Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-01-26
Won by a Lone Hand


may choose to call their creator--thosc
individuals, sir, are idlcrs OF COW
ards"
The speaker was one of group OF
en- lounging on the deck of the Great
Northern boat, which, Il few hours ear
Tier, had commenced her slow upward
progress against the mighty current of
the Yellowstone.
tie was Il prosperous ranchihan from
Montana, returning from an Eastern
visit.
I'VE all get our chances" he re-
sumcd, after pun or two at his pipe
and n pleased glance around tile OBJ
servant cilcle 1T is our fault, not the
Lords, if we don't keep hold of them.
Chances that may look as full of sting
as 4 chestnut burr, but that hold sweet
kernels OF success for the man who
has the pluck and the cleyerness to
grasp them, And Ill tell you IA story
with that text, if you liGe-a story
which shall be new, though the text is
n chestnut"
1t happened some years since, before
the Northern Pacific had crossed the
Rockies. The terminus that season
was at Zenith City. and the class Of
travel which demands luxury didn't
come beyond Bismarck. where the com
pany economically shuGted the sleeperS
before rushing away from civilization.
$50 the train which started from Ze-
NTH City one November morning was
made up. as usual. of a passenger car,
a box car and the locomotive, while its
quite unusual number of travellers was
composed entirely Of Il party of twenty
cowboys.
'"rhey meant to go East for such %
length Of time as their cash would en-
dure, and, though it was burning In
their pockets to be spent, they We're re-
solved not to waste any of it in rail
way ticketsa resolve of which they
Informed the conductor when he came
TO them. about half an hour out from
Zenith City.
He was IA young fellow, as We're the
cowboys. Everything was young in
Montana in those days. This chap,
Lloyd, however. was slim-bult. with Il
color that changed like n girls, and
very queer he looked among the big.
brown. brawny roughs, who left their
card-playing to swarm into the aisle or
lean over the seats nearest those of
their comrades who had answered to
his request for tickets, that they had
none.
THE company will take money for
fares, also, said Lloyd, without glanc-
Ing at the gathering crowd.
when the company can get it,
somebody chucklcd.
Invariably Lloyd asserted. 'or the
passenger who refuses To pay is put off
the train
'''You don't say? Suppose you try.
Here are Tim and me. 10 begin with,
ana the whole cIriul after us, for not
one cent of our earnings is going into
the money bags of your - swind-
ling company!
"'YOu will hurt me much more than
the company said he when he could
get n hearing Il shall lose my place if
j don't collect your fares
THAT is your lookout
1--WE amt going to tell your boss. If
you keep quiet
There is a greed for torturing ami
mails which disfigures most human nat
Crc, from Spanish bull-baitcrs to those
rai-Gghters down East. SO. those
bright eyes of Lloyds didn't meet any
more encouragement than did Father
Noah's, the first tiIue he took IL squirt
at the Hood through one of the port
;i''les CT the ark.
Without speaking, he stood very
pale and still for 4 moment. looking ut
tie open pOcket-bOOk in his hand,
white they all stared at him, grinning
and jeering. Presently tho color re-
turned 70 his face. and. shutting his
book with q snap, he went out of the
car.
He was followed by roar of laugh
ter and facetious yells.
Il,
playing, some Of them just bit dis
contentcd ut their victory, and mutter-
ing that 20 to l WAS TOO big odds for
any chap. Specially little slim chap.
with fists which couldn't hold their own
against n kid
"a quarter of an hour later the train
stopped. not gradually. but with
jerk which sent poker chips flying.
There was a cowboy half out Of every
window in the ear quicker than you
could have cooked Il pistol, for stations
were seldom within 100 miles of each
other in those days and they all knew
that this stop wasn't regular.
Behind and before them the track
stretched as far MS they could SEQ.
while on both sides of them the prairie
spread away to the low edge of the
gray sky. Not Il sound or n movement
except that of the locomotive moving
off at full speed.
lin came the cowboys heads. with n
volley OF hard swearing, and there
stood Lloyd In the doorway, cooler
than ! ut this instant, but holding a
siX-shoOter.
"'You have just five minutes to make
up your minds he said, and his voice
was as steady as his eyes. viii you
pay your fares as honest men. or get
out and tramp 70 the next settlement,
forty miles from here? Our engineer
is within hail of us. and he will not
come back unless | give him the order.
oh. you may murder me, IL you
choose" he cried. stepping further into
the car. as half a dozen pistols were
grabbed. hut don't mean to die alone.
and at the sound of the first shot our
engineer Will he off to bismarck
For one moment the prairie wasn't
stiller than that car load of excited hui
mainly. Then big fellow broke into
n laugh, took his pistols from his belt.
and. laying them on the seat, walked
toward Lloyd, holding out his empty
fists.
shaker he said That was lone
hand, and puckily you played It,.
Boys he cried, Il chap who can look
straight down the muZZles of so many
I'll. a. n