Evening star., 1901-03-02


The judge closed his game, but within a
week he struck it rich in a placer mine
and opened up new game more gorgeous
| than the first.
All Carried Guns.
| In the days of the early forty-niners we
! all carried our lives in our hands, and 1t
was my usual habit to carry revolver
! day and night, but as l knew every body, and
didn't think 1 had an enemy in the world,
L soon laid aside my weapons But l had
one scare that nearly cost an innocent
| mans life and my own escape from accl-
! dental death was marvellous. A brawny
Scotchman, Dugald Mcpherson by name,
| came to the mining country in Cali
| fornia and struck it rich the first year.
| He was a bold operator, peaceful when
| sober and q devil incarnate when VeXed
! or under the influence.
| Forty miles from San Francisco the old
| bachelor Mcpherson had ranch where
the boys loved TO sojourn over Sunday 1t
| was in the center of virg.n oak forest
! that the old Scot lived surrounded by
| hundred henchmen, with cellars well filed
| with rare and costly wines from all over
the world.
Presiding over the old mans home and
mistress of the ranch was a Spanish senor-
| ita. fat and over forty years Old, and
miraculous cook. l certainly had no eyes
for the senOrita, but after | had gone bacs
to Frisco, leaving my friends behind, some
of the wags in the party told the old Scot
that | had been using the whispered
speech that lovers use" in conver sation on
May night on the p azza of the adobe man
sion with his dusky senOrita. The green
eyed passion seized mine host.
An Unfortunate Joke.
This was fun to the boys, but it was like
to have been death to the city surveyor of
San Francisco-that was me. Imagine my
feelings of discomfort and astonishment and
anger when told by one of our party at my
office in the city, and in dead earnest, that
the antique Scotchman had sent me word
that he meant to put a bullet hole In me on
sight. My revoverS were soon hunted up;
but the nearest gnsmith this industry was
a lively one at that period of California
history found them badly out of order,
and pressed upon me two single-barreled
pistols with very hair triggers. Then telt
better. | didn't mean to be killed by the
bloody minded Mcpherson without a chance
for my white alley, as the boys say. With
my hair-trigger pistols one in each trouser
pocket, l sauntered down town and into one
of the most gorgeous saloons in Frisco, for
we had no clubs in those days of 40. The
transition from the bar room to the faro
room in the rear of the saloon was natural,
for. though L did not play, l was sure t.
meet there many big men and city officials,
all well known to me. The Scottish chief,
thought, was still basking where the
May sun sheds an amber light the new
leaved woods and lawns between up on
his own elegant ranch, or hunting five
pronged bucks among the mesquite bushes
In the mountains.
Nevertheless, as 1 got close up to one of
the faro tables, both hands were in their re-
spectfve pockets ready for immediate ac-
ton. l was much interested in the play of
little short, squatty, half-breed semi
demi, French Mexican gambler, who was
plunglns widely with his gold dust all over
the thirteen cards on the faro layout. When
l was within six inches of the half breed
l looked up There ten PAGES away, on
the other side of the table, towering like |
ties, six feet in his boots stood my mortal |
enemy, Dugald Mcpherson. He advanced |
stood still. both hands grasping my trusty |
single barrels in poche. Suddenly there |
was an explosion, hundred revolvers were |
instantly drawn in the gambling room and |
the click in cooking the shooting irons |
drowned the click of the ivories and the |
buzz of the roulette wheel
An Incident and It's SequaI
'Sac-r-r-dam!" cried the little half-breed,
his handful of gold dust around
the room, and making a wild jump, he
mounted the faro table at bound The
dealer drew his pistol and the half-breed
was very close to the gates ajar of another
world he cavorted strangely among the
chips, scared out of his wits. With nv
eft l drew my remaining pistol and pointed
t at the burly Scot, Mcpherson. All my
ife was crowded in that one moment when
the sense of danger was calculated to |
nto a moment. Mcpherson threw up both
hands and shouted, my pistol still holding
cool bead him.
Don't! I'm a id fool. l found out the
)oys were lying to mer'
Down went my pistol into my left pocket
While began to clap my right hand on nv
light pocket which was afire, with my
Weather eye still on the Mexican French
nan, who was ready and eager to fight me-
he bullet had creased the gamblers skin
md cut open his trousers which covered
he broadest part of his person. l hurried |
y begged his pardon, dragged him out of |
ne gambling room, glad to get out alive
nd with difficulty explained the situation
When he began to comprehend he
aughed until the tears ran down his face |
more particularly after l told him in the ,
'est Mexican l could master that if he .
would meet me at my hotel the next day
I noon l would order for him at my tailor's
he best suit of clothes money could buy | {
he suit cost me $500. and l gave him, be- 8
ides, 500 in gold, and the jingling of the
uinea helped the hurt his honor felt a ;
';teriori This man proved to be rough {
iamond and became my fast friend.
The old Scotchman spent a week with I
le, but ne never again recognized any OF 7
he crowd whose pleasantly came near I
osting three people their lives. Dugald +
Jefferson died the next year, full of years /
nd ducats, and left me $4,000 in gold by
ay of apology for his mistake.