The Philipsburg mail., 1899-05-12
a. DUEL UNFINISHED.
WHAT A REVOLVER RECALLS
TO A WESTERNER.
Pointed Cleaning Weapons at Each
other In the Darkness, but When the
Triggers Clicked No Crack Followed
BIoodless Tragedy.

do you see that gum" said an old
timer, pointing to a revolver in the
window of a Larmer (Mont.) second
hand store. well, that guns got a
history. That's the gun what didn't
put daylight through Pete Mallory on
the plains in 70 when me an him was
herdin together
The secondhand store is next door
to a saloon and three or four loungers
who overheard the speaker stepped up
to take a look at the formidable
weapon.
1T makes me laugh yet when l
think of it. Them two fellers standin'
up holdin' their guns out and then
counting ten. But their amt no tell
in what would a happened if they
hadn't changed guns"
Were you there?" said one of the
interested listeners.
WAS l there? Well, l guess l was.
Didn't me an Pete Mallory work to-
gether fur year? You see it was this
way. Me an Pete was workin' on a
ranch in Garfield county, Kansas, and
one day feller comes riding up and
he says, Say, pard, what's the chance
Of gettin' bite an swig of somethin'
that's wet?' l sez, Bully, pardner;
hitch up and come in' Well, he gets
off and pickets his broncho and walks
right in behind me. Pete was settin'
on stool smokin his pipe kind o
quiet like. He looks up and mods,
but that's ell he sez.
by an by the stranger sez, 'Pard-
ners, what & the chance fur stayin' all
night?' ! speaks right up and SEE,
Stay a week; we like company but
by and by it came on night, and
sets out the big jug and we all takes
somethin and then rolls up in our
blankets. Pete an me we takes off
our boots, but the stranger keeps his'n
on an he lays his gun right where
it's handy. Me and Pete didn't get nc
chance to talk private, but pretty soon
was sound asleep
"By and by l hears suthin and
l wakes up and rubs my eyes. l sees
the stranger crawln' along on the
ground like a rattler just edgin' his
way to the door. l looks over tc
where Pete was layin' and l sees him
stir. lays still, fur l knew then that
suthin's wrong. The stranger crawls
back to his blanket an sees that he's
got suthin' shiny in his hand. l know
ed 1t was a knife, fur saw him take it
out from under the saddle at the door
l reaches over to git my gun an then
l lays there waitin'. Pretty soon
hears the stranger movin' again ant
the next thing he's over at Pete's
bunk. l gets ready to blaze away, bu
afore / cud git my gun up l hears the
two a-talkin'. Pete sez, sez he, !
knowed you was comm, but I'm ready
fur ye, and then the stranger he sez
know you was game. Let's go about
! the business now afore your pare
wakes up So they both slips out and
| follows them a-crawlin' like a. In
Jun. Pretty soon they stood still an
[ felt mighty queer when / sees Pete
steppin' off ten PAGES and leveln' the
gun at the stranger, l sees the stran-
ger level his gun and then Pete he
,ez, Count ten and then let 'er go.
They both begins to count kind o. slow
and solemn like, but afore they gifts tc
five l up an sez. You durn Injuns
what do you mean but Pete he talks
'ough an sez 'Shet var mouth er II
out daylight through yer So l sets
down and hears them count six,
seven eight, nine'-and then they
both stops a little to take breath-'ten,
and then I hears the pistols snap, ant
hey don't go off. They both stands
ookin at each other, and by and by
the stranger laughs right out, an(