Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-05-22
FIRING 1T.


Coming East over the Atchison road
from Las Vegas. N. M, to Kansas
City, said J. f. Rankine of Elizabeth,
N. j., 'our train was detained west OF
Dodge City two days by washout.
There was crowd of the toughest sort
aboard, some of them cattlemen from
the ranges, and others railroad men re-
turning from the construction work OF
a railroad just completed. 1t was a
hungry time, for there was nothing
to eat; but there was plenty of beer and
liquor aboard, and the passengers in
the intervals of drinking amused them
selves with cards and betting and by
firing pistols from the car windows
at the telegraph poles.
"In one seat next window sat a
very young and innocent man fIom
Boston, one of the many from that
locality sent out to points along the
line of the Acthison road by the favor
of the management, to grow up with
the country. He had come to the con-
clusion that the Back Bay and Cam
bridge were western enough for his
tastes, and was on his way to the East.
Beside HIM sat a stranger, big ranch
man, wearing black sombrero. In
spired by the example of some men who
were firing from the car windows,
the Bostonian took from his travelling
bag pistol that must have been a gift
of a doting female relative. 1t was
an elegant little pearl-handled affair,
its tiny barrel beautifully chased and
ornamented. 1t looked more fit to be
hung on watchguard than to use as
weapon, but the owner, in imitation
of the others. blaze away with it at a
telegraph pole, with about the noise
and effect that a fire-cracker would
have produced.
1.-THE ranchman beside him looked
with surprise and then with grim
amusement at the Boston mans shoot
ing, and, for the first time, seemed to
take an interest in what his seatmate
was doing.
% Let me look at that thing, strang-
er. he said.
1.-THE Bostonian passed the pistol to
him with an expression Of satisfaction
ON his face, as much as to say: This
is rather neat thing, don't you know.
and I'm in the shooting as we'll as the
others The ranchman handled the
wee weapon with an affectation of
admiring awe and examined it with
grave curiosity.
:" It's great firearm and no mis-
take, he pronounced. If twas mine
would you like to know how I'd fire it?'
1.-THE Bostonian looked pleased and
nodded The ranohman drew his own
pistol, an immense long barreled affair
which looked as if it ought to be
mounted ON a gun carriage. Calmly
he stuck the barrel of a small pistol
into its capacious muzzle, and thrust
ing the big weapon through the open
window took deliberate shot at the
telegraph pole. The butt and barrel of
the little pistol flew two ways as it
struck the telegraph pole in the center.
while the big bullet behind sent splin-
tiers flying as it plowed through the
timber.
upon this worse than contemptuous
treatment of his property the Bostonian
looked with CONSERVATION, and at first
was indignant. But he had some tact
and sense of humor despite his nativ-
ity, and there being nothing better to
do he soon joined in with the others in
the laugh that was raised. His big
neighbor passed him peace offering
in the shape of a flask approaching an
army canteen in size. the Bostonian
pulled manfully at it and for the rest
of the trip the two were most friendly
companions. The ranchman took the
tenderfoot under his protection and
would suffer no one to impose on him.
A grand rush followed our arrival at
the first railroad dining station, where,
after our two days fasting, meal for
fifty persons was served to the 100
famished passengers. 1t was grab,
everybody, and the big man doomed
above the crowd as he strobe, holding
aloft whole boiled ham in one hand
and loaf of bread in the other. back
to the car to join his friend from Bos-
ton New York Sun.