The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-09-22

NOW YOU'LL DANCE.
a lightning hand. caught the old gen
tleman's own pistol. and damned it in |
his face.
Now you'll dance" said he.
"Whoopr said Specimen Jones, de- T,
lighted. BLAMED if he ain'tneat!' And
Jones handsome face lighted keenly.
Hold on" the boy sang out, for the
amazed old gentleman was mechanic
ally drinking his whisky out of sheer
FRIGHT. The rest had forgotten their
drinks. Not one swallow" the boy
continued. mo, you'll not put it down,
either: you'll keep hold of it, and you'll
dance all around this place. Around
and around And don't you spill any.
And I'll be thinking what you'll do
after that"
Specimen Jones eyed the boy with
growing esteem. why, he amt big
ger than pint of cider" said he.
France away" commanded the ten
derfoot. and fired a shot between the
old gentleman's not widely straddled
legs.
you hev the floor, Mr.. Adams"
Jones observed, respectfully, at the
old gentleman's agile leap. "rll let
no man here interrupt YOU" So the
capering began, and the company
stood back to make room. I've saw
| juicy things in this territory" con-
tinued Specimen Jones, aloud to him
self, but this combination fills my
bill"
He shook his head sagely, following
the black-haired boy with his eye.
That youth was steering Mr.. Adams
round the room, proud as a ringmas-
ter, yet not altogether. He was only
nineteen, and though his heart beat
stoutly it was beating alone in a
strange country. He had come straight
to this from hunting squirrels on the
Susauehanna, with his mother keep
ing supper warm for him in the stone
farmhouse among the trees. He had
read books in which hardy heroes saw
life, and always triumphed with pre-
cision on the last page, but he remem
bered no receipt for this particular sit
uation. Being good game American
J blood he did not think now about the
Susouehanna, but he did long with all
his might to know what he ought tx
do next to prove himself man. Hi:
buoyant rage, being glutted with the
, old gentleman's fervid skipping, hat
: cooled, and stress of reaction wa
falling hard on his young nerves. HI
imagined everybody against him. III
had no notion that there was anothe
American wanderer there, whose re
served and whimsical nature he ha'
touched to the heart
The tickle audience was with him, o
course, for the moment, since he wa
upper dog and it was a good show
but one in that room was distinct
b against him. The old gentleman wa
+, dancing with an ugly eye; he ha
! glanced down TO see just where HI
4 knife hung at his side, and he ha
( made some calculations. He had fire
: four shots; the boy had fred on,
-Four and one hez always made five,
the old gentleman told himself wit
secret pleasure, and pretended that h
was going to stop his double shufil
1t was an excellent trap, and the be
fell straight into it. He squandere
W his last precious bullet on the spittoc
Id near which Mr.. Adams happened to
d. at the moment, and the next momel
IS, Mr. Adams had him by the throa
~ They swayed and gulped for breat
70 rutting the earth with sharp heel
he they rolled to the floor and founder
with legs tightly tangled. the b.
nd blindly striking at Mr.. Adams wi
lis the pistol butt, and the audien
RS drawing closer to lose nothing, VIII,
We the bright knife flashed suddenly.
poised and flew across the room harI
ms lessly. for foot had driven into
en- Adams arm, and he felt a cold ri
til growing his temple. 1t was t
he smooth, chilly muzzle of Specim
Jones six-shooter.
id. That's enough" said Jones. 'Mc
nd than enough. owen Vision,
eb Harper's Magazine.
,rv Over one-half of the vapor in
-. o+,,osnhara &c within civ thousa