Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-08-28

again distinguished himself. One day
a lot of rustlers and all around thieves
and cut-throats rode into town, and
proceed to have fun. They rode up anG
down the main street firing right and
left until they scared everybody in
doors. Then they went into the prin-
cipal saloon of the place for liquor.
Jim happened to be in the saloon at
the time, and as usual had no gun
with him. Those fellows caught sight
of him, and as he was the freshest
looking duck they had seen for many
a day, they started in to have fun with
him. The leader of the gang was
rufian called Long Haired Pete AS
soon as he saw Dupree he pulled his
gun and sent bullet through the floor
right between Jim's feet.
"sGive US dance, and be - live
ly about it," shouted Pete, while bis
gang gathered around to see the fun.
"Jim got up without word, and
started in to dancing regular old
Kentucky ak-down. Those fellows
thought he was scared almost to death.
He danced around in a circle, and as
he came in front of the leader of the
gang his foot suddenly shot up, and
caught Long Haired Pete squarely
under the chin. The ruffian meas
ured his length on the floor.
"Quick as flash Jim leaped forward
and snatched the two pistols carried
by the leader of the gang. Then, with
smile as innocent as that of boy,
he covered the gang, and told them all
to dance.
"They hesitated for moment. Then
Jim sent bullet through the toe of
Pete's boot, and another through the
hat of Lon Spivey, a member of the
gang. They danced then, and at the
first sign of let-up, Jim would shoot
a button off some mans coat, or clip
off lock of long hair with bullet.
"Without taking his eyes off the
tgang, Jim told the barkeeper to send
out and get all the boys to come in
and see the fun. They all came quick
enough, and Jim kept that gang of
outlaws there dancing until some of
them dropped to the floor exhausted.
"Then he made every man of them
hand over his gun to the barkeeper,
after which he ordered drinks for the
crowd. When the fun was over, he
told Pete to take his gang and get out
of the territory as fast as possible, and
never come back. That gang rode
out of town the sickest looking lot of
tough men I ever saw, and that was
the last ever seen of them in that part
of the country.
"Soon after that Jim gave up min
ling and took to gambling. He had
learned how to play old sledge on the
farm down in Kentucky, and it did
not take him long to learn all the 9TH
er games played in the town. Jack
Otis ran the biggest gambling house
in the place, and he was nervy sport,
but it was said that he was not always
on the level.
"One night Jim and Jack sat down
to game of old sledge for big stakes,
and Jim won all the gamblers money,
and on the last hand won the entire
outfit of his place. Jack was in a
rage, and making a charge of cheating,
he started to draw. He never got his
gun half way out of the scabbard.
Jim dropped him quick as flash, and
when the body had been removed, he
took possession Of what he had VOL,
the gambling house and all the money
in it.
A BLUFF THAT WORKED.
"He ran the game for month with
fair success. Otis had had lot of
friends in the town, toughs, every one
of them, and they set out to do Jim at
the first chance. Ope night there was
a big game of faro going on, with jim
behind the table dealing. The place
was full of the toughest fellows in the
territory, all of them friends of the
dead gambler.
"A chap known as Broncho Sam
was playing high stakes. He had
been losing right along for an hour.
Suddenly he got up and with an oath,
charged that Jim had rung in a cold
deck. That was a signal that had
been agreed on by the gang for they
had decided that in the fight that was
expected to follow they would do Rat
tlesnake Jim.
"When Jim looked up dozen of the
gang had drawn their guns, and they
had him covered dead to rights. For
second Jim faced them with that old
Kentucky farm smile on his face, and
then he spoke very quietly, at the
same time fixing his eyes on man al
the back of the room: 81 don't care
a. for you fellows with your guns
out you don't dare shoot, not one of
you; but if that t-----ba back
there makes a move to draw, I'll drop
him in his tracks,!
"It was cold bluff, but it worked
like charm. On the instant every
man who had his gun out turned to
see who the chap in the back of the
room was. That was just what Jim
wanted. When the gang turned again,
he had the drop on them with a gun
in each hand.
"But Broncho Sam was full, and he
tried 10 bring his gun up again. A