The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-08-29
A CASE OF SELF
DEFENCE.
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eastern cities is all right as far as
they goes" said the old cattleman re-
flectively, ''but there's too much muir
derin'. Now, a vigilance committee
a good, thoroughgoin' committee, with
large, full notions about a rope-would
fill a long-felt want in the East.
''No, there amt no murderin' on the
ranges. There's killin, but no MUIR
:, derin, which is different. Murderin'
is more unpleasant than KILN, be-
sides bein' immoral
''Speakin' of blood reminds me of
time Clay Allison had in Las Animas
about twenty years ago. l think 1t
was the same day Clay adjourned
court You see. they'd been holdin'
court for a couple of weeks already
and Clay allowed that oughter be
enough.
"'There amt nothin' onsettles soci-
ETY. like hOldin' too much court says
Clay, so he saddles his old white war
= boss, BILL" and he rides slap In where
the jedges is a-settin'.
"'Jedge,' he says, there's a delega-
ton of people down to the Full Blown
Rose saloon been a-caucusin' and they
thinks you-all have done enough for
once an had better quit an call it
day What do you think yersef?
"'Vox populi vox rock-and-rye,' says
the jedge, adjourn this yere court I'M
til some time next fall So they all
goes down to the Rose and gets
drink.
But I starts to tell you about some
thin else. It was this we're same day
in the evenin' an the dance hall was
a-drawin' like a furnace, an was
mighty near as hot, when along comes
ID Clay Allison. He's been around town
all day, sorter feverish an restless;
an bein, as l say, kinder fretfeul, he
picks up pitcher of water an pours
it down the sheriff's back. Clay didn't
have no particular meaning in it, but
the sheriff takes it hard an goes
away a-cussin' as how he'll braid
some mules tail (names not bein'
called before mornin'.
'Well, the music went on, an the
dance went on. There was a-plenty
of girls-nice, easy goin' girls-who
jest hung 'roun' your neck like a rose
bush to porch, an made your dol
lars an your days glide swiftly by.
Now, l want to declare myself about
these girls. Of course, they wasn't
what you'd call church sociable girls.
You couldn't depend on them to make
a. rag carpet for the preacher, or any
little thing like that. That wasn't the
game out West in them days, no how.
But they was good dance hall girls
They was kind an generous an had
a heap of sympathy for people around
'em, an did lots more good than harm.
Takin' herd an herd they grades
about as high as heap Of others in
the yards Of society. They fills their
place. The frontier amt Fifth ave-
moo, an it takes anuther kind Of peo-
pie to hold down Western dance hall
from them as collects for Turin mis-
siOns.
"But about this wet sheriff. Well
after we'd forgot him an long after
he'd got dry, do you know this ma
licious, revenge-harborin' cuss got a
d shotgun an stands outside in the dark
i an amin through an open winde1
chucks a load into John Allison, who
/ Is a brother Of Clay's, jest as John was
cavortin' to the call Of Balance all.
Clay was in the same set, an light
! ming wasn't quicker. His six-shoote1
/ comes to the front, an bullet goes
y, N lookin' for that sheriff before the flash
: of his shotgun has faded in the night
"Did it ketch him? WE'LL believe
yaV. my son. His deputies struggled