The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-14
HE NJ COYOTE PETE"
BAD MAN COMES TO GRIEF IN 4
SWAGGERING CAREER.

ne was n typlVhl Dhu mum, u mOueTnlNeU eul-
tion OF the Terror Of Bitter Creek" half
horse. half alligator:' n survival Of the period
from 40 TO the early '70s, when it was good
form to at least claim a man for breakfast every
morning. This particular bad man was an
initiative relic. TO be sure, OF his predecessors
In the days OF prairie sohooners and pioneer
railroad building in the West, and his name was
Coyote Pete" for want OF a better.
Pete's early education. as we'll az his later
Notwithstanding. had been neglected. He
did not read the newspapers. and he still called
parsons gospel shnrps." He usually herded
by himself. The average cowboy of to-day has
little use for mon Of Pete's stamp. The cow
boy OF the present is intelligent, sober and
Woodworking. Pete was not.
Pete had been engaged In the fall roundup In
Routt county, Colorado. At least, he said so. At
the same time there were those who haddoubts.
Up across the line in Wyoming the cattle e rus
tiers" had been unusually active that season.
and many a cattle mar and rancher was seek
ing revenge for losses from his herds.
1t IL needless, however. to split hairs over
this somewhat delicate question. BE it as it
may. Pete had money. His buckskin boosted
nearly S83-more than he had ever accum-
ulated at any three former seasons OF his lazy.
vaGabond life. So Pete was going to have q
good time. "a rlpsnortin' galoot OF n time" as
he expressed it; only Pete was q profane biped,
and said more.
From his alkuli retirement Pete had envi-
ously contemplated the rise of Creedc. when
there was mo night at Creede,'' beside being
day all day in the daytime" as the engineer
poet has correctly and felicitously expressed It.
The faint and exaggerated rumors that reached
him OF the exploits Of Bob Ford. who shot
Jesse James from the rear. filed him with ieal-
GUS delight, and when Bob himself was
filed with unceremonious buckshot and rele-
gated to the new but well-hlled cemetery to
which the enterprsing citizens of Creole
pointed with Just pride. Pete felt that the man
tie Of the late unlamented ought by right to
fall on his own narrow shoulders. Now Pete
was by nature and custom a rank coward, who
seldom reached the falsely dignihed grade Of
bully. In fact, the whiskey had to be unusually
vile and the victim unusually meek In order to
| allow him to play the bully at all; and those
who knew him generally kicked him about the
| time he reached the bullying stage.
But Pete's opportunity had come at last.
| His purse was full and so was he. Hard riding
| on his bucking cayuse had brought him from
Routt county-or Wyoming-to Wolcott, where
the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad stretched
| toward the peach orchards OF Grand junction
on the one hand and toward Denver on the,
other. But Pete was not going to Dem
YER. TIL capital city had got to be alto
gether too slow and orderly. There a gen.
tleman was not allowed to explode his gun
nor to yell on the streets in token Of
good feeling and an excessive flow Of
spirits. Cripple Creek was the only place.
in the opinion OF Coyote Pete. Denver was not
to be thought OF in connection with a cowboys
UGc sn t nj i did did not tSs Occur DsNiGn to Pete, t Mho b dId b n2f
mistaken conceptions regarding Cripple Creek.
All he knew or cared about it was that IT was a
mining camp where thing were supposed to
be wide open. and where q man got his W
kind Of an inning for his money money nj his dirty
and drunken glory primed and cinched for an
evening Of enjoyment on Bennett avenue in
wear StaeI'' Several sturdy, and unappreeiatiye
brakemen had effectually. demonstrated with
Ri% fG ali iF ese : Way upon pom yS Woiso ct the to t 6oio OF Ids
SS 6Te n sSvi;d rs e 0! BSt fsee n csre g fiIRtfffl a }o4 These Rsss
days before the big fires still Cripple Greek
called Se SSaiati sa.S0n into Ght one 'o of t tRese r reefed
Coyote, Pete. and wabbling up to the bar he
he Reffa ond hyS inmegined Of Bob Ford in il the palm ny
days Of nightless Creole,
oMhoopee WRauGh l Look at me- I'm 10y
licked in my lifel Thirteen notches on my gun
an achin' ter insert more. Les Ticker: N9,
Every saloon has its loafnR contingent, and
half a dozen men ranged themselves promptly
than otherwise. while the g~entlemanly bar
bottle containing the brand Of LIQUOR popuiarly
known as "hackman's ,whiskey" in front OF
the thirsty gang. He 3;,t I'D not care for an such 9 , Gus,
non9tusgd atIds reception. batc1id mot de;
spafr; He had not played all his cards. and
now looked for a chance to place the trump.
ting nSS dreamiiyS beside the glowing o stove 7 in the
own reflections. Here was Pete's chance. He
lurched over to where the man sat and trod
Pardon me-" said the man. withdrawing his
injured members.
ot eI PePs. y ySep' SSt n@pfSP OF fe Eo S,RfF c1nnfy, C TSo
has axed yer to drink with him, Stranger. no
man ever refused to drink with Coyote Pete
be the f~o,teenth victim OF Coyote Pete's Ener-
The stranger stared at Pete with, a look Of
daZed surprise. Then he, reached his right
was too Quick Tor him, In an, instant the
stranger was looking into the gazing mnzzle Of
q Sd TsSy9iysaT' held In II the R Rnsffs sdyh hand Il td dfd Se Sdt
prise. He disreGarded' the revolver and drew
which he, fondiiyy caressed.
al Al I'd hay haze you r Killed ID oWRl W.T. thi r S=caa men IN
ing. Time was when a gallant knight in search
OF adventure. such as you, sir, seem TO- be;
he did not send to their last accounts a greater
number in one short day. ,
the ~t st hSla in myd f bT tbiis n tIm isi every f I9afeF Red
deserted the bar and was standing near the
ment-'a little book called The Legends OF
King Arthur and His Knights whom Tenny-
son well called a glorious company sI115 the flower
ing pages2 Nor You have. indeed. missed
to look fierce. he felt as II the stranger was
calling him names. but didn't seem to grasp
the language used.
""As knigh Grant. continued the stranger.
now ,oblivious to all but his subject, you
should read and profit by this wonderful book,
striving for and after greater things. Why,
you are hardly to be considered at all, my
friend friend witt With K yi9Gr beffEG@rlyE im Thirteen who Siet n@r.
formed sHSh deeds Of yaior upon the slope Of
chronicier,' King Arthur, by himself alone,
slew with his sTord, Exeaiihur Az heather y,
'Pete's pistol dropped to the floor and ex-
ploded. taking of part OF the shoe OF one Of the
loafers. Another secured the gun and started
for a pawnshop without a word OF rcmon-
STRANGE from the terror OF Routt county. Pete