The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-12
! A PEACEMAKER.

Capn jenkins want no dude, but ne
wuz mighty fine lookin all the same,
specially when he wore his velvet coat,
his Mexican sombrero with the silver
braid, his buckskin ridin breeches an
his gilt spurs. On them 'casions Mrs.
Jenkins useter foller him roun till salts
fled tibet he wuz safe 'mongst us boys an
way frum the ladies' None of us he'd ever
seen mother velvet coat like tibet one
within 100 miles of Boomopolis. So when
Mr.. orb Perkins, hailin straight fruln
Boston, ez claimed ter BIO an artist a-hunt-
in "local color" fer his sketches dropped
inter Doc Morey's place with mother vel
vet coat an sombrero, an him jenkins
size ter an inch-why, us boys all fairly
gasped fer breath, an Mr. Perkins found
jest what he wuz a:lookin fer.
'Twuz the oyenin of the day when the
Chinese bunkhouse at the Golden Wedge
mine wuz blowod up with dynamite. Who
bowed her up nobody knew, but we all
sespicionod Badly Bowers-big man, bad
man. Never havin did lick Of work in
his life, 1t materially guv Badly pain ter
SEQ Chinaman a-workin, SO quiet an pa
tiontlike same's a burro, never sayin
nothin, 'cept a leetlo geehawin oncet In
awhile mongst his own kind, an never
standin treat. Baldy probably lit tho fuse
ter tibet charge Of dynamite out Of pure
all roun cussednoss, jest ter make row
an hurt somebody. But in this last he
wuz disappointed, for, barrin broken log
or two, the Cinnamon got off alive. Seems
like Chinaman hez ez many lives ez
cat anyway.
We wuz all discussin this event tibet
evenin in Doc Morey's place, on Cap'n
jenkins remarked tibet twuz low down,
cowardly trick. He wuz no friend of the
imported Chinese hirelln, but he b'lieved
in fair play. He wouldn't shoot dog with
rope roun its neck or murder cat In
its sleep. The man tibet he'd done this
thing wuz no gentleman, an II the cap'n
only knew fer certain who 'twus he'd
take pleasure In lickin him within an inch
of his wuthless life. We could SEQ Badly
Bowers eyes flame up, like coal when
you blow it to light your pipe, but he
didn't say nothin-not In words By an
by the boys commenced ter deal fer seven
up, an Badly invited the cap'n ter play
game Of cribbage. 'Twuz a queer invite
at seoh time, but the capn consented,
an they sot down at table by themselves
oAA wa PAays
Cap'n jenkins insisted 'twuz fair ter
count one way an Badly swore the rule
wuz t'other way. l don't know which
wuz right an don't care. But pretty
soon Badly SEES: "Cap'n Jenkins you're
a-countin wrong ag'in. You're a-tryin ter
cheat ag' in"
you're liar" sed the cap'n, turnin a
shade whittier, like he wuz gettin hot,
Then Badly made leetle play tibet he'd
often took the starch out of bigger men
than Jenkins Flo ziz up to his feet an
throwed off his coat an rolled up his shirt
sleeves, shown the muscles on his arm,
bout ez big ez key Of beer, all he ses,
"Cap'n Jenkins you leetle whiffet, I'm
a-goin ter lick you right now"
YOU'RE liar" sed tho cap'n, an he
slowly riz up on ter his feet.
Nobody rightly knowed jest how it hap
pened, but when Badly drew his big,
sledge hammer fst back the leetle table
tibet they'd been a-playin on few up be-
tween EN-, an Baldy's fist come smash
ag in it, AS it tumbled ter tho floor with
CHATTER Cap'n Jenkins sorter riz up in
tho air an brung his left fist like streak
Of lightnin ag in the pint Of Baldy's chin.
The big Teller jest elapsed. His whole
body stitfened. He gripped the floor geo.
ond or two with his heels an then no went
smash full length on ter his back with
jar tibet shook the buildin. 'Twuz full
five minits by the watch aforo he moved
muscle.
Ez soon's Badly could stan up an take
glass Of whisky he went out Of the back
door, an Cap'n jenkins went out of the
Va rot L.
thing ter come long would be leetle gun
play, an whilo tho two principals gone
fer their tools we all took drink, an
three or four as wuz sensitive ter the sight
OF gore slipped out an spread the news Of
what wuz a-comin.
Tibet wuz how orb Perkins happened
ter pear on tho scene. Havin come ter town
arter dark he wuz eatin his supper at the
Transcontinental when he heercd the
news, an he rushed over ter Moreys think
In he might swipe sketch otf'n the Incl
dent. You could hev knocked us fellers
down with feather when he sprung inter
tho room like he wuz shot out of gun
an looked roun sorter dazed by the lights
ain the queer look on our faces. Skeered
little, too, reckon, fer his voice sorter
trembled as he sed, Gentlemen, will you
hev drink with me9'
Perkins poured out bout q finger of
whisky in a glass an wuz jest -raisin 1t
ter his lips when the back door flung open
-t'r which Perkins back wu5 turned
an big gun come in, follercd by Badly
Bowers. Thout waitin second he pulled
the trigger, amin right at the center of
tibet velvet coat-the back Of it, But
Tony Moore, the barkeep, wuz too quick
fer him all the same. He knocked the
muzzle OF the gun down with an empty
bottle, an the bullet nipped the heel Off Of
Perkins boot, an the blood ran out on ter
the floor. OF course Perkins wuz s'prised.
He catchcd up the heel in his han an stood
an hollered. Jest then the sheriff, who'd
been awaitin outside till after the shoot
In ter arrest tho survivor, If any, come in
an nabbed Badly.
Cap'n jenkins wuz the ca'mest man of
tho lot in the confusion tibet follered Sech
shout as went up when he 'peared OIL
the scene. He he'd six shooter in each
han when he stepped inter the front door,
but he dropped one inter each pocket Of
his velvet coat an stood smilin, first ut
Glib Perkins, artist, still a-howlin with
pain an then at Badly Bowers, who WIZ
" IA ti-p gasp VI tliC itiW'
Mex day tho sheriff tried to git some-
body to swear out mplaint ag in Badly.
But the cap'n scd he WIZ satisfied an
hadn't no c'lnplaint to make. Badly he'd
inGulted him al he he'd licked him good
tibet wuz all right. An Perkins sore heel
didn't hurt him Donc-no fault at all to
find with tibet He b'lieved in brethren
a-dwelin together in unity, an in peace
an harmony an good will. He wuz willln
ter forgive Badly Bowers fer bein licked
an didn't want to sec him sent up tor the
county Jail. No. he want afcared tibet
BGldy d tackle him ag in. Some friend
of Baldy's guy Perkins new $l2 pair of
boots an persuaded him tibet lectle thin
min of his blood wuz good fer his health in
Eech dry climate. SO he wouldn't make
no complaint, an Bowers wuz turned loose
But he left town Same day, an we never
see him ag in.-William NJ Tisdale in
Argonaut.