The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-12-10

them IS to make modern mercury OF
myself, with wings on my head instead
of on my heels. To tie them back from
their outstanding publicity converts
them into rosettes of neither use nor
attractiveness. There is a superfluous
commentator of the art of listening
about them As If specially intended
to localize the OBJ servation OF Others,
there is hole, lean cut and as round
as the win ding spot in clock face.
through my left auricle 1T its exact
center of prominence.
Persons never look me in the eyei
they look me in the ear. Their faces
become interrogatory. The question -
stenciled all over them: How did you
get that hole?' have answered it hum
dreds Of times, bnt will tell the story
once more. If the art Of printing was
equal to it would have it printed upon
my ear. that all might read
A one-legged man answered an in
quisitive stranger that he would tell
him how his leg was lost, provided he
asked no more questions The prom
Use given, he promptly said: st was
bit off" The bottled agony Of the
querist can be imagined. 1t has always
appealed to me. Twill. therefore, ban
ISL all uncertainty by telling at once
that the hole in my ear was shot there.
One wintry dav was riding my mare
Fanny lone who feared nothing where
there was a foothold nor hesitated
where her master bade her go). The
road lay we'll above a swollen, ice-laden
torrent Ahead was a sharp turn, so
sharp that the road seemed snapped of
in its course. 1t pointed its Jagged end
to precipice of cave-eaten rocks, high
above and across the wild rush OF
waters. Both Fanny and myself knew
the spot we'll Twice q month at least
we carried saddle pockets heavily laden
with silver and pockets well filled with
notes to pay the workmen, on heavy
numbering operation IN the mountains
of West Virginia, far from town or
bank. On this occasion the sum was
two thousand dollars. The dates OF
these payments were well known
among the mountaineers; the road wes
lonely, the opportunities for robbery
and attack numerous as the juts and
passes along it. My partner and my
self generally took these rides after
money together. This time was alone.
My mare was Looping under me as light
" as kid.
When reached the turn / swung to
the rock side to ease my horses footing.
l saw a. puff of smoke belch from .
cave mouth across the flooded chaan.
l heard the whistle of bullet Is it
passed. and felt that it had struck
somewhere out upon the cartilaginous
territory lying adjacent to my head. /
had heard bullets many time when
they were fiocked, licensed, lndiscrim-
mate. This bullet was unlicensed and
unpleasantly discriminating. A huddle
of thoughts demanded immediate indi-
vidual attention. A plucky one bel
lowed: stop and fire back" Ny hand
naturally drew my pistol. A cautious
one whispered: There is danger
around the turn; hold your fire" An
other cried: ely before second shot
can reach you" Yet another: Escape
from this danger; tackle the next"
There is active contagion in the
fight of bullet; and Punch's axiom:
Better than presence of mind in dan
ger, is absence of body" is worthy
of remembrance at such times.
cooked my revolver. My mare was
dashing ahead. undisturbed, save by
the raising of her pretty head in quick
surprise, the pricking of her pointed
ears, and snort of warning as when
she saw or smelled danger. glanced
quickly at the spot whence the bullet
came. There was nothing visible but
the gaping cave mouth and the wisp
of smoke scurrying of like belated
cloud.
In an instant l was around the cor.
ner The road beyond was bare, yet
each niche in the opening strata Of the
mountain side might contain an as
sassin. might be running the enfilade
of masked battery. With thoughts
more of my mare than myself, slight
shake of the birdie rein b,de her go as
the wind With a long gasp of relief l
slackened her pace mile away and
Strengthened myself in the saddlefor
caimer riding and soberer thinking.
With ungloved hand felt my ear. A
hole was there. but no sign of blood
The intense cold had halted the circu-
lation-
who fred that shot?" l asked my
self. The object was not robbery. be
canse no human being could have
breasted the ice and current 10 have
reached me, had tho shot been fatal
Again, / would have been attacked by
accomplices at the turn, had robbery
been planned Perhaps not The fall
ure of the first shot might have de-
TERED others from seeking me at close
quarters Could some one be seeking
revenge? Very likely. l had never
hesitated in discharging workman
for cause. Many threats against nv
lite had come 10 my ears. but never .
bullet before Was there a woman IN
the situation? A resume Of firta;ions.
dances. double rides on Fanny's back.
chance meets on mountain trails with
mountain nzidens and hickory widows.
failed To remind me of anything seri-
Gus or even a debatAcle case There
was no imported malice in the noun
,a:ns; It mist be local / was a. far
apart as the tips of nv ears in decision
when reached TIC log cabin camp. for
the time homo.
Mr. Whipin. my partner. looked
grave when told him of my escape
He was q brave fellow. true 10 the