The herald., 1893-11-26
AT HUMILITY BEND.
BY JOHN HUNT MORGAN.

were, TO say the i6hbt VI lts uociucuty tno
reverse OF serene. Men dropped in from
all sides in quest of adventure, and when
they didn't happen to find IT in safisfac-
tory quantities they generally set at
once to work with most commendable
zeal to aseist in making it to order.
Skeleton ranch was what q facetfous
citizen had christened the little cemetery
at the southern extremity of the town.
and there, from time to time, the results
Of these little adventures were located.
1t was q strange life and an eventful
life, and. as you may we'll imagine, many
peculiar things occurred there. Here is
one of them:
'Just about q year after / had come
to Humility Bend two strangers entered
the town on the same afternoon, but
from different directions. That night
they met in q saloon, and over trifiing
occurrence indulged in fight that COM
plctely demolished almost everything OF q
breakable character in the place. By
come miraculous chance both men had
come to the saloon unarmed, and, as a
consequence, the only results from the
fight were q cut lip. black eye and
some eight or ten bruises. Three days
afterwards they made it up, and from
that time on were inseparable friends.
They slept, ate, drank, gambled and
fought side BY side. One of them said
that his name was Hackle, the other
being known in the place as Steve
Stevens. They were both about 30,
with possibly q few months in Hnckle's
favor. have seen many deeparate
men, but Hackle, or, as he was popu-
larly known, Gunpowder Hackle, out
sEone them ell. do not believe he
had an ounce of bully blood in his body,
but he would fight at the drop of hat
and on the slightest possible provocs-
ton.
"Within a year he had the some
what doubtful reputation of being the
most dangerous man in the place.
Three years after his reaching Humil-
ity Bend a most remarkable thing oc-
Cured. About 8 O'Clock one night he
shook hands all round with the boys at
the Lone Star saloon, and without q
word of explanation informed them
that he was going to tear loose from
his old ways and turn over q new leaf.'
LILO ucAl uay Ao 5uppiohohtoN bht5 bl
the startling announcement that ne was
also about to begin preaching the gos-
pei. If any other man at the Bend had
made q similar statement the shout of
derieion that would have followed would
have caused the glasses on the bar OF
the Lone Star saloon to dance again; as
it was, the silence was profound. 1t WAS
and no one was able to ac-
count for it: but he kept it to the letter.
Some said it was the four little lonely
mounds up in Skeleton ranch that had
done it, and every one had an explana-
tion OF his own; but the real cause was
never certainly known. My idea is that
it was nothing more nor less than one
of those unaccountable transformations
that take place in the human mind, and
which are always as remarkable as they
are unlocked for.
swell, he preached the styangest doc
trines you ever heard. He used an
prayer book. believed in the
bsptismal rites of the Baptists, and had
an idea of the Deity that was as reassur-
ing as it was original.
"Six months rolled by, and the fre-
quenters of the Lone Star realized that
they had lost another one of their num-
Der. Losses other than the sort that
were accompanied by long, white pine
box were always sources of the deepest
but when it was also disc0v-
cred that Steve Stevens was to be mar
ried the interest became intense.
Everything went along smoothly un-
til two days before the wedding, when
the older hands began to sniff danger.
Stevens shifted it alao, and the result
was q short but earnest talk with
Hackle. The gist OF the whole matter
was that man named Jnbell, who had
known Stevens before he came to Texas,
and who had had q difficulty with him
some five or six months before, had
sworn while in his cups that he was
going to square himself with Stevens
for good and all, on the night OF the
wedding, by rising up when the
preacher reached the part, IF any man
can show Just cause why they may not
lawfully be joined together etc.. and
disclosing little fragment Of Stevsns'
early history that would break up the
proceedings then and there. Wait till
/ rise up he had said, and then look
out for panthers.' AS matter of course,
it was not very long before JubelPs
threat had been pretty generally noiaed
about. Bets were freely offered and
taken on the result. and with each sue
ceeding hour the excitement appreci.
ably increased. Those who knew Stew
ems we're surprised that he had not al
ready taken steps to prevent Jubells
carrying oat his threat. 1t is true that
Jubell was none too well thought of in
the town, but he was known to be q
reckless man and one who would be
more than likely to make good his
threat.
1.-THE wedding was to begin at s
O'Clock. By 7 80 the room was packed
to the doors. Yes, true to his word,
there sat Jubell-his face trifie flushed,
and his hat set little on one side with
an air of bravado. On either side for
about three yards, and Immediately
behind and in front of him, the benches
were unoccupied.
"sNo, siree,' said old Uncle Billy
Thompson, as he moved over to the op-
posite portion of the room, 1T may be
all very we'll to look out for 'em, but
don't ketch me a-playing panther--not
if / knows myself
cat s sharp the ceremony began.
Well, sir, nothing could have progressed
more smoothly-Hackle delivering bis
few preliminary remarks with the same
GOODNESS and ease that characterized
everything he did, and the couple stand
ing as calm and self-possessed as though
they had been the sole occupants OF the
room. Hackle's voice, however, / no.
ticed kept getting deeper and deeper as
he approached the fatal sentence, until
at last, az he ended the one preceding it,
IL aattlad dnxn intn q anrE of nmninus