The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-24

ing bees and was the bosom friend OF
the deputy city marshal. However, L
ventured TO ask:
. How many men has Stoneall
killed since he came here from Calves
ton?'
Mac, strangely enough. evaded my
question Don't clear your throat on
the street If the old mans within mile
of you. That's ALL.
II was annoyed and somewhat
alarmed. / must confess. To learn that
in the liberty-loving Lone Star state
man should be debarred from exercising
the inalienable right to use his own
throat on penalty of sudden death was
irritating TO say the least. Singularly
enough | seemed possessed by desire
TO do the very thing forbidden by the
old bank president. / found myself fol-
lowing him up and down Main street,
my throat growing dryer and death
nearer every minute. One day | broke
the spell. l took a holiday of "a hours,
went over to Dallas, got well primed
and let my throat have free and undis-
puted sway in all its functions.
II lived in Forth Worth long enough
to see old Stoneall's power wrested
from him. His bank got into difficulties
and there We're rumors that it would
not be safe for the cashier to show UP
at the bank when the old man was
awake. My, but that cashier must have
had grudge against himself. He in
vited swift death on one summer after
noon by visiting the bank for the
avowed purpose Of having it out with
the fire-eating president Our little Pop
daily was about going to press. Re
porter McAdam had turned in his last
item when suddenly two shots in rapid
succession We're heard
They're off. shouted Mac. Old
Stoneall's at it. There's gun play over
at the bank. Come on
"As we busted up the street / felt
that CORY news stared at me in my ca
pacity as editor and that a genuine
Texas shooting bee was on the carpet.
a fusilade greeted my ear as we neared
the entrance to Stonealls bank Just
then the negro bootblack, who could
sleep peacefully through an earthquake,
dropped from his stool at the bank door,
and, on all fours, scrambled across the
street, yelling:
"'Ahm dun fob. shuah, Cap Stone
alls killed mel
'Of course. he wasn't seriously hurt.
A stray bullet, winging its way through
the glass panel, had struck that doing
darkey on top of the head and had
ploughed furrow along his scalp.
Surely / know that shrinking figure,
drawn up in the shadow of the door
way with hands close to his sides and
head jammed tightly in the corner. Yes,
it was the valiant city marshal Evil
IDENTIFY the bloodshed inside was not
over, for again and again shots rang
out. Then quiet reigned. The marshal
relaxed from his attitude Of rigidity,
his paunch and his valor became APP
parent once more, and as he opened the
door and entered the bank Mac and /
followed. The gun play was over.
"And old Stoneall and the cashier
had shot each other to pieces? asked
the inquirer for facts about life in
Texas.
"'Well. not exactly replied Drifter.
They had used up all their ammuni-
ton Old Stoneall had been shot through
the flowing tails of his old black frock
coat. The cashier had lost about an
eighth of an inch off the tip of one ear.
The furniture was pretty well shot up,
to be sure, the darby bootblack didn't
get over his fright for a week and 4
have always harbored the suspicion
that the marshal was rather scared
himself that day, but the principals, as
in the other gun play i told of, were
none the worse for their little shooting
match
Mac wrote the story of the shooting.
We published it. and the next time /
met old Stoneall on the street ] took
chances. ! deliberately cleared my
throat | had made up my mind that
before he could kill me he would have
used up more cartridges than a man
ordinarily carries in Texas. Yes. ! es-
capped" concluded Drifter Il think old
Stoneall's spirit was broken. He didn't
kill anybody while | was in Texas, and
never mixed in any more gun plays
after the one al the bank.