Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-05-15

upstairs, trying to beat the faro lay
outs.
:" Hey, SIS said Freeman to the
tenderfoot as soon as he got into the
room, you thump that thing purity
well, don't you? But there's one
thing I never seen you do, an that's
play the piano an waltz at one an the
same time. Never teached you t. do
that, did they? You ever seen him do
it, Chop?' he asked his pal, turning
to Pollock.
Not any, said Pollock. But it
sounds as if it ought to work pretty
good
I don't know how it 'ud work,
said Freeman, because never seen it
did. But I got a powerful hankerin'
t. see it, Sis, s'pose you heave us
one O. them doublin'-up stunts I'm
a-talkin' about. I've heearn you do
tn key punchin' end of it; but
want some ballay with it. Go aheadr
"T don't danth,' replied the tender
foot.
"'Oh, yeth you do chimed in Pol
lock, initiating the tenderfoot's lisp.
You can danth all right. You got to
danth.'
ct thay, you fellowth,' began the
piano-playing tenderfoot, I'm not feel
ing we'll tonight, and thith it'll no time
/ to-
'Danth!' shouted both Freeman
and Pollock together, suddenly pull
! ing their guns, and both of the bull
| ioc Tod ho11 in in0 nf
the tenderfoot's heels, the bullets bor-
ing through the soft pine floor.
"Algernon Montelair struck up 'On
the Beautiful Blue on the piano, at
the same time shutting his feet about
clumsily in time with the music. His
gyrations tickled the two devils be-
mind him to the limit. They roared
out directions and when the tender
foot's movements seemed to slacken
from WEAKNESS they put another
pair of bullets through the floor close
to his feet, and he went on with re-
newed energy. There were a number
of men in the front part of the saloon
who didn't like the thing little Bit
but they kept out of it from motives
of prudence. The tenderfoot played
the waltz through and danced to it
twice before his tormentors grew
weary of the fun and let up on him by
walking up to the piano and bringing
their paws down on the keys together.
They had put away their guns.
'F"That'll do you, sis, said Freeman.
I knowed you could danth, an you've
proved it. You danth like you were
born to it, Your mother must ha'
been a ballay danther, or else
Freeman was walking toward the
front room with Pollock as he said
this.
"T thay, you,' called Tenderfoot
Algernon Montclair after him, in a
quiet tone of voice, and Freeman turn
ed around to seeswhat the key puncher
wanted. AS he did so he saw the ten
derfoot standing with his back to the
piano and a gun in each hand. There
were two almost simultaneous re-
ports, and both of Buck Freeman's
arms were broken close to the Shout
ders. Chop Suey' was quick on the
trigger, and he had his two guns out
before the tenderfoot's pair belched
forth a couple more flashes. Then
Pollock's twin guns fell to the floor
like SO much junk. Both of his arms
were broken, too.
"'You dirty dogth,' said the tender
foot to the two helpless DULLES, as
they stood and looked at him savagely
with their shattered arms at their
sides, and then he walked over to
them and spat in their faces, one after
the other. Freeman gave a sudden
reach out with his right boot as if to
trip the tenderfoot-his idea probably
being to get the piano player down
and stamp the life out Of him-but the
tenderfoot, whose mild blue eyes were
now blazing, was too quick. He hop
ped back out of reach like a boxer
and with his right-hand gun he bored
hole fair and plump through Buck
Freeman's forehead. Pollock begged
for his life like a cur, and the tender
foot, after looking him over doubtfully
for full minute, gave it to him. He
took Chop Suey' by the back Of his
shoulders and kicked him all the way
to the front door, where he thrust him
across the wood pavement into the
gutter Then he got his hat and start
ed out. Meanwhile the whole crowd
from upstairs had come down, having
heard the shooting. They held the
tenderfoot up, and for ten minutes he
had his hand shaken as it was prob
ably never shaken before, and he
would have been blind paralyzed on
champagne that cost $12 bottle if he
had consented to drink it.
"He walked up the street couple
Of blocks, when he met the night mar
shall, who had heard of the shooting
and was on his way at a lope to
Hardesty's place. The piano player
surrendered himself to the night mar
shall and was locked up over night in
the calaboose. A corners jury was
got together at TO- O'Clock the next
morning and inside of exactly eight
JsoG 49, j 4I..L