Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1897-02-24

true frontier style The camp had
grown up in day, as it were, when the
placer fields were discovered, a mile or
so up the canon. The floating popula.
tion of the whole territory had tiocked
hither, and what a month before was
as lonely a gulch as could be found IN
the Rockies. was now a fourshing
"cIty" of several hundred
As | wandered into the Inter Ocean
that evening, the stage driver, who was
standing near the door, recognized me,
and drawing closer, whispered:
There's Bill Kingerty over yonder at
the farther table Remember stranger,
and don't run up against him"
/ looked in the direction indIca ted
and sa W a large boned, roughly dressed
man of perhaps 80 seated at a parlor
table, playing cards. His wide slouch
hat was pulled down over his eyes, SO
that only the lower part OF his face
was visible. His chin was covered with
q grizzly growth OF reddish-gr hair
There vas goodly stock of gold at his
elbow, To which he added now and then
as the game went on. 1t was evident
that the stage driver was right about
Bill kingerty's luck.
The scene before NE was new and
strange. From a secluded place in a
dark corner of the room / watched the
motley crowd singing, drinking and
gambling Now and then some es-
,peciaIly lucky player would cash In.
ard, advancing to the rough board
counter ans wering for a bar, call up the
crowd and set up the liquor. | had no,
been noticed In my dark corner until
later in the evening a tall, sinewy cow
boy scOOped a great pile of gold into his
pockets. and, advancing TO the bar.
threw down handful and called up
everybody.
GlancIng about the room with a glass
he spied me-
Hey, there, tenderfoot," he shouted.
"what are you sulking in that corner
for? Come UP here and have some
thing"
advanced meekIy into the light, and
hardly knowing what l said or did, re-
piled. If you will excuse me, l wiD
take a cigar instead"
Cigar" he roared, and pouring out a
brimming glass of whisky handed 1t TO
me with the words, Take that, and
drink it, quick"
Really | said In my fright, Il dom,
care for this. Pray excuse me and I'll
smoke cigar instead"
Cigar be hanged" he ans wered
drink that liquor" and, pulling a six
shooter from his belt, he pointed 1t at
my head.
looked al the cleaning muZzle In
terror. The mouth of the barrel looked
TO my frightened senses as large as
dra inpipe. The drawn, hardened face
of the man behind it looked fiendlsh.
"Really-" l stammered. Drink"
he shouted | raised the glass TO my
lips and gulped down a mOuthfuL The
fiery stuff choked me. and, throwing ii
up. went into n paroXysm OF coughing
The crowd surGed about me, laugh
ing and shriekinS, when the cowmao
waved his weapon over his head, fired
a couple of shots through the roof, and
pointing it at me again, shouted:
Drink 1t down, tenderfoot, drink it
down, or I'll finish you"
As / raised the glass again, Bill Kin
gerty stepped forward and walked up
to my assailant with the words: That's
enough of that, stranger. Put up that
gun, and let the boy alone"
The cow-puncher didn't know Kill
gerty, and, besides, he was half drunk
Without n reply he turned suddenly.
and. pointing his revolver at kingertys
breast, fired.
don't know TO this day how il was