The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01


in Mobiles queer policy Of fist persuadon after
all but IL was not until he had turned the trick
repeatedly and put out number Of the most
savage and thorough y-heeled bad men that
ever announced on B,Ittes main streets that
they dinod daily picked coyotes feet thas
he succeeded In convincing the whole camp that
. man who has complete understanding Of
tho way TO handle his hands has Just good
an end OF most arguments as the man with the
gun or the knife And Noble know how 10 use
his hands, II any man in that country did He'd
never let on to any one where he had picked UP
his science boxer and a rough and tumbler,
but guess We were not far wrong In figuring
Il that he had been In the ring few times whom
he was . younger man. He was short man,
not above Ave feet six in height but he was
extraordinarily broad across the shoulders with
an arm reach that was almost baboonish, sinowy
as Brule Sioux and quick a cat. and his hugo
chest and arms were 80 knotted that stripped.
he looked almost muscle bound, although he
wasn't He could strike q terrific blow
rampageous mule whacker. a strapping giant
over SIX feet tall, walked up TO Noble one night
in the New York saloon and deliberately spat
In his face. He was new man in Butte, and
he wasn't onto the night marshal's curves. The
mule-whacker did this thing out Of pure corn
Juice devilishnees because he wanted TO be bad.
looking. he probably figured that no could do
II with IMMUNITY. Noble thrust his right leg
back planted his feet firmly on the floor, gave
o dazzling swift circular swing with his long
right arm, and then sent the rock hard fist at
the end Of II into The middle Of tho giants chest
The blow sounded like the impaoa Of piledriver.
The big mule-wheckcr never got up from where
heswent down
Noble drifted into Tad Moonlights Angel
Gabriel einml night whom things seemed
70 be kind O. quiet around town The only GUS
toner in the place was a huge wheelwright named
Luke Finn. Finn had hard name ugly
man and a trouble hunter. He was playing
solitaire at table in a corner of the saloon. He
nodded to Noble when the night marshal came
in but Noble didn't return the nod. When Gus
didn't like man he never made any pretension
that he did.
"'If an ombrey's worth nodding to he's worth
shaking hands with, he used to say. and who're
the deoency OF giving your paw to man that
you 70 sooner or later liable to brand with the
same handH
Any how. Noble leaned on the bar for few
minutes, talking with Moonlight when queer
little guy of tenderfoot came into the saloon.
He had struck Butte with wagon train that
arrived that afternoon. and he was about raw
| as they make EN-. got up with q regular scout
makeup, fringe his trousers sombrero two
guns and dirk, the whole thing His rg was
| the regular stage conception Of the frontiers
man. and he didn't look much bigger than q
| pint OF cider boiled down he presented a
| funny picture.
Have you any wnsr' the little tenderfoot
inquired OF Moonlight in piping voice. throwing
down gold piece
From Kentucky. yes, said Moonlight, grin
! ming and setting out the black bottle
Finn, immersed in his solitaire game over
in the corner had not noticed tho arrival OF the
| tenderfoot but his caught this little talk at
the bar and he looked up and leered when he
saw the new arrival Finn had enough whiskey
| in him to be evil. and he besides because
| Noble had not returned his nod when he came
| in Any how, he got up stretched himself. and
| walked over to the tenderfoot looming a good
| foot him.
| Soy said he, addressing the scout you
look like you ought to know heap about
dancing hornpipe Willie.
The tenderfoot didn't to understand
at all what he was in for.
mo he piped looking at the big man unsus
piciousiy, they didn't teach that at our dancing
school
The thunder they didn't said Finn Well
they teach il at this dancing school, and it's dead
easy when you're helped along bit Dance it
son. and out came both Of Firms guns at the
same time, and two bullets went through the
floor about two inches from the tenderfoot's heels
Go ahead and dance it Willie
We'll, the poor little chaps eyes almost popped
out Of his head, and il didn't take him two sec
onds TO begin gyrating around with his hands on
his hips, sailor fashion
| why, O. course. you know how to dance it.
said Finn. planting two more bullets danger
| IN he oh fpet rAr
dance anything in this yere dancing academy
| providin you've got the right kind o. music
and two more balls cut ragged holes in the floor in
spots where the tenderfoots feet had been a tenth
OF a second before
| Noble had odd way OF closing his eyes wher
he was getting riled up anything, and they
closed up so then that ii almost seemed il he
couldn't see out of them. But he didn't say
word nor mako move. He could easily have
got the drop Finn with his guns and callet
him down and to standstll, but he had othel
plans, and he used his guns while he wa
night marshal unless he absolutely had to. H,
knew that Firms guns only held twelve forty
fivos and he waited. Finn roared with the pur,
Joy OF the fun he was having. and after three OIL
four minutes he had made twelve holes in tn,
saloon floor, the tenderfoot hopping up and dowr
frantcally meanwhile. Then Finn put his gun,
down on the bar in order TO get at his cartridge
belt to reload. Noble slipped between Finn ant
the bar quick as a flash of light, and the nigh
marshal stuck his face within two inches of Finn,
ragged red beard
"'Ombrey said he to Finn this is a peaceabl,
camp, and it's a camp that's free to all men tina
behave themselves. No man has to dance any
where's around this camp after the sun goes down
unless he wants to dance and gun plays don't e,
when I'm around, nohow. You've made you
little gun play on this tenderfoot here because
having a lot more rum under your belt than any
man like you's going to carry on my beat 20,
think you're sort o putting it onto me. Now
you're going to take off your cap and beg tina
little snipe's pardon for giving this camp bac
name and then you're going TO mosey to you
shack. and you re going to do both O. these thing
right now, quick and sudden.
Finn leaped by and ripped out his dirk.
mot by q long sight am l., he shouted blu
I'm a-eoin' TO slice you up a cannn factory
won take ye,' and he leaped in and made a lung
at Mobiles face. Mobiles face wasn't there, II
had lodged suddenly, and Finn fell against tn