The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-01
TRICK SHOT JUST IN I'M
LEGERDEMAIN WITH A SHOTGUN
THAT CAME IN HANDY.

w hh AiN twenty htHEt NKo- w NV
Looked Like nm Attempt Mt Murder Was
Something Else-HiRhwnymen Bamed.
1T was about twenty years ago-in the
autumn OF 1870. TO be exact-that a thought
less act OF kindness on my part brought some
important results for my welfare said +. L.
Stafford. who formerly travelled for q ~. Louis
firm In tho country west OF the Missouri River.
Il was taking in the small towns In southeast
orn Kansas. travelling in a buggy from one
To the other. Kansas, particularly in the
southern tiers OF counties. was very differ
ent then from what it is now. There
were no branch railroads 10 speak Of and
the State had not got over the setback
which the grasshoppers had given It four or
five years before. Everybody was poor. with
out much to live on or do with, and | got more
experience Of bad trail and crossroads tavcrus
In two years than 1 would care to repeat In u
lifetime. Travelling by buggy alone. as 1 did.
was not so safe either. II had been only a
few years since the Bender family's graveyard
yielded up its secrets. and people a great deal
better than they. when driven by want. we're
tempted to take every advantage Of a lonely
traveller.
Between Neosho Falls and Kansas City. n
region that saw a great deal OF guerrilla eight
ing during the civil war. much OF the resulting
cussedness OF mankind still fingered in spots.
AANiVs plOhk OhO huys L oNoAtoOh -
young man carrying a gun and a string Of
quail. Iexpected to stay that night at Jim
sens. a little place ten miles ahead. and had
my doubts about the sort OF grub and bed l
should find there. The thought struck me
that quail might help out the fare consider
ably. so 1 pulled up and bantered the young
fellow to sell me the birds.
I'm give you half OF them for a lift 10 Jim
sens he said. I've walked from Neosho and
I'm footsore.' Then he added: L want the
rest OF the birds for my own supper
The young mans appearance bore out his
words. for he showed the marks OF long travel
ling. His clothes had been smart once. but
were now shabby. and the only up-to-date
thing about him was his gun that was Of the
latest pattern, well oiled and in perfect order.
l looked him In the face and his eyes met mine
frankly. 1t was not the part of wisdom. as a
rule. TO pick up trampinR strangers on the
road. and l had an excuse for refusing him in
the condition OF one OF my buggy springs.
which was weak and sagged; but his appear
ance of hard luck touched my pity. and l
wanted the quail.
Jump in l said. and sit light on the seat
when we come to Jolts. for I'd like to have that
buggy spring last to Jimsen's.'
But the spring didn't last half way there.
In a lonely part of the trail. with no house in
10 N'S a. "SAiN INV q lbNs
and we both had to jump out to save being
thrown out. had no idea what to do except
to foot 1t the rest of the way to Jimsen's. lead
ing the horse. but the young fellow with me
had a different notion. Somewhere in his
clothes he found a stout piece of cord and a
jackknife: cutting from q roadside sapling a
lenRth of wood to serve as a splice, he set to
work to mend the spring. He was so ~self-re-
liant and handy about the thing that he rose
several pegs in my estimation. and as the
spring had been sure 70 break anyway. sooner
or later. / began to think 1t was lucky
that l had him along. He got the splice
made all right. but he wanted a stone to use in
hammering a wedge to stiren tho spring. 1
saw at a little distance Off u stone that 1 thought
would serve the purpose. and 8 tarted to get II.
With my back to the stranger, l was Just in the
heard the report OF his gun behind me. as a
heavy charge Of shot pelted past my head and
that the wind Of the shot Mapped my hat brim.
Astonished at this evidently treacherous at
Instantly to follow, I turned and saw the
stranger standing 5ythe buggy with his smok-
WHY did you, try to kill me. you scoun-
He, laughed at my words and look Of dis
II | hadn't fired as did you'd be in bad
There in the bushes, at my very feet. the
body OF q big rattlesnake was writhing and
t SntiI I b, ana out | s s6ms I think st OF srFy atwasD e ms
and the serpent. I might have spared myself
the ! trouble thn Ior whe Rot looked y again saw that
as cleqnIy of as a : knife could have cut. had
The rattler was asleep. and, didn't sound
the alarm I'll you ALMOST stepped on him. the
Fssiisd % at he sa same ,T ti%e. he f i5t5eS R Ras head nS t hns
to say By your leave" before l fired. A half
second more and you'd have caught 1t where
He lifted the snake by the tail. and. holding
i out at arms length on a level with his shonl-
Alive the snake must have measured 81 feet.
It had ID lain /, nd SO 9essr me that b. darting half Its
neck IS%f' hen / q4u stoo %Ssf to sst pick u up t the stone f@sS ny L
was not pleasant to think what might have
hnp1ened II the gun had not done its work SO
on the ratties before he followed me. fRaye
is seen-but l never like to look at them.
co rThs tlGTi aSd q tBe Of iob the %as sg sS 6o %Ss fbu ! dny
out further repairs, As we rode in to Jimson's
new friend told, me that he, was a trick
AZ tournaments and on wagers for . business.
His last venture had been ms q star IN a travel
F al ST and there he had TSTf been pIeft broke to
his way back to Kansas City. He proved
NJ aIs fhsrf he Went fo imto t6e k fR q ss J Won over t the
W. NtS
folks by his barney, and was allowed
to cook the quail for our supper and breakfast.
which he did in the style of a French chef. or
course after what had happened ] could not do
than pay his way and make him welcome
to u seat in my buggy for tho rest Of the trip to
City.
I'VE had to go overtho worst part Of, the route
next day-the worst In point Of roads and in
the class OF people we were likely to meet along
he way-and / was not sorry for company.
train-robbing gangs were still at work in
and liable to be lurking between
Jobs on either side of the Kansas border, and
The, Indian Territory desperadoss sometimes
took a shy at business as far north when things
got hot for them in their own country. As we
logged along. Carson-Leander Carson was the
my friend gave as his. and proved its
by exhibiting to me q show bill. in
he was set forth as the Worlds Cham
Dion ,shot-kept his gun in hand. and hagged a
luail or squirrel here and there by the road
side. which gave our journey something the
air Of a hunting trip. But / made our stops
short ones. and pushed the horse all that he
would stand. not wanting to be caught over
in tho bad country,
dusk overlook us in the last five-mile stage
II the days journey. and Just as the roadside
rces and bushes began TO look 'pokerish In
he gloom the horse SHE'D, nearly upsetting the
buggy. and a man with a black handkerchief
led round the lower part of his face started
,on,n yh 81 IL tho JnrIynaaa and .nt,nI