The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-05-01

took care to say 1t only when he
could not hear them-that Squire Fitz-
gerald, popularity known as Fighting
Tom," was born to be the plague of all
mis- neighbors. II so, be certainly full
filed the purpose of his birth better
than most men do.
He seemed to have NO other object in
life except finding a quarrel to fight out.
or else fighting out a quarrel that he
had found. When no pretext for a row
was TO be had. Fighting Tom was the
quickest man alive at inventing one;
and, indeed, it seemed to be all one to
him, provided the affair ended in a
fight. whether the man with whom he
fought had done anything to him or
not.
What with horsewhipping, knocking
down, shooting or 'pinking" with a
small sword. every nan who could be
brought to give him the chance, our
worthy Mr.. Fitzgerald had made such
good use of his opportunities that there
was not a man in the parish to whom he
bad not done something, and it was a
favorite joke with the ways of the
neighborhocd that the fighting squire
could not sleep al night il he had hap
pened to go through a whole day with
out killing or hurting some one, which
did not happen often, as you may sup
pose, in times when gentlemen fought
with their best friends for a chance dis
pute about the speed Of a horse or the
color Of dog.
1t was a sight to see this terrible fell
low galloping into the little town on a
market day upon his great black horse,
which no one could ride but himself,
with his hat cooked fiercely over one eye
and his heavy whip in his hand, ready
for a good cut at anybody who might
dare to get in his way; but it was sell
dom enough that he had a chance of
using it. for the moment he was seen
coming down the road everybody took
10 their heels as il he had been a mad
dog.
And then he would swagger into the
coffee room of the King George, where
the farmers used to dine, and take the
best seat at table and lay down the law
TO the whole company, watching all the
while to see if anyone would dare 10
contradict or oppose him.
But it was very rarely that anyone did
so: for he was a great, brawny fellow,
six feet high and quite as ready with
his fists as with his sword or pistol, and
il was his favorite boast that there
wasn't a man within ten miles of hi:
house whom he couldn't thrash easily
u -. Ill 4h,t FHsr onofaIle ron,
tleman was popularity believed to have
quar7eled with every man in the parish
of Bullocksham. But this belief, though
correct enough in the main, was not en-
;irely so. There was one. nan witt
whom he had never quarreled, for th'
simple reason that the most quarrel
some man alive could scarcely hav'
managed to get any cause of DISPUTE
out of dear old Jabez Goodharte, tn
Quaker.
For threats, abuse or loud talk o
every kind, friend Jabez" had but on
answer, and hat was to smile his owl
pleasant, kindly smile and say in hi
chirping little voice, which sounded jus
like the chirrup of a canary: Men sa,
that ii taketh two to make a quarre.
friend, and l Will not be one"
And Jabez certainly acted up to hi
words; for whereas Tom Fitzgerald car
ried with him wherever he went an al
mosphere of strife and brawling, th
kindly old Quaker seemed to put every
body in good humor with the mere sigh
of his compact little figure and brigh'
CHEEKY face.
Sulky old Grimes, the tollman, VIII
grumble6 at everyone else, twisted b
grabbed visage into a kind of wintr
smile as Mr.. Goodharte passed, and La
: Y been known to wish him a merr
Christmas-a most unheard-of stretc
. of cordiality for him.
. Two hulking wagoners fighting in tt
; market place had been stopped by Jab'
5 stepping fearlessly in between the
I. and joining their huge brown hands
3 his with a few words of kindly r
: proof.
= Even stiff old Lord I%vytower, IL
4 proudest man in the whole county. hs
E eondescended to shake hands cordial
s with Mr.. Goodharte and to give hi
IS five hounds for Ibis poor" for JabI
8 seemed to consider all the poor of Blu
d locksham as his own especial prcpert
. and was always trotting about Wi
& baskets Of food and bundles of fame
now sitting up all night with a si'
r child. now reading to n blind old VOL
IL ar, and now putting an unemploy'
man IN the way of getting a job.
E Hitherto Fitzgerald had let his qui
" little neighbor contemptuonsly alon
ms not being a fighting man; but
length something occurred to make hi
n change his mind. News reached hi
e through one of those countless indivi
y nails who attend To everybody's affai
ii but their own that Jabez Goodharte hi
been heard TO say, in answer to a neis