Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-11-15
SELECTED STORIES.
HIS LIFE OR MINE.

acted az sheriff i'm California during
u most luwless period and had occasion
,lly tn bring some bad characters To JUS
ice AulL'ber Of them were hung, and
others escaped unhung, carrying with
them vivid memory of my features aud
swearing death to me at sight.
After leaving California | went into
Texas had been off To the western part
of the state on business and was return
ing home in the saddle, when | reached a
stream that was crossed by means Of a
ferry The boat was on the opposite side
and by the faint light Of the moon, which
was behind the clouds, | distinguished
the signal trumpet hanging % the broken
branch Of an oak. This ! Slew with a
will. and hearing the answer of the ferry
man led my horse TO the brink Of the
river and waited with some impatience
the moment when ! should see the silent
ferryboat move from the opposite shore
Ishouted at last: "Come, hurry upi lam
behind time now"
At last the boat moved into the stream,
and could hear the mutterings of the fer
ryman, which sounded like those of "A sui
len bull Ere long the punt-for It was
nothing else-grated on the sand, and
after getting my horse in IA best could i
powder keg, which was the only seat 1
could find.
As seen In the dim light, the counte-
nance Of the ferryman was not progresses
ing. The nose appeared TO be broken, and
one eye was gone. Then tho jaws were
heavy, and IA grizzly mustache, which he
constantly biting, lent "A most determined
expression to his face.
The revelation Of his countenance
warned me that there was work between
us before we reached the shore. IL was the
face of Dick Thurston, whom arrested in
California and whose father was hung
for murder committed under such aggra-
waited circumstances that we strung him
up before there could be any possibility OF
escape. Dick broke jail-not difficult
performance in those days-and swore To
shoot me at sight whenever or wherever he
might chance to meet me.
Here he was at last, aud there was L.
Had been the ferry man, and he the pas
senger, | think my first sensation would
have been different but as il was he was
st home in the punt, and | assumed the
appearance OF the aggressOr. | was not
expecting TO meet this desperate in such
place and under just such circumstances
and was taken entirely off my guard. My
opinion was that he failed to recognize
me at first thinking. perhaps, that was
still acting as sheriff in California, hut
now he knew whom he had on board, and
that he would attempt To carry out his
threat had no doubt.
Now, here was the way was situated
My revolver was in my breast coatpOcket,
and it would require time to get it ready
for service. A moment under such cir
cumstances is an hour, and | saw that any
precipitate motion ON my part, revealing
to him my discovery and my intention,
would draw his fire before | could even
unbutton my coat, for ! well knew that he
had "A revolver ready at hand, IA such char
acters always have, either to shoot vic
tim or resist an arrest.
| say that | shuddered when the face
was revealed by the moonlight This did
not last long, and | thought best to show
no feeling, but to appear TO be perfectly
unconcerned So turned my eyes down
to the river and remarked carelessly;
"A fine sight. S'pose you've been in
these parts long enough To know all the
hooks and cornersy"
"Yes, and all the contemplate scoun.
drels that cross here too.
This was hitting pretty close, but ! re-
mained imperturbable.
"Ab So you nab a few of 'em now and
them"
turned sharply on him when ! said
this, and as did so managed To unbut-
ton my coat with the left hand which was
on the "off side. -
"You Internal neck puller, dye think
to fool me againp I've got yel You know
me, and you II know something more be-
/ looked him calmly III the eye, which
blazed fercely in the shadow of the moon.
Those who have had to deal with such
characters know that their passions be
tray them into IA species of madness, and
the only way to get time is To treat them
as you would Il mailman. Assume an
appearance of unconcern, look them stead
lily in the eye and calculate what you have
to do to save yourself This was my pol
icy at the time, or | should not be here To
tell you Of the whole affair
"You are coward to kill n woman"
said |, with voice Of sarcasm, and
gazed at him as If the last thought in my
mind was of danger To myself.
You should have seen his eye theni IL
seemed fairly bursting from his head, and
he was now growing blind with fury.
"You confounded body snatcher!" he
yelled. "Ill show you that | can kill two
women"
He glared at me with that one orb
charged with the spirit of murder, and
dropping the rope, which was stretched
from shore To shore, and by which he was
pulling the punt, he thrust his hand with
in his flannel shirt.
snow, seize him ~ cried /, as IL address
ing some one behind him.
Lost in his passion, he fell into the trap
and turned his head for an instant, IA IL
to defend himself from one Of my men.
He saw the trick ut once, but il was too
late. My pistol threw Off the CLEAN of
the moonlght-a flash and report--and
the body of the desperado pitched head
long into the river, the current carried it
out of sight, and pulled the punt ashore