return.
He was tacisurn and uucommunicative
when his friends asked what he in
tended to do. At ten o'clock In the
morning he was abroad as usual.
At eleven o'clock he entered
the shanty in which gum
smith was doing business and
had his revolvers cleaned and re-
loaded. At a quarter to twelve he
took his position in the center of the
public square and waited. Then men
fed from the street and said to each
other:
''Now you viii see some of the pret
tiest shooting ever done In this townl
Dakota Jack is bound to see it outr'
The town marshal sat in his Office
block away Word had come to him
that Dakota Jack refused to leave. At
eleven o'clock he also cleaned and re-
loaded his guns. At a quarter to
twelve he was all ready, but he sat
with his watch in his hand. He had
said high twelve, and he would not
move sooner. He would even give
Dakota Jack five minutes grace.
"Time's uoI'
The marshal knew where TO find his
man. They caught sight of each other
when afar off-too far to risk shot.
Dakota Jack backed across the square
to a broken-down wagon. The marshal
crossed the street to have the shelter
of the awning-posts and telegraph
poles. Five hundred faces appeared at
doors and windows, and spectators
spoke to each other in whispers.
The marshal advanced to within
thirty yards and then halted. The
weapons of both men were still in their
holsters. They glared at each other
for long minute without moving a
hand>or uttering a word. The specta-
tors held their breath. The one was
defiant, the other determined. Would
Dakota Jack take water? Would the
marshal crawfsh2 If not, there would
be killing.
Jack, are you going?"
''Ill see you hanged frstl"
Men within ten feet of the marshal
could not follow the movement as he
pulled his guns. 1t was the same in the
case of Dakota Jack. Both left cover
for the open street and began firing
Pop! pop! popl Both fired right and
left-handed. Both advanced as they
fred.
"Jack's HIT"
"Tom's hitI'
''That's elegant shootin'm
'That's somethin' to be remem.
beredm
The firing did not last over three
minutes, but the time seemed to be a
quarter Of an hour to the spectators
They saw the marshal stagger to and
fro, and they cheered Dakota Jack
They saw the Bad Man lurch to the
right and left, and they cheered the
marshal
Jacks down"
"TOm's down"
Hold on-waitw
The last two shots rang out as. one
Both men were down, but they had
made a dying effort, only twenty feet
apart, as they lay on they backs gasp
ing out their lives. Of the twenty-four
bullets, twenty-five had been fired
The hot lead had bored its way through
shoulders, arms, bodiesand legs. Blood
had mixed with the dust of the street
and made hideous colored mud. Bones
had been splintered, muscles severed.
arteries cut. They lay there with
pallied, blood-stained faces upturned
to the monday sun, each hand stil
firmly clutching pistol, and the crowd
gathered and looked down upon them
and someone said:
Boys, it was game fight and
good show-let's lickerr'-Detroit Fire
Press.