The Meeker herald., 1896-09-05
1.-TWO BAD MEN.
A Brace of Wild Weste-ners Who
Wero Both Able Killers.
! They Schemcd for Whole Afternooo TO
Get the Drop on Each Other With
out SuceesK-rieasant Diver
sionx of Gun Fighters.

zone of the things that strikes a
tenderfoot with surprise" said west
ern land surveyor to the New York Sun
man, '.is the way the tough men in the
far west. when they happen to run
counter to men of their own kind, will
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 tho shot before
falling. Thus it may happen that two
bad men who have sworn death to each
other may meet often without ex-
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 a wretch years after
ward at Deadwood it closed the feud.
CLAY Allison, the New Mexican dead
shot and mankillcr, found one man who
WASH t afraid to stand up to him and
was just as quick with his gun as
himself. That man was Mace Bow
man, some time a 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. 1t was perform
ance, though, OF Il kind to make an
inexperienced man shiver. There was
bad blood between them, and this
afternoon when they met in Lambert's
barroom and got to drinking the enmity
began to rankle. 1t was perfectly un-
derstood between them that if either
one got the drop on the other, the
slower man would die, and this being
agreed on both men maneuvercd for IN
opening. Facing each other with such
pleasant intentions they laughed and
jolled and drank together. all the time
watching each other like cats. As q
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 a rush for the pis-
tals. But neither could seize his !
weapon quickly enough to get the ad- |
vantage of the other.
"Once as they were taking drink to- |
gether Bowman, with his whisky half /
way to his lips, suddenly smashed the
glass to the counter and drew his pis- |
tol. But as it came up Allison's re-
volver met it half way. The men were !
looking into each others eyes, and .
sign in others that n trigger was to be !
pulled would have meant the death of I
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 I
would bring the duel to an end. They /
cleared the room of spectators, and had 4
already taken their places in corners
diagonally opposite to begin shooting,
when w. Il. Morley. of Cimarron, a
strong friend of both men, rushed in !
between them at the risk of his life,
and by eSpostulations and entreaties
managed to get them off the idea Of the
duel and mutually to agree to separate
without further trouble. So the two
contestants backed out of the room at
opposite doors and rode out of town
different ways, saving an encounter
which would almost certainly have re-
suited in the death of both.n .....,k
Take your local paper-TuE HERALD.