The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-01-13
TWO MEN OF NERVE.
One Was Loud M0uthcd, the Other Quiet,
But Neither Was Afraid.


But Neither Was Afraid.
y have been among the Western
cowboys for twelve VI IS !" said j. A.
Barnett of Salida c. land have
seen their nerve put the severest
test but / didn't know the human
family produced men who could not
be made to finch in the face Of certain
death until three months ago.
Il took an outfit for roundup in
Western Kansas. In the party were
Joe billiard and Bud Powell. The
latter was hurly- burly. loud
mouthed devil-may-care sort of a
man. who had been in frontier brawls
innumerabla and who in his time
perhaps shot out as many lights.
just for the fun OF the thing. as are
now blazing in this city to.night. Dill
order of man. He was so quiet and
demure as TO be an enigma to the
rollicking roysterers of the little
Western towns and settlements. He
was never known to use an oath. and
SO far as any of US knew. he didn' t
know the taste of liquor He was
from somewhere in the East and that
he had history was the unanimous
verdict of all of US. But there was
something in his manner that said
palmer than words that he WOULDN'T
do to fool with.
While our outfit were in camp
South of Dodge City Powell got noisy
drunk one evening: and seemed bent.
on provoking billiards. ire. billiard
took his chatting goodnaturedly.
which only had the effect of causing
Powell to become more annoying and
brutal in his persistent filings. At the
supper table Powell walked up be-
hind billiard and emptied a cup of
coffee down his back. billiard sprang
from his stool like a frenzied tiger
His eyes flashed fire and his frame
quivered with anger. / ought to-
shoot you down like dog he said.
but will give you a chance for your
life. Meet me at sun-up to- morrow
morning with your Winchester and
we will fight it out at fifty PAGES.
There was deadly determination
in his voice that sent shudder
around the supper table and Powell.
though maudlin drunk blanched
white as a sheet. The silence that
brooded over the camp that night
was awful. tried to reason with
billiard, but he was ilnmovable. He
had made up his mind to kill Powell.
and he was going to do it or die in the
attempt Both men went Quietly to
their cots at O. clock and were sound
asleep in half hour I had a titful
night of it. 1t was my duty TO pre-
vent the fight and all my persuasions
had failed to shake billiard. though
POWELL seemed a little more reason
able.
We'll. to cut long story short
they met the next morning. each with
a repeating Winchester billiard
stepped off the fifty PAGES. and as
he turned firing was to begin. Seven
shots each were fred. the men ad-
vancing on each other at each shot.
When they were separated by about
only ten feet they both dropped to the
ground. Powell was dead and billiard
was breathing his last Two of Pow
ellis bullets had plowed through Dill
lard's right cheek one had pierced
the left ear. three others had lodged
in his shoulder and the seventh pene-
trated tho brain. A yardstick sus-
pended straight from Poweli's heart
would have covered every one of the
seven bullet holes in his body. show
ing billiards. desperate determination
and cool aim. He had intended to
hit him in the hear. and his last shot
did it, don't think the world will
ever know another such duel. because
don't believe there are any two men
with the nerve of billiard and Powell.
who were so unlike in outward char
acter and yet so like in leonic
bravery.
She Mistrusted the Angels.
The pilgrim was enjoying the lunch
the lady had served him in the
Iyif hn 4