Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-02

! alt over NHOuEU II SttIUtu u quarter VI
hour as | watched. The halt-breed made a
| felnt at the others neck as he jumped for
ward, but changed the direction OF the blow
as he delivered It, so that the thrust was
really at his right side The negro, however,
parried II so well that the sparks flew as
the two knives clashed. He parried with a
downward stroke, and, swinging his arm
around in a quick return, twisted his wrist
over, so as to bring his edge forward in a
! back handed awkward looking slash at the
| others juguar.
awkward as 1t looked IL was the wick
edest blow ever raw struck, and must have
been either an inspiration or the result OF
long study and practice. His elbow was
raised in bringing the knife back as he did,
and the half-breed, unable to get his KNIFE
| back quickly enough to parry after 1t had
| been struck downward, ducked Just in time
to save his neck, but got a glancing blow
across the scalp that laid 1t open. Closing
| in after this frightful beginning, they broke
! each other'a guard and stabbed and slaShed
| till they both fell. The half-breed's knife
was driven squarely into the negro's heart,
| and his victim never moved after he fell.
Twas no victory, however, for the negro as
/ he got his death blow, avenged himself with
| q terrific slash across the throat that hair
| beheaded his enemy, and after few seconds
! and one or two convulsive shudders, he, too
| was dead"
There was little pause after this story
/
Presently some one asked him to tell an
other.
IL was in Loadvile soon after the carbon
ate fever had made that place the hottest
| anywhere near the great divide, he said.
"You see, our firm makes specially OF small
arms which is why have paid so much at
tention to them. Fully one-third of my trade
Is in revolvers and pick up great many
orders in any new place where there is
rush, for, of course, every man VINO goes
thinks he needs a pistol, whether he does
or not and although he Is certain to carry
one with him, he is very likely, for some
reason or another, to buy new one when
he gets a chance. and the local traders all
keep them in stock. | suppose LeadVille
for the first year or so after the rush began
was about as 'wide-open' as any town ever
was. The boom was a mighty one. and there
was more money there than was really con-
ducive to morality. | stayed there two or
three days longer than really needed TO- lot
| wG3 interested and | wanted to learn as
much as possible about it. knowing that IL
the growth continued l would have to go
there frequently.
A KNIFE ARTIST.
zone day l had just finished dinner when
a stranger spoke to me in the hotel. OF
course he invited me to drink. That's the
way YOU introduce yourself in such places
when you seek friendly acquaintance, and
there are no other circumstances to lead to
conversation. We chatted for minute
or two, and then the stranger, whose name
| afterward learned was Harry Connor or
Black Harry for short, asked me II | was
not selling hardware / told him | was and
he said he wanted to buy a knife. l said
had some knives with me, but only as
samples, and that of course | never sold
samples. Well he said, that's the reason
came to you. l hunted the town over this
morning to find knife, and | couldn't find
hat rnrth I
probably you might have one or two good
ones, and that you would sell one. l don't
care what the price Is, so 1t suits me-. still
refused, but he persisted so urgently that
finally consented to show him what l had
thinking that when he haG picked out the
one he wanted | could make some excuse
for refusing to sell it. So we went to my
room and looked over my samples.
81 never saw man examine a knife as h
did the one he selected. / had, perhaps,
forty different ones, but he gave only a
glance at the lot, and picked out the best
one there in an instant. Picking it up he
weighed it in his hand, turned 1t over and
over, ran the edge of II across the back of
his thumb nail a barber tries razor.
ficked the point with his nail scrutinized
every fractional part of the blade and hilt.
and then, grasping 1t firmly, swung his arm
in the prettiest sort of knife-play, as If
testing its weight and balance still more
carefully. Then, stepping over to a wooden
bottomed chair, he drove the blade squarely
through the inch-and-a half wood with a
powerful blow 1t was a remarkable dis
play of strength, but nothing to what fol-
lowed, for it was comparatively easy to drive
the blade in, but | did not think II could
be pulled out without splitting the wood
Connor, however, put his left hand on the
chair near the knife, and pulled it out with
out trouble.
Then he threw It at a knot in the
wooden partition that separated my room
from the next and left the knife sticking
squarely in the knot l exclaimed in sur
prise. for he had thrown distance of at
least twelve feet, and he looked at me with
a little smile which l didn't at first under
stand.
That's a pretty good throw | said. DO
you think so? he answered indifferently, and
when | said Yes he stepped over to the
partition and drew out the knife, still smil-
ing, and stepping back twelve feet, threw it
again.
This time l was amazed for he had
struck the exact spot he had hit at first. /
examined it closely, and | could see but
one mark after he had drawn the knife out
the second time. OH That's nothing he
said, and with the point of the knife he
scratched rough circle on the wood about
the size of mans hand. Stepping back to
whore he stood before, he turned his back
to the target, and then, looking at it over
his right shoulder, he threw the knife over
MS lelt STICKING IL lalrly In the target
Then he reversed the trick throwing over
his right shoulder, and finally, planting
himself carefully in the same place, he
looked quickly over his shoulder, and then
turning his face directly away, threw the
knife over his head, striking the same target
and leaving the knife an inch deep in the |
wood.
81 want that knife he said, rather |
peremptorily, and / want it just $50 worth
And he pulled a $50 greenback out Of his |
pocket and laid 1t on the table. l took the |
money l thought man who could use a |
knife like that ought to have a good one. |
And then l was travelling to make money, an |
the price a long one, even for that |
knife, and it was the best l had. / was |
very sorry, though. before the next day, that |
had broken my rule not to sell samples.
THE THROW THAT KILLS.
"Men walked in the middle Of the street at !
night in Leadville at that time, but the |
entrances to the barrooms and the gambling !
saloons were brightly lighted so that II was |
safe enough going in or out OF them, as |
rule. / had started out in the evening to |
see little more of what was going on and |
had looked in at three or four gambling |
bells before | came to one where Black |
Harry sat playing faro. He was a white |
man. fast enough but OF dark complexion |
that gave him his nickname. l heard after |
ward that he had lived a long time with |
Indians further west, and | have no doubt |