Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-05

that ever loved the sound of his own voice,
ana yet he was bad and dangerous way
down to the ground and underneath it.
When he was drunk he would relate the
history of his life in nine languages, and
then whistle it, as the saying goes, solely
tor the purpose of enticing some new ar
rival to call him, and he always looked
grieved and disappointed when there was
no one around to make such a bad break
He loved tenderfeet for the fun he had with
them, and this is the reason the fairy tale
ABOUT his having been corralled by one OF
them was such good reading for me.
Two young fellows from Camden. N j.
struck Leadville in the fall of '7S. Each of
them carried two big silver-mounted pis-
tolls in his new belt, and their knives were
new and shiny. They were pretty strap
ping young men, as matter of fact, but
they talked too much-and a new man in
l'eadViile had to cheep pretty low in those
days until the layout had time to size him
up and properly label him, so to speak.
1nese Two young men, who seemed to have
plenty of money, in addition to their fine
outfits, didn't appear to understand Lead
Vile ethics, however, and they toured
around among the gin mills talking a
heap. They We're both fairly well loaded
up by the time they got around to Nat
Brinkerhoff's Red Light saloon and this
made them more garrulous than. ever.
Lillibridge, quiet for once, stood at the bar
when they walked in. He looked at their
1lne toggery and shiny weapons with aston
fshment on his face, but without saying
word One of the young men, the more
bo1sterous OF the two, finally noticed I.illi-
bridge.
You're pretty husky looking, pard,' said
he, with dismal attempt at the manner
of the frontier swashbuckler. Name your
poison
''Thurston didn't bat an eye or say a word
for full minute. Then he seemed to
emerge from his trance, shook himself to-
gether and strolled up to the two young
men from Camden.
-" Can you two kids run at 'lope? he in
quired, with mock Difference.
Run? said the one who had addressed
him. Certainly we can run. but we don't
make a business of it. Why?
Because said Lillibridge, hitching up
his trousers, us three are a-goin' to play
boss
Huh? inquired the talkative youth, in
"'Hoss. I saidr shouted Lillibridge.
We're a-goin' to play boss. 1 want to find
out if you can 'lope in harness as fast as
you can talk
LAS he spoke he suddenly threw a rope
over the two young mems shoulders, hang
ing on to the two loose ends himself, hold
Ing them in his left hand. With his right
he reached for one of his guns and planted
ball about an inch from each of the young
mems heels.
Cit apr he howled, and the two Cam
den boys were out of the door in a second
Lillibridge right behind them with the rens
IN his left hand, and still kicking up the
dust at their heels with the gun in his right
Go a-humpin! Shake it up! Jest hit
them between the cracks of his gum until
they fairly dragged him along, swift run
ner as he himself was so fast was the pace
the gun persuaded them to take up. Up
and down Main street he drove them, the
town taking it in with bowls of joy
Whoa, there! yelled LiIlibridge when
he had brought his team back to their
starting place. Lillibridge unwound the
rope from them, and then famed himself
with his hat and waited for the return of
his wind.
You Shetlands are not so bad on the
60. he said finally. but you can't run like
and when and where to unship your guns
from your purity new belts before you un-
dertaAe to pack EN- around with you. Why
didn't you shoot me up some?'
1.-The young fellows looked sheepish. but
said nothing. Lillibridge took them under
ms protection from that night, and in time
they learned how to make bluff good
This same Thurston Lillibridge was the
only man who ever had the drop on that
quick trigger man. Bat Masterson, for a
minute. He crept up behind Masterson one
day and with a quick movement grabbed
both of the marshals guns out of his belt
Masterson wheeled around and found him.
self covered by Lillibridge with his own
guns. He stood stock still, expecting to
| several growls with Lllibridge. Lillibridge
lowered the guns and handed them back to
Masterson, butts foremost.
That's one I've got on you, Bat said
Lillibridge, and it's up to you never to
come a-gunnin' for me. marshal or no mar
shall. no matter what I do. Just pass that
up to some one else
That goes said Masterson, briefly, and
1t did, Notwithstanding the fact that there
was many time afterward when it was
up to Masterson to gather Lillibridge in or
make finish of it with him.
1.-The real bad man has always been bois-
terously bad, and the quiet, cool bad man
has never been anything else but sIinker
and counterfeit