Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-02-14

Had I stood TO my guns-and would
to God that / had-none Of these AWFUL
crimes would lave happened; but al
last. something Lennon said SO tunE
me to the quick tht / not only offered
to play. but I addeG that / would put
up a hundred as well as Foster. tx his
Iennon's) beggarly Irish estates would
stand h racket. ] ought not 10 have
| said 1t. / hate and despise myself now
for my lack of wit tina would not let
! me devise some better way ~ answer
ing an angry man tina by linging his
poverty in his face. But I did il, and /
have only repented once, and that Is
ever since.
"Travers would have slipped away,
but Lennon sprang up and locked the
door. No man leaves the ROOM said
he. tin this affair is settled: and as for
you, sir'---this TO me---'when we've
lone with the cards, I'll have satlsfac-
ton for the insult you've put upon me-
This was a sorry beginning for what
had a much sorrier ending.
I'VE did not stop at the first game,
and at last Lennon was owing US
something like $500. I'll play n
more game said he, and III owe you
Ct. 300 or nothing. We were 10 go
twice round the board. The game was
Tough out I'm silence, except when we
We're counting our hands, and at last IL
stood in this position. I wanted exact
iy thirteen TO win. and a la is
called first ~show-that is, / could
my cards first. and provided I could
score by play, and had thirteen points.
I won.
THE play, however, went all against
me, m Lennon actually got within
one OF the game. I declare, solemnly,
that. for my part, I wished him TO win.
1t would have been a comparatively
| happy ending, for we should ave a
| all the excitement and hone of is been
losers. But Fate willed it otherwise. /
held exactly thirteen in my handl
held. in fact. what is Known as the
| Ragged T~hirteen-the six, even, eight
and two aces.
Il think / never saw a man so pos
sessed with fury as lennon. For a
minute he stood trying TO speak, and
when at last his words came, he ac-
cused Foster, point-blank, of cheating.
He swore tina Foster had passed me
one of the cards I held, for he had seen
him do so, and that I knew the game
was won by nothing but downright
cheating. Then, / think, we all went
mad together. Blows We're struck and
the table overturned, and when we
paused for breath the blood was run
ming from Lemons face, and Foster
had been severely handled.
Before we could come to blows
again Lennon rushed into the inner
room, and came hurrying back with a
pistol i'm each hand.
Here said he to Foster, you've
drawn my blood; take the rest, or III
have yours, And ff you don't fight me
here and now, by Heaven I'll shoot you
where you stand for the cur you are!
IL a mar of you moves I'll blow his
brains out!' And there was that in
him which held US back from rushing
at him, for, assuredly, at that close
range. two of us would have gone un-
der. If you don't fight ne shouted,
I'll make your heart as ragged as the
hand he held. aye. and the heart OF
every one of you that's stood by and
seen my shame!'
ct was plain that his rage was be-
coming more uncomfortable every min
ute.
"sHow can he fight you here? I said
Come out to the meadows. lie fight you
must and In making h proposal
never for a moment thought they
would go so far as ] proposed goins
without some stop being put to ths
proceedings. Foster caught at the idea
for he was well-nigh as mad as the
Irishman.
Com out OF this!' he cried, 'ant
! the sooner the better. IN fight You
but only on one condition: IL / kill you
2 there tie matter ends
r And with that we walked out and
: away to the river, and 1t seemed tina
5 the EVIL One was to have a free hand
for, ever on that glorious summer at
ternoon, not a soul did we meet.
! 1--WE were a mile or SO from tn
= town, and I could see that Foster hac
/ already begun to realize the awfu
t gravity of the affair, but Lennon was
i IL anything. worse than ever. I'll &,
no farther said he. DO you stan,
there and TIL stand here, and someon,
v can give the word to fire. And-woul,
q you believe ir?-not one Of us excep
Travers had the moral courage to pro
IL test.
s i've come this far he said. hop
ing that you men would see the mad
It ness of what you propose to do.
wash my hands Of the affair." an,
a, with this he turned oil his heel an
+ walked back towards the town.
h For a moment or SO I felt that
l. must follow him, but the evil spiri
S, within me held me to my ground.
~ shall wait one minute said Len
non,' and then / shall fire. for tina
d coward yonder will tell the police, an
maybe that's what you're wantins
ct The pistols are loaded. and I'll kiln yol
re IL I can. Here. take this and, care
re less as to whether IL exploded or MOI
d he threw one of the weapons on tn
turf. Foster picked it up and wen
e and stood about ten PAGES of.
k "Mayne made a last attempt to in
= tervene. Stand out OF the line sal
s Lennon, 'or I'll shoot you! Give tn
word-one. two. three. fret Are yor
lie ready? In a voice scarcely Ioude
II than a whisper. Mayne obeyed. In tn
IS rear Of Lennon as he stood. were som
" gorse bushes, and as Mayne rave tn