The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-03-28

afternoon and rode straight to Red An.
gus saloon New, don't Ike 10 b
| looked upOn as coward fer don't thfnk
that | am one. but 7 VII state right hers
that began TO feel rather shaky. we
left little Clark outside 10 watch the hor-
ses. Tor we had no desire 10 walk home
and We knew that the gang would Be ~
| 20 ali kinds OF mischief He stood right
BY the door and waited FOR the fen "a
begin He had instructions not tc shoe,
unless the trouble really got 10 be very
serious
We went inside and found the plsce
fuli OF about a. rouzh-lOoking customers
as one ever gets 10 see. ell armed 20 the
teeth Old Red stood behind the bar il
bis shirt sleeves leaning over and taking
70 some men while his bartender sup
Piled the wants CT the thirstv
" Howdy do. boys he said with the
oarest Caledonian accent. He shook hands
with US cordially and introduced US TO the
men with whom he had been conversing.
we've been rubin Us a ieetIe hard
lately. have Sc not. my friendsT he said.
turning 10 US again. Now II We value
life and limb. ye sood be anorised OF the
fact that we tolerate no interference from
sich people as We be-
What kind OF people 10 YOU think we
are Red@ asked Jim as his face began 20
nush with rising anger. Red gave lit
tie mirthless ehUekle while his eyes be-
gan 10 emit that ominous twinkle that all
men had learned 70 dread
rafr
not what ye think ye are he said. I
apprehend that We are meddlin' busy
bodies who had better be at home at
tending to your own affairs l want to
hear no more OF these tri3s 70 Cheyenne
and calls 10 meet for the purpose of form
ing protective organization
You are liable to hear OF them as
long as You persist in running OF my
cattle and shooting them out on the range
from pure spite answered Jim, look
ing him straight in he eve. Then Red
denied having had anything to do with
those depredauons- determinations
passed back and forth. but Jims plucky
conduct Won the respect Of the rough
old Scot. Still, so much Of the converse
ton had been heard by his crew that il
would have been a practical baekdoNn
had he unbent so far as to propose a
truce. At last he called out in a bantering
tone:
Didn'i Drink.
"'Weei. we have patched up matters
to suit oursels. and it would not be ont
of the way for We TO call refreshments for
the boys
Jim looked at him so keenly that his
eyes dropped under the glance.
r~l4nA
enough for anyone within the room 20
hear. I am always ready to drink vita
my friends You are not included among
them, nor any man in your gang You are
a pack OF thieves. ard tell you here and
row that / would not spenj a penny TO Sc
cure your good will. There are about
twenty-five men IN here: whisky is 30
cents drink: / would not buy a gill if l
were ? millionaire
RED gave another low chuckle I'm reply
to this dramatic defamation. Perhaps
this young spindle-shanked dude ye have
with you might be more tender-hearted,'
he said as he turned toward me- 1
hemmed and hawed. and was about TO
cough out an affirmative. when Jim
grabbed me and said sternly: No you
won't. I'll shoot your hands Off before I'll
allow you to pull out a dollar. They
asked us Own here merely to pick quar-
rel. | am not looking for trouble, but
shan't run away from It,
Red laughed again. and asked us II
we would not drink at his expense.
No. said Jim, curtly
Angus was thoroughly nettled this
time, and he turned to the loafers who
had been interested spectators of the
whole episode. Boys he said. they
won't buy. and they won't drink. See if
they won't dance. Ye know how to fur
nish good music
Cowboy Orchestra.
Before I could catch the significance OF
the remark Jim gave me a violent jerk
and pulled me with my back against the
bar. He put his hands over the rail and
l followed suit still wondering what
would happen next. did not have 10 wait
long Every man in the room had his re-
volver out in twinkling and at a signal
from Red they began shooting at the
floor around our feet. The din of those
tWO-ScOre reVOlVers was deafening All
of them were Of heavy caliber. and they
tore huge splinters out OF the pine boards.
The room was filled with smoke. and
through its shifting clouds / saw the face
OF little Clark at the door His keen
black eyes We're fixed on Jim. and | knew
that II bullet happened 10 come closer
than It was intended. half a dozen Rust
lers would pass in their checks before the
crowd knew what had occurred. did NOT
dare look at my feet. In the excitement
of the moment they might have been
shot all to pieces without my knowing
it. But my knees trembed so that II
1t had not been for the timely support Of
the bar rail | would have sunk to the
floor.
Jim stood up as coolly as II ne had been
used 10 such things all his life He was
chewing an unlighted cigar which was tilt
ed toward the ceiling at an angle of forty
five degrees. He was intensely absorbed
in looking Al the tip OF H. Not a change
came over the expression OF his face,
even when a carelessiy. or perhaps care
fully. aimed bullet carried of a portion
of one OF his little toes Finally the
ttsillade died down to a few random shots
then ceased altogether. The affair had
been so tame that the crowd looked
rather foolish. Jim turned around 70
Red and said: want TO thank you for
your serenade. You keep sach poor time
though that / couldn't dance for you.
''The floor Of the room was pretty badly
shot up, but the shape OF our feet I'M
marked by bullet holes. made an almost
perfect last We started out OF the saloon.
At every step Jim took the blood spurted
out OF his shoe. One OF the Rustlers sang
out: Somebody got winged That's the
reason he didn't dance.
Jim turned around and said In his
DOlitest manner: Come out 10 nv place
some time, boys. and I'll show you what
Workmanship is
''One night they did come. but that in !
cident Is not included in this narrative" |
Hcw 90 Time a Train.
From the ClEcinHati Co1snsrclaI-Trlsune
Not one person 70 hundred who travels /
has any IDEA Of tie speed Of train, ami I
sVen large percentage OF the regular I
Tainment cannot tell with any degree a /
accuracy Engineers use their ,ttlylng
a heel "A a aa4Iare ThGu Nuourf Sc -F--...--