The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-07-04
The UNLIMITED Guest.

The average westerner loves an ex'
cursion, and their frequency does not
in the least diminish popular interest
in them. Whether by rail or by water
there is always ready an eager, expec.
tant crowd.
When the Texas & Pacific Railway
was being built westward from Dallas,
Tex, some years ago, its managers de.
cided to give the newspaper mems
convention, then assembled in that
city, afree excursion to W--,s
frontier town then, quitea little city
now. We all went, and our wives,
sweethearts and lady friends went
with us. We had two day coaches to
ourselves, properly designated in q
digifed way as "the ladies' coach
and "the smoker" respectively.
On our return run we-in the la.
dies car-were somewhat startled,
when the engineer stopped for water,
by the entrance of stranger, who
seated himself next to the door, facing
the rest of us. His clothing was
ragged and soiled with mud, his hail
dishevelled. his beard unkempt, and
his manner nervous and restless.
With more naturalness than politeness
we stared at him and he returned the
gaze with interest.
After the train started, one member
Of our party rose to go to the "smok,
err"
"Sit down r. commanded the intru
der in voice ''as though born to rule
the storm" and at the same time lev
eled villainous looking pistol at oul
members head.
Down went the member with the
alacrity born Of self-preservation
Another Faber-pusher rose to get q
good look at the new commander
With rapid motion the pistol cover.
ed the man of curiosity.
''Sit down! u the stranger shouted,
BE sat. Of course our interest
became unanimously centered on ou,
new conner. This, instead of pleas.
ing, had quite the contrary effect, and
our self-invited guest became ever
more nervous under our fixed and
steady gaze. There was sort of mus
cular or mechanical sympathy between
his eye and the barrel of his pistol
for wherever one looked the othel
peered at the precise spot, and "the
heads. of the aggregated wisdom oi
Texas" as our orator had fatteringly
designated US in open convention,
were kept moving in various direct
ions. Some went down, others side
ways-in fact, I fear we were undigni
fed enough to-be actively engaging il
lodging.
Presently the member nearest oul
visitor received the command, "Take
your head down" - ~
She screamed-as all ladies will
you know-but her head went dow1
as the scream went up, and she Sal
down. in heap on the floor between
the seats. The command came with
lightning-like repetition to each mem
ber, always emphasized with glance
of that fiery eye and the frown Of hi
pistol barrel. Head after head went
down, and the seating room on tht
floor between the seats was deemed {
luxury. There was plenty Of room il
the aisle, but no one offered to occupy
it.
Again minutes seemed heightened
into hours as we sat thus amid banana
orange and apple parings, and the re-
fuse tidbits from our lunch baskets
each knowing if he peered above tht
seat in front Of him, the same fearfu
eye and the same murderous weapon
would confront him.
But all things have an end, and We
were destined to be saved, for the
monotony of the situation was interrup
ted by -''the gallant Fish, We
called him ever afterward-an editor
coming from ''the smoker ~ Fisf
weighed two hundred pounds. Ht
entered whistling soft ditty Of hii
own composing. At once the self-invi
ted guest thrust his eye and pistol upor
him, repeating the command, "sit
down p
The whistling ceased. We heard :
fearful Dumping and humping inter
mingled with yells for help, and some
of our bravest brethren ran to the
rescue. Fish had seized the pisto
and the intruder had seized Fish
They struggled, they fell, and-hor
rors Fish was underneath. That i:
to say, Fish's body was, but his leg'
were in the air.
After struggle we overpowered the
intruder, and cutting part Of the
bell cord bound him hand and foot
We then secured his awful weapon
and, on close inspection, found
had no cylinder. Our intruder Wal
frothing at the mouth and struggl ling
with two officers of the lawi in search o1
an escaped lunatic. Illustrated Amer
ican. I.
- In a case in which a man was &C
L. E-a.s L. ~