The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-01-27
WON BY A LONE HAND

The speaker was one OF group OF men
lounging on the deck of the Great North
west, which few hours earlier had com
Inenced her slow upward progress against
the mighty current of the Yellowstone.
He was prosperous ranchnan of Mon
tana, returning from an eastern visit
I'VE all get our chances, he resumed,
after puff or two at his pipe and "a pleased
glance around the observant circle. 1T Is
our fault, not the Lords, If we don't keep
hold of them Chances that may look as
full of sting as chestnut bur- but that
hold sweet kernels of success for the man
who has the pluck and the cleverness to
grasp them And I'll tell you a story with
that text II you like--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 Bis
marck, where the company economically
shunted the sleepers before rushing away
from civilization
$50 the train which started from Zenith
City one November morning was made up
az usual of a passenger car, a box car and
the locomotive, while its quite unusual
number of travellers was composed entire
ly of party of 20 cowboys.
They meant TO go east for such a length
of time as their cash would endure, and
though it was burning in their packets to
be spent they were resolved not to waste
any of 1t in railway tickets-a resolve Of
which they informed the conductor when
he came TO them about half an hour out
from Zenith City.
HE was a young fellow, as were the
cowboys. Everything was young in Mon
tana In those days. This chap Lloyd. how
ever, was slim built, with color that
changed like a 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.
80 The company will take money for
fares also, said Lloyd, without glancing
at the gathering crowd.
When the company can get it, some
body chuckled
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 to begin with, and
the whole carful after us, for not l cent of
our earnings is going into the money bags
of your swindling company!
You will hurt me much moro than
the company he said when he could get
hearing. i shall lose my place IL L don't
collect your fares
" THAT is your lookout
We amt going to tell your boss II
you keep quiet
There is a greed for torturing animals
which disfigures most human nature from
Spanish bull baiters to those rat fighters
down east So those bright eyes OF Lloyd's
didn't meet any moro encouragement than
did Father Noah's the first time he took a
squint at the flood through one of the port
holes of the ark.
Without speaking he stood, very pale
and still for moment, looking at the open
pocketbook in his hand, while they all
stared at him, grinning and jeering Pres
emily the color rushed back over his face,
and shutting his book with snap he went
out of the car.
He was followed by roar of laughter
and facetious yells
"Then the crowd returned to poker play
ing, some of them just a bit discontinued
with their victory and muttering that 20
to was too big odds for any chap, 'spe-
cially slim, little chap with fists which
couldn't hold their own against kid.
"A quarter of an hour later the train
stopped, not gradually, but with a jerk
which sent poker chips flying. There was
cowboy half out of every window In the
car quicker than you could have cooked a
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 as they could see, while on
both sides the prairie spread away to the
low edge of the gray sky. Not a sound or a
movement except that of the locomotive
moving off at full speed
In came the cowboys heads with a
volley of hard swearing, and there stood
Lloyd in the doorway, cooler than am
this instant, but holding a six shooter
"'You have just five minutes TO make
up your minds ne said, and his voice was
as steady as his eyes. Will you pay your
fares as honest men or get out and tramp
to the next settlement 40 miles from herc2
Our engineer is within hail Of US, and he
will not come hack unless give him the
order. Oh, you may murder me If you
choosep he cried stepping farther into the
car rs half a dozen pistols were grabbed,
but don't mean to die alone, and at the
sound of the first shot our engineer will be
off to Bismarck.
For one long moment the prairie
wasn't stiller than that carload of excited
humanity. Then big fellow broke into
laugh, took his pistols from his belt and
laying them on a seat walked toward
Lloyd, holding out his empty fists.
'Shakei he said. That was a lone
hand, and pluckily you played 1t. Boys,
he cried, a chap who can look straight
down the muzzles Of 10 many cowboy
shooters for the sake of doing his duty
that chap will make the kind of partner
most of us want to yoke with II he will
let us, eh2'
Well, sir, all crowds are alike. whether
cattle OF men they follow leader. Then
the fares were paid as fast as Lloyd could
take them And that Is the end of this
story.
Where Is Lloyd nowf In Helena; state
| senator from - county.
Where Is the fellow who stood by hint"
he laughed jovially. Neither he nor his
whereabouts point the moral of this tale
But when Lloyd runs for governor, as he
will next year, he shall have my vote, for
ho r,,yo a., xvi m m INV raco ho optors ~