The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-03-09
TWO BAD MEN.
A Brace OF Wild westerners VINO
We're Both Able Killors.
They schsmod for Whole Afternoon 10
Get the Drop on Each Other With
out Succcss-Piensant Diver
sions OF Gun Fighters.

zone of the things that strikes a
tcnderfoot with surprise" said "A west
ern land surveyor 10 the New York Sun
man, lis the way the tough men i'm the
far west, when they happen 20 run
counter TO men of their own kind. viii
refrain from shooting until one gets the
drop on the other. So quick and ready
are the shooting men of the real sort
that when facing each other on guard
neither one can fire so quickly that the
other will not return the shot before
falling. Thus IL may happen that two
bad men who have sworn death TO each
other may meet often without exc
changing shots because neither one can
catch the other unprepared. Take the
case of Wild Bill and Jim Currie, for
example. Both men Of undoubted
nerve and skill, they were enemies for
years - by some accounts they ex-
changed shots once at long range-but
they never pulled triggers on each other
at close quarters, and when Bill was
assassinated by wretch years after
ward at Dendwood 1t closed the feud.
'Clay Allison, the New Mexican dead
shot and mankiller, found one man who
WASH Z afraid TO stand up TO him and
was just as quick with his gun as
himself. That man was Mace Bow
man, some time deputy sheriff OF Col
fax county. They spent whole after
noon together, each trying to get the
drop on the other, but neither one
could accomplish it. IL was u perform
ance, though, of kind TO make an
inexperienced man shivcr There was
bad blood between them, and this
afternoon when they met in Lambert's
barroom and got TO drinking the enmity
began To ranlSle. IL was perfectly un-
derstood between them that II either
one got the drop on the other, the
slower man would die, and this being
agreed on both men Unanswered for an
opening. Facing each other with such
pleasant intentions they laughed and
jolsed and drank together, all the time
watching each other like cats. AS
diversion in the proceeding they would
lay their pistols, the barrels crossing,
on the bar counter, step back TO the
other side of the room, and then, at an
agreed signal, make rush for the pis-
tails. But neither could seize his
weapon quickly enough TO get the adj
vantage OF the other.
"Once as they were taking drink to-
gethcr Bowman, with his whisky half
way 10 his lips, suddenly smashed the
glass 10 the counter and drew his piss
tol. But as it came up Allisons re-
volver met 1t half way. The men were
looking into each others eyes, and
sign in either's that trigger was 10 bc
pulled would have meant the death OF
both men, which was more killing than
either one wanted
This dalliance with death went on
through the afternoon, until at last, at
the coming OF evening, the two men,
becoming savage, declared that they
would bring the duel 20 an end. They
cleared the room OF spectators, and had
already taken their places I'm corners
diagonally opposite 20 begin shooting,
when w. X. Morley, of Cimarron, "A
strong friend OF both men, rushed In
between them Mt the risk Of his life,
and by representations and cntreaties
managed 10 get them of the idea of the
duel and mutually To agree TO separate
without further trouble So the two
contestants backed out Of the room Mt
opposite doors and rode out Of town
different ways, saving an encounter
which would almost certainly have re-
suited in / he death OF both"