The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-10-08

Then ] 2m either going 10 win on
this investment old Buck said. 'U.
am going TO smash the game.
"Well. the play was made aid In III
,le more than second Bucks money
went into the gamblers pocket Buck
waited o moment then he said slowly
"1 remarked that I was going to
win or else smash the game. Well. |
didn't win. 30 I'll just
"Ano before anybody knew what he
intended to do he had reached over.
caught ho gambler by the arms. swung
him over his head and brought him
down broadside across the table with
all the strength he possessed. The
game was smashed. the boards In the
table were splInterod. and the gam
bier lay on the floor as limp as a rag.
Everybody thought at first that
Buck had killed the fellow. but they
were mistaken. The chap lived. but u
was o. long time before he was able to
walk step. or even TO stand ON his
feet u Us safe TO bet. though. that he
never tried any more skin games on
cowboys"
The old saying that sooner or later
every man Will meet his match" proved
true IN Buck Rogers case. For years
he rode the range. unconquered and
invlncble and victor In every con-
test with man or beast Hut he ut last
met biz match. lie went up against
a thing in comparison to which he was
a mere feather In plain words. he
''bucked cyclone.
One Saturday afternoon In July Bvc
was down at Dodge City. The toy a
was full Of cowboys. but they were not
very lively. The day was intensely hot
and suliry. and oven a cowboy did not
| feel Inclined to exert himself unneces-
sarlly. The usual amount Of liquor
was disposed Of. however. and old Buck
managed 10 take care Of his portion.
Along about the middle Of the after
noon a black cloud came up from tho
cost and another from the west These
clouds advanced and met overhead. and
then began TO conduct themselves In a
most peculiar manner They rolled
and tumblod and pitched and chnrncd.
and twisted IN and out among them
selves.
Tho street was lined with people who
watched these clouds nnxlously. for
every one felt assured that cyclone
was brewing. People had left their
homes and the stores and shops. and
the cowboys had left the saloons-at
least. those OF them who were not
too drunk. Old Buck had mounted his
broncho and was standing In the road
In front Of the postoflce.
Pretty soon there came sweeping
across the prairie from the west a mass
OF black cloud. funnel-shapod and
brlstllng with electricity. Every one
knew IA an instant what that meant.
The dreaded cyclone had appeared.
Some OF the people fed In search OF
places OF safety. some dropped down
right where they stood and began to
wall and pray. while others stood, open
mouth and dumb. staring stupidity at
the terrible engine Of destruction. But
old Buck Rogers did none OF theae
things.
AZ the FIRST cry that cyclone was
coming he tore on his hat and threw Il
down In the road. gave one long. un-
earthly yell OF defiance. and dashed
down the street right toward the cy-
clones track. As he went he cried:
I've never seen the thing yet that
was able to do old Buck Rogers up. ant
I've fought white men. Indians ant
bears. I'm not the man to be scared o.
a little wad OF wind and cloud. Who
o-O-p-e-e-eN'
The people watched him as he racet
out across the prairie. his long hal
flying and his face set squarely to thu
front. They saw him as he bore dowl
toward the cyclone. and above the roa
OF the wind they heard the shout o
defiance which he gave out The mex
moment they saw the mighty moylnl
monster and the man meet. They saw
the latter swallowed up In that blhcl
cloud. That was all.
, In a minute the cyclone had passed
II had missed the town, and the poopl
brcathed easy once more.
: Immediately n party went out II
. search OF old Buck. and after a lon
hunt somebody found him. lie wa
/, hanging In the forks Of a cottonwoo
tree. about twenty feet from tn
ground. and jammed down so tight be
tween the limbs that he could no
move. His broncho lay ten yard
, away. stone dead, Buck was rescue
and carried back to town. more dea
than alive. The doctor examined hir
! and found that while his injuries woul
% not prove fatal he would be crlppl
for life when he heard the announce
% ment old Buck groaned, lie looked q
, the cowboys who collected about hiT
and said:
Boys. I'm done, went up againi
a crittor at last that was too much 10
me. | was licked fair; and from no
ON I'm gentle as lamb. When littl
;, wad of wind and cloud can pick a ma
: up and toss him into the fork OF
\ tree like that done me, It's time fc
a that man 10 pull In his horns and shl
mp shop as a fighter. I've got no MOI
., 10 say. and after this, II a lO-year-ol
r. boy wants TO lick me he can do IT,
4 In the course OF time old Buck WI
able 10 get about. but he was never q
- same man. His spirit was completed
= broken. lie had lost all zest for nigh