Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-01-02

u-b ~ WAS u DEAD JOKER.
courage stranger would come along some
uay ana all TO see the point OF his joke.
ne resented our advice, and we have had
nm marked Deceased" on our notebook
ever sincel
luesday last, as we stood in front of the
postoihcr we saw pilgrim coming in On
,fe ROAD rom Mohave City. He had bun
hie on hl> hack, stick in his hand, and his
general appearance denoted seven blisters
ON his Icei and his native state rs Rhode
Island. lie had come from afar and failed
to strike job and was in no mood for
funny BUSINESS. Old ST caught sight of the
stranger about the same time, and he bor-
fowed an Extra gan from Hank Watson,
MIXED hay IA his venerable whiskers and
md IN the alley beyond the postoffice. We
corld hear TIE old man chUcklc and see his
sides shake with laughter from where we
stood. The tenderfoot was taking it lei
surely, lifting his feet high and cussing the
country a. BE set them down again, but he
finally apprO ched the alley. At the proper
moment old ii leaped out. lie had gun
in either hand. 4 thundercloud on his face,
ana his. yell lifted our heels OFF the walk
lie coniidelt.y expected 10 jump that clam
eater over an ei-ht foot billboard and across
mile OF slnd. But, alas, his wheel wob-
bled! Maybe tie pilgrim was expecting
Just sJch welcome, and maybe he was n
chap who could Gather his nerve in about n
second. At any rate old Sis voice was still
shaking the shingles on the nearest build
ing when Inc wayfarer out with a gun and
plugged him three times as fast as he could
pull trigger. The day Nevada Bill pulled
our ed.tur1l nose re fired SIX shots in IL
seconds, but the rsnderlo OF certainly beat
our time. and ever one c. his bullets was
beautifully placed
Old II WIS dead joker when we got to
| him. He probably lived long enough to
realize that orr fatherly advice had been in
| tended for his benefit, and that for.once in
his life he had bitten of more than he could
chaw. The stranger sat down on a dry
goods box and waited To he arrested, but
ne was not taken into custody He did just
exactly ag We should have done Out in this
country every gun is supposed to be loaded
day and n ght When u shooting iron is
| leveled Oh person, the IDEA is that the chap
who holds il means to shoot. That's the
| first idea. The second IS to get the first
shot While the stranger was tenderfoot,
! hungry, lank and played out, he knew the
custom OF the country as well as the Oldest
| Jury was plain and straightforward, and he
didn't waste words by saying he was sorry
| for what had occurred. A purse Of IS was
made up for hin, but he refused it and
hobbled OF his way toward the setting sun.
There are one or two Other jokers In this
town who should take warning by old Sis
sudden end. Sometimes you can monkey
with 4 tenderloot and have more fun than
a barrel of jews harps. At other times you
run up against n streak Of hot lead and are
| dprc for. The old man was neither good
citizen nor Il bad one We shall miss him,
and ye; his place will probably be occupied
by better man. He was buried with his
boots Oh, and the hay was not removed
from his whiskers. He was no terror, bu:
the boys thought they would give him 6
fair show to begin business on the Other
side.