The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-06-05
THE WAY HE WOULD FIRE IT.
A Lesson In Pistols Given to q Man From
Boston by Ranchman.

A Lesson In Pistols Given 70 q Man From
| Boston by Ranchman.
Coming east over the Atchison
road from Las Vegas N. NJ, to Kan
sas City," said ]. F. Rankine of Eliz-
abeth, N. j., 'our train was de-
! tanned west of Dodge City two days
by a washout. There was a crowd
of the toughest sort aboard, some Of
them cattlcmen from the ranges and
others railroad men returning from
the construction work of railroad
just completed. It was hungry
timc, for there was nothing to cat,
but there wero plenty of beer and liq-
uor aboard, and the passengers in
tho intervals of drinking amused
themselves with cards and betting
and by firing pistols from tho Car
windows at the telegraph poles
"In one seat next window sat a
very young and innocent man from
Boston, one Of tho many from that
locality sent out to points along the
line of the Atchison road by the ia
vor of the management to grow up
with tho country. He had come to
tho conclusion that the Back Bay
and Cambridge wcro western enough
for his tastes and was on his way to
the east. Beside him sat stranger,
q big ranchman wearing a black
sombrero. Inspired by the example
of some men who were firing from
the car windows, the Bostonian took
from his travelling bag q pistol that
must have been gift of doting fe-
male relative. It was an elegant lit
tie pearl handled affair, its tiny
barrel beautifully chased and orna-
mented. It looked moro fit to be
hung on a watch guard than to use
as a weapon, but the owner, in imi-
tation of the others, blazcd away
with it at a telegraph pole with
about the noise and effect thata fire.
cracker would have produced.
The ranchman beside him looked
with surprise and thon with grim
amusement at the Boston mans
| shooting and for the first time seem
cd to take an interest in what his
| scatmate was doing.
Let me look at that thing,
stranger, he said.
1.-The Bostonian passed the pistol to
him With an expression of satisfac-
ton on his face, as much as to say,
This is rather a neat thing, don't
you know, and I'm in the shooting
as we'll as the others The ranch
man handled the weo weapon with
an aifectation of admiring awe and
examined it with grave curiosity.
Its great firearm and no mis-
take, he pronounced. If twas
mino, would you like to know how
I'd fire it?'
THE Bostonian looked pleased
and nodded. Tho ranchman drew
his own pistol, an immense long
barrolcd affair which looked as if it
ought to be mounted on gun car
riage. Calmly he stuck tho barrel
of the small pistol into its capacious
muzzle, and thrusting the big weapon
through the open window took a lie.
liberate shot at the telegraph polo.
Tho butt and barrel Of tho little pis-
tol flow two ways as it struck the
telegraph pole in the center, while
tho big bullet behind sent splinters
flying as it plowed through the tim
Der.
Upon this worse than contemp-
tuous treatment Of his property the
Bostonian looked with CONSERVATION
and Mt first was indignant. But he
had some tact and a sense Of humor
despite his nativity, and there being
nothing bettcr to do he soon joined
in with tho others in the laugh that
was raised. His big neighbor passed
him peace offering in tho shape of
a flask approaching an army cantcen
in size. The Bostonian pulled man
fully at it, and for the rest of the
trip the two were most friendly com.
panions. The ranchman took the
tendorfoot under his protection and
would suffer no one to impose on
him. A grand rush followed our ar
rival at tho first railroad dining sta
ton, where after our two days
fasting a meal for so persons was
served to the $50 famished passen.
gers. 1t was grab, everybody, and
the big man doomed above the crowd
as he strobe, holding aloft a whole
boiled ham in one hand and loaf
of bread in the other, back to the
car to join his friend from Boston.
New York Sun.
jaw Breakers.